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Management Not Responding To My Resignation I have been working in a Software company and I have a bond there for 2 years. I have already served for 1 year 8 months. Unfortunately I'm now having some health issues and wanted to discontinue my work. I have talked to my reporting manager in person about this and drafted him a resignation email on Nov, 1st. It's been 19 days since I resigned and he is not responding to me. I have talked to him and also sent a followup email. He said that he will get back to me in a week or 10 days and still no response. I have talked to the HR team as well, and they are asking me to wait for my managers decision. I have drafted a followup again 3 days back and still don't received any response. Since I have to serve a notice period of 2 months according to the company policy, I said to them that I will serve that period and then leave by Dec, 31st 2018. Also I have attached the required medical reports. He is responding to other work related emails but not my resignation. Can some one suggest me what to do now? I'm from Hyderabad, India. Also my bond does not include anything about the scenarios in which an employee can leave the company. <Q> Review your Employment Contract and continue with your plans of resignation. <S> Your notice of resignation does not require your manager's approval, and so long as you are acting within the employment contract, there is nothing they can do about you leaving. <S> You do not have to follow HR's advice about 'waiting' so long as you stick to the terms set out in the employment contract <S> and I would strongly recommend against following your HR's advice. <S> Remember the Golden Rule of dealing with HR: <S> HR is not your friend. <S> It exists solely to look after the company's interests <A> OP has updated the location as India; this advice doesn't apply there. <S> Leaving it in case it has value to a future reader who is in the US. <S> I have a bond there for 2 years <S> By "a bond" do you mean that you entered into a contract for employment that lasts two years? <S> If so, I'm not sure why you would need a response from your boss. <S> No, that isn't what he meant. <S> Having said that, makes sure that the notice you have given is a valid notice . <S> Check your contract about valid ways to give notice - if it doesn't specify a way, and the contract is in writen form (in person / not emailed) <S> then you may have to give it to the same way they gave it to you (they could choose to regard the email as not a valid notice). <S> Given no specific form of notice in the contract (email/FAX/telegraph/etc.) <S> you have to respond in the same form that the offer was given in. <S> You don't mention a country, so this may not be relevant - but it generally is correct for contract law in the US. <S> Note that I'm not a lawyer, and most companies wouldn't refuse to pay because you didn't notfy them the right way... but most companies would have a boss that responds to a resignation; not doing so is weird to me). <S> Even if I'm correct in my assumptions, it may not be 'contract law'. <S> It could be covered under 'employment law' and it is it, even within the US each state has specifics that add/override agreements or parts of them related to employment. <A> Once when an employee submit his resignation, his notice period starts from that day, and now company don't have any control on you, <S> yeah <S> it is good if they will revert you back, but if they don't then don't worry no one can hold you, as you have health issue <S> and you also submit your health papers as you mention, <S> so on 31st December 2018, throw a fairwell mail you your colleagues. <S> If management or company try to hold you <S> and you are not interested in it <S> then you can take the legal help also, but i hope management will not hold you back as they can't.
| Get an employment lawyer's opinion if it isn't very clear how to give notice in your contract.
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My interview has been cancelled at short notice, I cannot reschedule, what to do? I had a phone interview last week with the controller of a new company I am interested in. They then wanted to meet with me today for an interview. I was scheduled for an interview today, and three hours before they cancelled it and wanted to reschedule it for next week. I already took PTO from my current job. What do I do? I don't want to look bad calling out again. It will be hard to find another excuse to call off especially since I commute in the city. How can I communicate effectively that I am unable to reschedule, but am still interested in the position? <Q> It's annoying when that happens - and with the best will in the world it does happen. <S> Interviewers are humans too and just as subject to last minute hiccups as the rest of us (illness etc). <S> A good employer will recognise that this has put you in an awkward position and should be willing to work with you to rearrange with that in mind. <S> It's totally fine to say something like: <S> It was unfortunate that we weren't able to meet as planned. <S> I'm still very interested in the role <S> but I'm going to struggle to get time off again next week. <S> Would you be able to meet me one night after work? <S> Say at x time? <A> I think it comes down to a question of how badly you want this new position and how good an opportunity it is. <S> Also, it depends on what you think you can 'get away' with with your current employer. <S> If the job is a great opportunity to advance your career and you can't afford to pass it up, then I would probably do whatever I could to make the interview happen, such as 'feigning' a sick day or family emergency, if necessary. <S> You have to think about your own career first <S> and I don't think most employers would be too concerned about one day, especially if you are a good employee, working hard and getting good results, and as long as it isn't a regular thing. <S> However, if you do that, I think it is also very important to make the new employer aware beforehand of the difficulty for you in taking time off, and that it is unlikely you would be able to re-schedule again if they cancel again at such short notice. <A> Remember that your current job may be the only one you have. <S> So be very careful. <S> Honesty is the best policy, but don't give out details to your current employer they don't need. <S> Best wishes for success. <A> Take another day off. <S> Just schedule it now so that it's not "calling in" again and it should be fine. <S> If you can't get it on the schedule <S> and you don't have anymore time off allowances, explain it to the interviewer. <S> The job you have <S> right now is not the only thing in the world. <S> Don't let it overstep your boundaries. <S> Just be reasonable and mindful of what you signed up for when you agreed to take your current role <S> and you'll be fine. <A> Annoying, but don't take it personally. <S> Managers conduct hundreds of interviews; sounds like a key interviewer and/or hiring manager had something come up. <S> If next week is no good for you, just offer them a few dates and times when you can be available; e.g.: I am available at the following dates/times:Wed 28 Nov - morningThu 29 <S> Nov - afternoonFri 30 <S> Nov - morning <S> This is pretty standard stuff. <S> I prefer morning interviews, but some companies like afternoon. <S> I normally give two mornings and one afternoon. <S> This morning/afternoon strategy also gives you the option to take a 1/2 day with your current employer. <S> Also, in my opinion, when proposing times: Avoid Mondays. <S> Some people tend to be in a rotten mood. <S> Avoid Friday afternoon. <S> Some people don't want to be bothered, are tired from the work week, and want to get started on their weekend.
| If you got an interview, then you can probably get another job.
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Multiple languages in our small team A little bit of a back story; I work in an international company in Hong Kong where the main languages are Cantonese and English. Our team in HK is only 3 people (4 if you include one temporary person from another team), our main team is in Singapore and is about 15 people. Ever since I joined, there has been a language issues, my 2 local colleagues are both from HK and they tend to speak Cantonese in the office. I've pointed out several times that I feel excluded and that I'm not able to help them with the problems they face at work if they don't communicate in English. I know that they're having a lot of problems, but they mostly communicate with the team in SG over Skype. I feel this is just a waste of time and it would be easier if they spoke to me. I've had numerous meetings with them about this problem and have continued to ask them to try and use as much English as possible in the office. I've mentioned that I don't mind they speak Cantonese to discuss personal problems (since that's none of my business), but when it comes to anything related to the project, I would like them to use English since it will affect me. (English isn't my native language as well, but it's the only language we have in common) Now we're over a year later and this problem still continues, I've brought it up to my manager who eventually discussed it with them. Since them things have taken a turn for the worst and now they hardly speak at the office. I've tried to discuss this with them, and they've pointed out that they don't appreciate me going to our manager with this. (Even though I've tried for over a year to bring it up in person). Both of them have recently resigned from the company, I assume our team issues are a large cause of this, and I truly feel bad about it. They've mentioned they got tired of me complaining about this, but to me it was a fundamental problem within the team.There were a lot more issues within the company, but to me being in a small team and not being able to work together was one of the biggest issues here. Since I will continue to work in this country for a while, I'm wondering how I should approach this problem in the future. Should I talk to them in person and make them understand my feelings? Or should I involve my manager straight away in this? <Q> This isn't a language issue, it's either a trust issue or a dislike one. <S> They don't want to communicate with you either because they don't think you're helpful or they don't like you. <S> There is no other reason they would go on Skype and explain an issue in English to the Singapore people. <S> When in a situation where multiple languages are used you have to earn trust in your expertise. <S> I work in several languages, most of the time I just tune out, because I know if there is anything that I should be involved with, they will switch to a common language and let me know. <S> You don't expect everyone to conform to your expectations by default. <S> It's most constructive to recognise a problem for what it actually is, solutions for a different problem are a waste of time. <S> So work on how you can earn the trust and respect of colleagues rather than how you can force them to do what you want. <A> Welcome new user. <S> You've explained that the facts seem to be the policy IS to have work in English <S> you DID <S> (at first) ask them to speak English when they did not they DID get annoyed at this <S> you DID eventually give up on asking them management did NOT enforce the policy effectively <S> So: <S> "At first I've tried to interrupt them and ask them to explain in English [...] <S> eventually I stopped doing it." <S> Let's say the project had to be done in c#. <S> You see someone using Java. <S> You tell them "Use c#. <S> " <S> This happens every day. <S> What do you do? <S> You don't stop telling them . <S> "for almost a year I've addressed this to my colleagues directly, it came to the point where I was ready to resign over this. <S> Hence why I brought it up with my manager, it was more a "last resort" type of thing. <S> I don't think I was in the wrong with doing so after a year." <S> Yes, for sure. <S> You might mention to your manager that "the other guys get annoyed when I ask them to repeat in English". <S> But your actual question seems to be " <S> Or should I involve my manager straight away in this?" <S> The answer is no, just ask each time. <S> But if you don't like a policy, or a policy is not being enforced, there's nothing you can do about it, other than ultimately leave. <A> Not being able to communicate with your colleague is a fundamental issue. <S> You can't be expected to work effectively in team if you don't use the same spoken language. <S> The colleagues ignored your request continue to communicate only with each other in Cantonese. <S> At this point, management needs to step in and make a decision as to what language your office needed to use to communicate within the office. <S> I feel like you could have done more to reach some middle ground here. <S> You live in HK <S> so learning some Cantonese would benefit you greatly. <S> I would ask your HK colleague to speak in a mixture of Cantonese and English and start you getting used to some of the lingo. <S> But your colleagues should have been making more of an effort to make sure the whole team is able to communicate. <S> For one of my previous jobs, I worked on a project with the Taiwan branch of my company while I was working in the United States. <S> Between offices we were expected to communicate in English, while in your home office, you could use the official or most common language of the country you're in to communicate. <S> Even though I speak Chinese too, I still communicated with my colleague in Taiwan in English, because non-Chinese speakers attended our meetings. <S> My Chinese colleagues definitely felt more comfortable communicating in Chinese, but used English so the non-Chinese speakers could understand. <S> The point here is that even though it was harder to do so, we spoke in English so everyone could participate. <S> I felt like your former colleagues could have done the same. <A> Your behaviour was in line with professional etiquette. <S> You need to be addressed in a language that you understand whenever your superiors inform you about your tasks and feedback to your work. <S> Any conversation with coworkers about your work or your impact on theirs or requirements / comments you have regarding theirs needs to be communicated the same way. <S> Anything that doesn't concern you directly can be kept in whatever language others deem appropriate or comfortable for them. <S> In meetings usually the majorities' or company standard language is used. <S> If you don't properly speak that, you need to let the company know beforehand and if they still hire you, they will make sure that you get all the information in your language that you need to fulfill your responsibilities. <S> If that doesn't happen it is your OBLIGATION to inform your superiors and management about this.
| I think what you have is correct in that you communicated the issue to your team member and asked them nicely to communicate with you in English. Every single time you have to ask, just ask.
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Mobile application I developed during internship never got published; should I mention this experience when applying for a job? Basically, as part of my courses, there was a time when I worked as an iOS Developer Intern for a few months in a small company several years ago. We were less than 10 people, though I was the only developer in-office. I never met the others, since they were sent into other companies (whilst I worked on an in-house project). During my internship, I was presented an Android application the company made, and my objective was to port it into an iOS version. By the end of the contract, I provided them with a working prototype (which worked very much like the Android version), beside one missing feature. But the application never was published. Recently, when I tried to download the Android application, I realised it was removed from Google Play (though I don't know why). Out of curiosity, I tried searching about the company, and I can't help but have the feeling the company possibly went bankrupt... Considering these few points, is it a good idea to mention this work experience (on the resume and during the interview) when applying for new jobs? I'm concerned they might start guessing when they search the application I mentioned and realise it "doesn't exist" (neither the iOS nor the Android, since the former never was published and the latter was deleted). <Q> The experience that you gained will still be relevant. <S> In past experience, interviewers are unlikely to fact-check every single project a candidate worked on. <S> You should not have to worry about mentioning an unreleased project on your CV. <A> You can and should absolutely include it. <S> A resume is a sales tool - you're selling yourself to potential employers, you're not selling your past employer. <S> A company publishing and supporting an app is a major effort with lots of moving pieces, compared to your part, which was developing some of the code on that app - don't assume that potential employers would imply anything about the code based on the success or failure of the app (or whether or not it was published). <A> Experience is experience. <S> A lot of the companies I worked for during internships made very unique, enterprise specific software products that the next company I would apply to could never actually see or use first hand. <S> I would put the experience on your resume since it sounds like good experience. <S> In an interview when you are asked about it, the fact you know so much about what the product was, can give a details on how you worked on it and show all the technical skills you gained from it, thats all that matters.
| As you mentioned that the application was a prototype , if it is described as such on your CV, the interviewers may simply assume that it either went unreleased or was changed significantly after your work in it had ended. If you can demonstrate - through the technical test for example or in usual interview Q&As - the knowledge you gained/employed from this project, you should have little to worry about.
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Demeaning co-worker - What can I do besides go to HR? I've been at my job for 2 1/2 years now. We have a small team (5 people), that all works remotely. The co-worker in question started about a year before me. This co-worker is consistently rude and demeaning. I've had two other people (one of whom has left) independently describe similar conflicts with this person unprompted by me. At this point, I'm highly sensitized to the situation. For example, today, we had 1:1 interviews scheduled with a new job candidate. The interviews were all taking place via a common video conference "room". We were instructed to coordinate hand-off of the candidate, so as not to disrupt each other. At precisely my scheduled time, I messaged my coworker to ask to let me know when I could join the call. The first response was to ask "what interview". Baffled at how this person could not know what I was talking about, and concerned the candidate had been left hanging, I forwarded the meeting invitation right away. The response in chat was to quote the schedule, followed by this response: already met him earlier so it's just you and started 3 mins ago In a more agreeable working relationship, this would have been fine. The level of anger it invoked in me tells me I need to do something about this. My perception from having tried to address this in that past is that things will only escalate if I try to talk to this person directly. Our current manager has indicated they are aware there's a problem. They haven't indicated what's being done to solve it, and I don't believe it's appropriate to tell me. However, I'm not seeing any change. This is the sort of situation I'd like to be able to take in to a job interview and say I was able to manage, but I'm at a loss. I've been warned that this person has complained to HR in the past, and given the recommendation that I should do so first. (Obviously, having put up with this for 2 1/2 years, I haven't followed this advice.) The basic question is, should I continue to try to handle this, or just go to HR? Add on parts: What suggestions are there besides going to HR? If I do go to HR, how should I pose the complaint? <Q> I recommend scheduling a 1:1 with your manager. <S> Your manager may be able to create some more distance between the two of you. <S> Or they may know that disciplinary action is already being taken and advise you to just bear it for a little longer. <S> Or they may tell you it's a good idea to go to HR about it. <S> Ultimately, consult the person at the company who you feel most comfortable with and has the most knowledge/power to help. <A> Should you decide to pursue the HR route about this issue, you'll want to prepare by gathering the necessary concrete details to back up your claim. <S> Emails, chat history, etc. <S> Hope things turn out for the better! <A> First, be aware that HR IS NOT YOUR FRIEND From the linked article: <S> The moment you bring a grievance or concern to HR, it's documented on your employment record. <S> You're marked as having an issue. <S> And, that means you're someone who has the immediate potential to disrupt the workplace harmony HR is trying to keep in check. <S> This is first and foremost why going to HR should be a last resort. <S> The BEST <S> thing you can do is settle it between yourself and the coworker. <S> Failing that, take it up with a manager. <S> The last thing you want to do is to take up a squabble with HR. <S> IF it comes to that point, be ready to move on to another company. <A> You can choose to take this challenge on yourself. <S> If so, there's a good formula to follow to speak to this person. <S> If you're annoyed, cool off first. <S> Perhaps a private video "room" will do. <S> Ask the person to listen what you have to say without interrupting. <S> Describe the unwanted behavior, specifically: <S> "Yesterday in the team conference call you said my work on the XYZ project was incompetent." <S> Try to give a an exact, or close to exact, quote. <S> Don't generalize: don't say things like "you always complain about my work." <S> Describe the effect of the behavior on you. <S> Speak for yourself only. <S> "When you said I did bad work you surprised me and undermined me in front of our co-workers." <S> Ask for a change. <S> "Please, when you have problems with my work take it up with me privately." <S> Thank him for listening. <S> Don't expect him to immediately promise to change his ways and admit his faults. <S> People don't work that way. <S> Notice that the things you say in this formula should be factual. <S> They describe things that happened, and their effect on you. <S> If he still argues and interrupts you, well, hey, you tried. <S> Your next move is to stop letting this person annoy you, if possible. <S> His mean habits are about him, not you. <S> If your HR department is super-competent, they will suggest an intervention like this one to you. <S> Or, if the problem is long-standing, they may do it for you. <S> But, beware, most HR departments aren't that good at this stuff, so asking them to intervene may backfire. <S> (That's a long way of saying "HR is not your friend.") <S> Good luck.
| Assuming you have a reasonably good relationship, ask your manager for advice about how to deal with this coworker. Find a venue to have the conversation where you can't be overheard by anybody.
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Fired in Probation Period, Boss offers to make it look good in reference letter I was fired at the end of my probation period, because I called in sick too many times. My boss said he wants to make it look like I was only temporary there for a project, so that it doesn't look like my employment was terminated. At first I liked the Idea, but on the other hand it isn't true and I feel that it may be better to say the truth to my next employer. If he would ask in the interview if he can call my former boss for reference than I wouldn't like this. If he knew in advance that I "failed", the situation would be more clear. On the other hand it would put me in a better light and might give me more opportunities. What are your thoughts? How would you prefer it? P.S. With reference (letter) I mean the German "Arbeitszeugnis". I say this because a reference letter is not exactly the same. The employer is required to give former employees an "Arbeitszeugnis" on request, so it's not optional. <Q> A general remark about a German Arbeitszeugnis: it has to be constructive and not detrimental to finding new employment. <S> You can sue your employer over this and people often do so. <S> There are no bad reference letters, people just assume you sucked if they are not good enough . <S> So for example "satisfactory" means bad, "to our fullest satisfaction" is somewhat good and only "always to our fullest satisfaction" means you are worth employing. <S> So even if someone shows up drunk and attacks people with an axe, their Arbeitszeugnis would probably read "Actively engaged in social activities and shows great skill with rescue equipment, we are sorry to see him go". <S> In that light, you want a good reference letter. <S> Getting a "truthful" reference letter is a bad, bad move. <S> Any employer reading it will assume this is the best possible version of what happened from your perspective. <S> And if the best possible version from your perspective was that you were sick too many times and got fired for it, as an employer I would assume you never showed up in the first place. <S> Get the best reference letter you can. <S> Future employers will likely not call your former boss. <S> In Germany, we are used to believe the paperwork we are presented. <S> Even if they do call, your boss will likely say exactly what's on the letter, otherwise he would admit to lying. <S> That's not illegal, but not something anybody likes to do. <S> So go get the best possible Arbeitszeugnis you can get. <S> This is a marketing campaign for your next job, not a fair and independent judgement of your abilities. <S> And everybody knows that. <A> I would accept his kind offer. <S> Just be honest with the time period on the CV and just say that you left because it was not a suitable job for you. <S> It is not bad leaving at the end of the probationary period. <S> The point of this period is for either party to leave easily. <S> Sometimes, it is just a bad fit. <S> Or it could be a host of reasons. <S> As long as this is just a one off you should not have any problems. <A> German law/customs might be different, but I would be inclined to allow him to put it in the best light possible. <S> Sounds like he is trying to do you a favor - barring anyone from Germany/Europe who can tell you why this custom is unethical <S> ... let him. <A> In most of commercial organizations probation periods are given to assess the performance, capability & conduct of new employee. <S> It is the best way to judge the performance of individual and to decide his future service tenure. <S> During this period normally the individual is assessed critically, same is probably happened in your case. <S> Moreover, for future sustainability you should find your weaknesses as well for further improvement. <S> For new appointment it is not appropriate to tell your boss regarding your previous job unless he ask from you, if he ask you regarding your previous job than you should not hide anything and tell him truth....
| Being terminated at the end of a probationary period (for any reason) generally looks bad.
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New employer asks for information I find unnecessary I'm in the UK and I was recently offered a job. When I went for an interview, they asked for a form of ID and my National Insurance number. I took my passport and a previous payslip with my NI number (I believe I was issued a NI card, but I couldn't find it). I also made photocopies of said documents because they wanted to keep them in their records, but I blacked out information I found unnecessary, such as my salary on the old payslip and a long code on my passport, which included the passport number (in the MRZ ). I handed both the original documents and the photocopies to the interviewer, and she kept the photocopies. It's been several days since I've been given a verbal offer, which I accepted, and today I found out that HR is demanding unredacted copies of the documents to proceed. I asked the hiring manager if things like salary information were something that HR needed, and she said "yes". I didn't continue to question the situation because kicking up a fuss could easily lead to the offer being withdrawn, and I do need to eat. A practical way to avoid the salary information is to find my NI card, but I actually see that information as less important, anyway, than passport reference codes etc. So I'm just wondering: are they really justified in asking for such information (remember, they already have my personal details from my passport, including photo, and my NI number)? Update : I talked to HR, and there seems to have been some miscommunication between them and the hiring manager, since the only thing they actually wanted from the payslip was the tax code (not salary information). They still wanted the full passport page (for compliance reasons, apparently). Btw, I ended up taking the job. <Q> Employers in the Uk are required to prove an employee has the right to work in the UK, and a passport with either a work visa or an EU passport is proof of that, so I see nothing wrong with them holding a full copy of your passport details in order to secure that evidence. <S> They also can get your old salary from your P45 (or can get it from HMRC as part of their calculations), which also includes your NI number. <S> So I wouldn't see any issues with them requesting unpredicted copies of the documents you have supplied. <S> I expect you can supply other documents if you really want, but they have to fulfil the same role. <A> It is useful if payroll has your P45 because they can then calculate your tax correctly (without it, they will have to withhold too much tax, so if you are Ok with that then payroll doesn’t need your P45 either). <S> Your previous salary is private information so payroll must not give it to anyone else in the company. <S> Your new salary is of course also private and must only be given to people who need to know it. <S> I’m quite sure HMRC won’t hand your information out to anyone. <S> The P45 contains your pay until you left the previous company. <S> That is often not your salary because it will contain redundancy payments. <A> Don't give them the information about your salary. <S> They don't require it, they aren't allowed to require it <S> and you definitely don't need the job enough that you have to bend towards HR before you even get the job. <S> The passport information should definitely be a full unedited page with any relevant visas on following pages. <S> Can they protect you as an employee better with your passport number? <S> Sure. <S> That might be viable information to give them after they offer you the role, but the salary data is definitely none of their business. <S> You wouldn't give them your business contacts for other smart applicants <S> , why would you give them something that can be held over your head as well like salary? <S> I personally see this as a huge red flag, but I've never had problems searching for a job, it might be an inconvenience for others in the face of a promise of a new job. <S> If anyone wants to dig to find about my past or current information, they are allowed to but I won't facilitate it.
| HR does not need your old salary information and shouldn’t have it.
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Should I apologize to my former employer? 2 months ago I was fired from a job that I loved due to me running late a couple of times. I can say that When I was at the company (actually, it was a school) I devoted my energy and heart into what I was doing when I was working there and I don't think I did a bad job I lost the job due to a very unfortunate circumstance at the exactwrong time. I am currently trying to sort out my own feelings about this Part of me misses that job and I wish I could be re-hired. I believe I did everything within my power to produce satisfactory results and I felt as if I had the perfect skill-set for the job. I'm worried because this dismissal doesn't just do me anminjustice on my resume, but also in my opinion also compromises my future job prospects. Should I apologize to my former employer? <Q> At this time, I do not think you should apologize as you don't think that you really did anything wrong, as you glossed over what you did and are chalking it up to "Unfortunate circumstances at the exact wrong time" <S> I suspect that the "unfortunate circumstances" involved you getting caught doing something wrong, and the "exact wrong time" is more along the line of it being the last straw with your employer. <S> However, to do that, you need to be able to first articulate to yourself <S> What you did <S> What was wrong with it <S> What you should have done instead How it affected the person concerned What you learned <S> Then, include all of the above with a sincere expression of regrets. <A> Should I apologize to my former employer? <S> It probably won't do you any harm. <S> But it probably won't do you much good either - they're not going to re-hire you, and they're not going to change anything they say about the reason for your dismissal. <S> Therefore apologize if you feel in your heart that you let them down, but don't do it if you're expecting something in return - <S> that's fake and nobody likes a fake. <A> You were fired which likely means one of three things: You were warned and went through disciplinary action and still did not show improvement in their eyes. <S> You were terminated simply because you were late a couple times and your employer did not care or value you enough to do anything about it except to get rid of you. <S> It was a position where punctuality really mattered and you showed that you could not be punctual. <S> There is no need to apologise after the fact or any way it can help you. <S> I would keep looking for another job. <S> Firings happen and they are generally no big deal to prospective employers. <A> Actually once an employee is dismissed it is last action which is taken when employer become fully convinced that improvement in performance or conduct of individual is not possible despite repeated warning. <S> In this case you should seriously look inwards and find out your weaknesses. <S> In my opinion you should not apologize with your employer for re hiring bcos <S> it is also against your prestige and honour to continue the job after apologize. <S> You should try to search new job bcos change of job is recurring process to raise the respect and salary.
| If you are asking whether if apologizing will help you get unfired, that will never happen. Eventually, an apology may help when your next potential employer checks your references and employment history.
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Feeling demotivated at work Sometimes, especially when hitting tough spots on projects, I find it hard to not compare my progress with others and feel demotivated because of this. What is the best way to address this? <Q> I realise it goes against a lot of human nature <S> but you shouldn't compare yourself to other people and what they're doing. <S> If you can go home at the end of the day and say "I did my best" then that's all that matters. <S> Everyone gets stuck in the jobs, no matter what the job is. <S> With any kind of job dealing with customers, there's no way you can know all answers to all their queries all the time. <S> In a coding job, you cannot know the solution to every problem and write pages of code without bugs. <S> We're human, we're not perfect and we're not meant to be. <A> Your problem is mostly psychological. <S> You make one big mistake: You compare your progress, which you know exactly, with your guesses about other people's progress. <S> You are not comparing the same thing. <S> Most people are not going to tell you if they hit a tough spot. <S> They make it look like everything is fine. <S> So you hit a tough spot, and Joe looks like he's doing fine, and Jane looks like she's doing fine, but as far as we know, they are be just pretending. <S> So if you compare how you are doing, with how others pretend they are doing, of course you are not doing well. <S> If you could compare yourself with how they actually are, you would look a lot better. <S> And one thing about learning: When are learning skills, you will have phases where you think you make progress, and you are happy about that, and suddenly any progress stops. <S> What actually happens when progress suddenly stops is that your brain processes all the new things it has learned, and instead of getting new skills, it refuses and instead strengthens all the skills you have learned. <S> So after that time with no apparent progress, suddenly you can do the things that you learned a lot better. <S> So no apparent progress is usually nothing to worry about. <A> We all hit tough spots occasionally. <S> There's no need to feel ashamed. <S> If you feel demotivated because you are not progressing, ask the other guy, "I've hit a tough spot, can you help me?" <S> A normal, helpful, professional person will make time and have a look at your problem and probably see something you missed. <S> This is not just good for your task, it makes you and the other guy feel better and improves the average morale in the office. <A> Assessing your performance with your counterparts is not a bad sign for your career and it not a demotivating factor at all. <S> This situation arises when one wishes to perform at least equal to his counter parts. <S> Slight demotivation is natural phenomenon but by critically monitoring and assessing your performance one can improve himself significantly by over coming weaknesses. <A> Are you doing your best? <S> Are you getting help when something is beyond your ability? <S> Is management happy with your performance? <S> If you answered yes to all those things, then you're in good shape. <S> That's not to say how you feel is justified. <S> I often joke with friends that I don't need my colleagues to criticize my work, nothing they say can be harder than what I tell myself. <S> However, what makes someone a professional, is they learn from their mistakes and weaknesses. <S> They grow. <S> You're not doing well compared to others. <S> That's fine. <S> Turn that negative into a positive. <S> Take up a new skill useful to the job. <S> Use it to fuel your growth as a professional. <S> Being behind now, only means we have more wisdom in deciding what's the best path for the future.
| Your feeling that you have not performed well actually is a positive sign which can be transformed into the positive feeling of improvement.
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Convincing management to redo work that's already been done My agency has been developing an application that they're hoping will bring in a lot of revenue and they're going about it the wrong way. The agency usually only deals with wordpress and drupal type sites. Our typical client approaches us for 3-6 months of work on a custom theme and then follows up after that with maintenance work. At the beginning of last year the agency took on a whole new type of client that wanted a web app built, both for desktop and a mobile version for phone. I was hired as a team lead because of my experience with React, React Native, and Node. This job scope is still pretty new to me. So for the past 18 months that web app has kind of been my teams life and we've been sequestered off from other projects. At the end of last year the other teams started working on a new web app, however, as their main experience is in wordpress, they have attempted to build the entire thing in wordpress. My project is winding down and they've started noticing that the app we built acts much more like an actual app than a website and they want me to apply that to their project. The thing is, for the scale they want this applied to, the project should have never started in wordpress. They're trying to contort a CMS into something it's not. At the very least the only way react is going to play nice with their back end is to change the entire thing into a headless api. This leaves me with telling them that the months of work they've put into the project were kind of a waste of time as they used the wrong tools from the outset. It's not that they didn't use react but that they didn't use any framework. Almost all of their front end manipulation is done by very hap hazard jQuery. The other issue is that they want to apply some very heavy data analysis to the back end and wordpress was never meant to do things like that so it's causing a massive slow down of the whole thing. The person who would make the final decision on this has a very profit focused mind though (as a business owner should) and will really focus on 'time to market'. The idea of me saying the concept is great but the whole thing needs to be refurbished will immediately cause him second thoughts on anything I say after that. More so, as many of the original team members are unfamiliar with react, angular, or any other framework it puts them at an immediate loss. I can definitely understand the strength of building in what you know vs learning something new. For example last week while discussing an npm package we'd used for the mobile version of our previous app the other team noticed we'd solved a big problem they were having and asked us to implement it for them. After looking at their code that's when I realized there was no way to use this npm module without setting up webpack or browserify in the project and they weren't about that at all. After 3 days we were able to write a vanilla js script that did what they needed but I have a feeling this uphill battle is what we'd be in for the entire time. What is the best way to present all of this to them. I don't want to just say straight up "no we won't work on this as it is" but I also don't want my team taking ownership of the front end of the project only to take blame a few weeks or months from now when it can't perform as they want. Basically I feel like this is going to set us up to fail monumentally. <Q> Build a consensus amongst the technical team. <S> Take what you've written here and bring it to the lead dev of the other team and see what they say. <S> Preface it with "We can do it, but I have some reservations" and lay out your concerns. <S> If you get the other person to agree with you, you both bring it to the boss presenting a united front. <S> For business decisions, you need to lay out time estimates and costs associated with either course - the one that brings the most financial benefits will usually be chosen by a rational actor. <S> On a business level it doesn't matter how pretty it is so long as it works sufficiently well <S> that enough people are willing to pay for it to make a profit, and everything else is subordinate to that. <S> After that, you see what the boss says. <S> If they agree, good. <S> If they don't you do your best. <S> At the end of the day it's not your company, all you need to care about is getting paid. <A> You don't get involved with another teams project over which you have no control in terms of enforcing what is used and how. <S> If they request something, you refer them to decision makers who can then ask you if they want. <S> If they do then this is the point at which you treat it as your teams project and let them know what would be required, timeframes etc,. <S> Ideally you wouldn't touch it unless it becomes your responsibility along with the authority to do it your way. <A> Nobody wants infighting or to make another team feel like crap, and the other team lead would probably get defensive, as he should, because of the original, suboptimal choice. <S> So: talk to the decision maker, and let him make the decision. <S> But make it clear that you don't want to cause a rift in the relationships with the other team. <S> This is a massive exercise in politics, but you seem to have the right sensibility to make it. <A> Another possible outcome is that the manager decides the feature isn't important after all, or not important enough to rewrite what they have. <S> You mention it will require great expense, but not how much it will help out.
| If the company culture allows it, I would have an open chat with the decision maker and, without slandering the other team, explain that you reviewed the requirements, and to apply your better performing solution the most efficient way is to recreate the other project from scratch.
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Sexual harassment in the workplace and boss not doing anything I'm 36, married with two kids aged 7 and 8, been with my wife since I was 21. For the past few weeks, I've been sexually harassed by a co-worker; he's been asking me about things like oral sex, whether I'm obese, my preferred sexual position, color of my underwear etc. I've reported this to the boss every time; it's already recorded on security camera, since said co-worker does it in the car park (but a private part). However, this co-worker has a wife and a now 8-year-old son, met them at the Christmas party a year ago. The boss isn't interested in taking any action, saying he's busy thinking about buying another company. I reported it a year ago when my co-worker first started doing it, he said wait until I had more evidence, so I did I've worked at this firm since April 2012, and things have been mostly good until this co-worker joined in November 2017; he's done this for a year. This isn't joshing amongst bros, it's quite sickening. The boss is doing nothing, my wife's noticing the stress; I told her about this, what should I do? I don't really want to quit my job (I'm a sysadmin, the only one for my employer), as it'd be hard to find someone in the area (it's a medium-sized town) with my skills and experience; I've been into IT since I was 18. Need some advice here. <Q> Talk to your union if you have one, otherwise find an employment lawyer. <S> You say there is evidence so take action now before that evidence gets destroyed. <S> This has been going on far too long. <S> Buy an empty notebook. <S> Write down in a log all details about the past events that you can remember, case by case with as specific dates and times as possible, including when you told your manager and what was their reponse. <S> In the future log (with timestamps) every time something like this happens, including specific words by the prepetrator and the response from your manager. <S> Your log book can be used as evidence. <S> I don't really want to quit my job <S> (I'm a sysadmin, the only one for my employer), as it'd be hard to find someone in the area <S> (it's a medium-sized town) with my skills and experience <S> This kind of loyalty to your employer is not in your best interest. <S> If anything, worry about what jobs you can find, not whether your employer can find a replacement. <S> It is their risk for doing business. <S> You have been upfront about this problem and your employer have told you that your issue is not important for them. <S> They have decided that the IT function is not important enough to spend resources managing. <S> It is not your job to make up for this shortfall by accepting sexual harassment and bullying. <A> You say you've reported this to your boss many times, but have you actually spoken to the co-worker about this? <S> Listen, Bob, I'm really not comfortable with the way you keep asking me about personal and sexual things, like my favourite position or the colour of my underwear. <S> I'd like you to please stop asking about things like this. <S> You say it's not joshing among bros, I take your word for that. <S> But it may still be some sort of misunderstanding. <S> Maybe Bob just doesn't see this as crossing any lines (hard though it may be to believe, there are some people who just don't get it.) <S> If that doesn't work, and given your boss's proven apathy, I would tend to agree Emil's answer that it's time to get a lawyer involved. <S> You may want to consider giving your boss a heads-up that you're thinking of taking legal action, just to see if that gets him to finally respond, but I would honestly speak to the lawyer about that idea <S> first, just to see what he says. <A> The usual escalation path is as follows - <S> In the USA <S> , at least. <S> I am assuming you don't have a union. <S> If you do... <S> well... bug your union rep <S> , they know your work better than the internet does. <S> Talk to the co-worker and ask them to stop. <S> You only need to do this once. <S> You don't need to gather more evidence or do his investigation for him. <S> The fact that he's busy doesn't matter. <S> Talk to your work HR department. <S> Likely they know their legal obligations to prevent workplace harassment and are going to be pissed at your boss for sitting on this for a year. <S> Talk to the EEOC directly. <S> File a claim that you were sexually harassed and nothing was done and they will come knocking. <S> You don't need a lawyer to file a complaint. <S> If you don't get to step 4, great! <S> It's been resolved! <S> If you do, then you have ample evidence that you've given your work opportunities to resolve this, and they'll be able to drop the hammer. <A> Due to the tone of your question, I assume you don't want to escalate into legal action or threats thereof. <S> If you only want to take minimal action, you can start with asking for a letter of reference or a locality-dependent equivalent action that tells them you might either be looking for a better job, or expect that the relationship between you and the company might worsen. <S> Beyond that, if we're talking non-confrontational actions, the next step is to actually look for a better job. <S> In any case you will want to write things down (date, time, what, and who), and not rely on the company writing down your complaints for you, in case the situation somehow suddenly develops in unexpected and unwanted directions.
| Talk to your boss and give him an opportunity to end the problem.
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Boss setting expectations that subordinates can't meet My grand boss has communicated out an unrealistic expectation to the board that we are unable to meet. My subordinate has complained to the board about my grand bosses conduct but won't elaborate to me what he said in his complaint. The subordinate has a history of ignoring the chain of command and going straight to the top so his concerns are often ignored now. However, in this case I think he has a valid point and I asked my grand boss what could be done to help us meet the expectations set, such as overtime and mentoring. My grand boss agreed to both but said no matter what we have to deliver on the date said. I told my grand boss that my subordinate had put a complaint in about my grand boss and my grand boss responded saying that this has happened one too many times and that he wants my subordinate gone. After discussing what has gone on with my wife, she said to keep out of it. If I do so, the pattern will continue to repeat itself. So I am looking for a list of actionable points I can take away to resolve this situation and prevent it happening again if at all possible. <Q> I see two issues: The grand boss set an unrealistic deadline. <S> Take a look at the PM iron triangle . <S> I've heard this paraphrased as "Features, Resources, Delivery Date - pick two". <S> It means that if the boss has specified the delivery date and the resources (i.e., you can't hire 20 more people quickly enough) <S> , then the features delivered will be whatever they are. <S> Note that you can sometimes juggle features and quality - deliver 2 great features and 5 horrible ones, or deliver 7 terrible-but-not-quite-horrible features. <S> Another option is 3 great features only - the others remain undone. <S> Whatever you do, just know that this is a separate issue that has nothing to do with the subordinate. <S> Your subordinate has a history of ignoring company hierarchy. <S> This one's easy. <S> As Joe Strazzere mentioned in a comment, fire the subordinate . <S> Ignoring the hierarchy is extremely disrespectful much in the same way that throwing a brick at someone's face is considered impolite. <S> You should start the process by meeting with your grand boss and HR. <S> Expect them to guide you through the process. <S> They'll know exactly what documentation you'll need, what warnings you'll need to give, etc. <S> The process may take a long time, but it will be worth it in the end. <A> Your subordinate has a history of this behavior. <S> Your grand boss verbatim told you this happened one too many times. <S> You will be doing some fighting if you want to keep this person. <S> I am assuming this issue was addressed before with the expectation it would not happen again. <S> And yet it happened again. <S> So the question is do you want to fight for a subordinate that repeatedly goes behind your back and damages your reputation? <S> I'd say you already tried and it did not work. <A> TL;DR Fire the subordinate <S> The subordinate has a history of ignoring the chain of command and going straight to the top <S> so his concerns are often ignored now. <S> However, in this case I think he has a valid point <S> The problem is that subordinate has "cried wolf" too many times to where their opinion is not valued anymore. <S> It's likely the previous instances of jumping the chain of command were not warranted. <S> Even though your subordinate may have a valid point, they've burn all of the credibility in the company, which makes their word worthless. <S> I recommend you fire the subordinate and work with the grand boss' on setting realistic deliverable without the subordinate's backing.
| You'll need to negotiate with the grand boss on this and have him prioritize. There is not much you can do except to let your subordinate go.
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How to get a response from a busy team? I need to get an update for some high priority items, which have been pending for months now and starting to get absolutley critical. The technical team of 2 are the only colleagues who can help me. The problem is they are clearly overstretched and focusing on other work with more revenue. Whilst I have escalated the issue to my boss at least once, they still completely ignore me. I have had a face to face chat, picked the most important items, emailed and offered to talk over a call. My boss thinks the problem is I don't talk to them as often face to face. In my opinion, they can be quite rude and if they are already busy, then I don't want to disrupt their productivity by intruding at their desk. They are well aware of the risks with not sorting these items. My question is what other approach could I try to get a response. Is it too unprofessional of me to refuse to own these actions after some point? <Q> Involve your boss, you should have done this from the start. <S> Or the work gets done. <A> This seems strange to me. <S> As a software developer, every action I take is as a result of some form of “work ticket” (e.g JIRA item). <S> These are presented to me, with schedule, already prioritized . <S> I do not choose what order I do things in, and would be in trouble if I did. <S> It’s not totally authoritarian. <S> I do get asked before receiving teaks, and I can make suggestions, which can result in changes, but the onus is on management to schedule my work. <S> The problem that I suspect is not with your tech guys (overworked as they are), but with Processes . <S> Just as there are processes whereby my boss turns s/w requirements and change requests into work for me, there are processes where someone (e.g project manager, change review committee, etc) , tracks that work, ensures that it is done, and decides on the relaxant action when it is not. <S> At first glance, the solution might seem to be just to get more tech guys, but I think that there is something more fundamental underlying that. <S> Even if you get more tech guys, it is unlikely to help without proper processes in place. <A> Instead of asking them about your important items, ask them for a meeting about the important items, ask for a 30min meeting (e.g.). <S> It's very ennoying when someone comes in and starts asking questions while they're working one something which might take concentration (and working as fast as possible <S> takes a lot of concentration), and if you come in with your questions, you're disturbing them, which nobody really likes. <S> When you ask for a meeting, they can suggest a few timeslots. <S> Maybe they don't work as effective at the end of the day and can help you then. <S> Of maybe they have some available time because they have to wait for something. <S> Ask them . <S> And CC your manager/boss. <S> Hi, I would like to be updated/have some questions about XYZ. <S> I would like to plan a 30mins meeting, when would it best suit you? <S> [possibly 2 or 3 suggestions to pick from].
| Email what is needed, cc your boss, rinse and repeat until either your boss does their job and intervenes.
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What to do when a Senior Employee is adding to the task each week and not letting me complete the ticket? In my company there is an employee who is senior to me, he has assigned me a task which I am performing currently. This task was assigned to me more than 3 weeks ago, but I am unable to complete it still. At start, I completed everything in the SOP within 1 week. I thought, I did it, then we had a meeting and it became clear that he wanted more, so I worked. Its been two weeks since, he has been busy, and when he finds time, he always suggests me thing or two to add up or optimise in the task at hand. I have gone frustrated because of this. My co workers also think that he is trying to optimise the task too much and ignoring that I am also a human. EDIT: Task that was initially defined in the SOP is way different than what I am currently doing, I have atleast done 30% more to the original task in the SOP. The employee in discussion is not my Manager. What should I do to handle and clarify the situation? <Q> Is he your manager? <S> I would bring this up to the manager if not and see if you can find a solution together. <S> If he is, I would mention that the scope creep is not doing wonders for your productivity. <S> Additional features should be separate tickets. <A> Depends on the use case, in my opinion. <S> Requirements always change and sometimes only leads are privy to those changes. <S> So to outsiders, it might seem like overkill, but maybe the lead knows something you don't? <S> Maybe it's a very critical part of the system. <S> Personally, I would see it as the scope opening up because of further requirements investigations revealing early analysis wasn't as thorough as it should have been. <S> In the end, if the senior is expanding the task then it must be justified. <A> I've had this happen a number of times before; where there is a risk of scope creep, or a task <S> starts growing arms and legs. <S> Ask your senior for a few minutes so that you and him can iron out a 'definition of done' for your task; to make sure you are both clear on the requirements and that nothing else gets missed, as well as ensure that this information is documented somewhere <S> you can both see it, <S> even if it's something as simple as an email saying "Just to confirm, here's what I noted from our chat about the project... <S> Does it match up with what you're looking for?" <S> This will give you a chance to explain how the extra work will mean allocating more time to it. <S> It also means that if more work comes along, you will have the opportunity to discuss if it should be a new separate task. <S> If your senior insists on having the extra work tacked onto your existing objectives, you can again iterate that you both will have to re-evaluate the time involved. <S> These things will happen, but in discussing it in advance as much as possible can reduce the damage / stress from additional work.
| I would also make a point of documenting requirements and sticking to them.
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Employment based on Master's reputation I would like to ask for maybe a bit of advice based on your experience (or just awareness) with reference to employment based on the reputation of your education. I know employers look more at work experience in the industry and less maybe on academic achievements. Of course both are important and have their place, but I am at a point where I need to make a decision towards the latter. I am contemplating at applying for a Masters programme in Software Engineering (or Computer Science with strong SE emphasis) at a university in the UK. Due to my existing commitments, I am interested in an online degree. For example, I was looking at University of Liverpool MSc S.E. at a higher cost and 2.5 years part-time only available (ranking in university tables around 30th), vs University of Hertfordshire MSc Computer Science (S.E.) at almost half the price and 1.5 years full time or 2.5 part-time (ranking in university tables around 60th). One is cheaper and maybe of lower reputation in rankings but good connections with businesses, the other higher cost (will need to dig in my own pocket as student loans not enough to cover costs) but bigger name and more reputable throughout. Modules covered kind of similar, not sure about quality and depth. Again, I know work experience is primordial at job interviews but I would appreciate if answers/advice would be geared towards the academic side of things I am asking about. Very much appreciated your input. *Edit: As noted in some of the comments received, I omitted to mention I the professional direction I intend following the Master. My Bachelors in CS related and worked as a developer on small projects for a couple of years following graduation. I intend to continue along this line but with a stronger academic CS/SE background. I am not discussing the value of a Masters vs just continuing without - I will still continue to work freelance and small contracts during the Masters but want to top up my education at the same time; that's why I am opting for the online option of study. Cheers Justs <Q> with reference to employment based on the reputation of your education <S> Where do you plan to go after getting your degree? <S> I would appreciate if answers/advice would be geared towards the academic side of things I am asking about <S> If you plan an academic/research career, perhaps you would get better advice on Academia.StackExchange.com. <S> In case you meant I should only consider the academic quality of the respective institutions - here's my somewhat longer but less concrete answer. <S> If you plan to work 'in business' then I don't know that it matters a whole lot which path you take with the following exception: <S> I assume that the UK is like the US in that there are certain degree programs that are certified. <S> The ACM does that here for computer science degrees. <S> I have worked places that give a bonus to salary if you have an advanced degree - and to qualify for getting you the bonus, your degree (in the year you achieved it) has to have been certified by the right group (who the right group is may vary, but probably not much). <S> If both degrees are certified but by different entities, you may want to find a job listing that requires the degree you are considering, contact their human resources, and ask if a masters at [cheaper university] qualifies for that job's requirements. <A> Unless you are from some brand university like an Ivy or engineering school equivalent or a widely recognized diploma mill, what school you got your MSc doesn't matter. <S> In fact having the MSc at all is advantage enough. <A> (Note: I work in EdTech and compare Computer Science programs for a living) In software engineering, a Masters degree of Computer Science is generally unnecessary unless you are planning to go into a highly specialized area of computer science not normally covered in depth at the undergraduate level such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. <S> Software engineering is very much a skills-based industry and the level of your degree is not necessarily indicative of your skills. <S> Given the generally not useful nature of the Masters degrees in Computer Science, employers usually use the acceptance rates of the program, prestige of the program and difficulty of the program as data points as part of their selection criteria. <S> If you are still interested in a degree, since you are looking at online, part-time, why limit yourself to the UK? <S> Georgia Tech's Online MS in Computer Science is one of the most affordable programs I've seen ($7,000 USD): <S> http://www.omscs.gatech.edu/ <S> University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Online MS in Computer Science <S> the next best (~$20,000 USD): https://cs.illinois.edu/academics/graduate/professional-mcs-program/online-master-computer-science
| If you lack existing work experience in software engineering and don't have an undergraduate degree in Computer Science, you may find a Masters degree helpful in getting into the software industry.
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what to do when you don't want to go to a dinner meeting with your boss and coworkers? I have a dinner meeting this Friday with my boss and with some coworkers. Last week, they asked me if I could go I said yes, but in somewhat non-committal way e.g. "umm, ok". But now that I had time to think about it, I don't want to go. The first reason I don't want to go is that I don't like my job that much. The job's okay and I get paid well. But sometimes the job is very stressful and I have to work 12 hours a day. My boss is a good guy, generally, but when I do something incorrectly or say that I don't know how to do something, he gets very very sarcastic to me and laughs at me. I think he might do this because he is 15 years older than me. The second reason is that most of my coworkers are older than 27 (I'm 22). I feel like I don't have to much talk about with them. With all of these reasons, I feel like it'd be easier to stay home, eat some pizza and watch some Netflix instead of going to a dinner with them.. What should I do? <Q> Tell a story or two of your own, but only if you want to. <S> If someone tells a joke, smile. <S> If it's funny, laugh (but don't fake it). <S> Don't drink a significant amount of alcohol. <S> Why you should do this <S> Ever hear the adage <S> "It's not what you know <S> , it's who"? <S> This is how you get to know people. <S> Everyone at the dinner will be more inclined to think of you as "one of us" rather than "that new kid". <S> These kinds of connections will (not "can", not "might", <S> will ) reduce the pressure at work. <S> It takes time, but the benefits for you are very real. <S> When was the last time a Netflix & pizza advanced your career? <A> You can simply say something like "I am not really feeling well. <S> Will need to do a rain check on the dinner. <S> Maybe next time. <S> " <S> Situations like this is why making excuses exists. <S> That being said, do you really want to stay in your comfort zone? <S> Part of business involves going out of your comfort zone and socializing with your coworkers. <S> If you are not comfortable because of the toxic environment, I would look into pursuing other opportunities. <S> If you are not comfortable with interacting with people you do not necessarily share a lot with, you will need to face that if you want to advance. <A> If its a dinner meeting , it suggests that there will be a workplace element to the event. <S> Not being at that event could then impact on your career, as you'll miss being able to add your input, and you'll not glean new information. <S> You state <S> "it would be easier to stay in". <S> You are correct, but life isn't easy and it won't come to you, so go out there and get it! :) <A> You should go if you feel it will make your collaboration with your colleagues better or if it's a work meeting. <S> You should also go if you are new or a team leader, but this doesn't seem to be the case. <S> Otherwise, you are free to decide whether you would like to attend or not. <S> You're not a prisoner. <S> It's your free time. <S> If you don't like your job and/or colleagues you don't need to force yourself to anything. <S> Just say you have an unexpected personal commitment. <S> During such dinners/ Christmas parties, etc. <S> those who normally talk to each other are talking to each other. <S> Those who like each other keep liking each other after such occasions, those who hate each other keep hating each other. <S> I know there is this theory that people shouldn't miss such occasions <S> and it's probably true 1) <S> if you're a team lead 2) if you are new. <S> But apart from that, nobody cares if OP will be there or not. <S> I've been in the workforce for a few years now and have never witnessed anybody's participation to make a difference. <S> I just had a Christmas party last week. <S> I left around midnight together with a colleague. <S> I spoke to her a lot during the party too. <S> Yesterday she asked me whether I attended or not. <S> This really summarises it all. <S> (Before someone asks: we are both teetotallers). <A> Well you say you don't like your job. <S> So I would say don't go. <S> I agree with other posters saying not going <S> wont do you any favors, but if you don't care to advance in your current position that is a moot point. <S> At best it is just a complete waste of time, at worst it is detrimental because it may give your boss the wrong idea about your commitment level to your job.
| You'll also miss out on the opportunity to get to know your colleagues better, thereby making you all work together better. Go to the dinner Be pleasant, listen carefully and attentively to the stories people tell. It's highly improbable that people will change their opinions about you as a result of you going there or not going.
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How can you stop cutlery disappearing from the workplace? The workplace I work in provides a lunch room, fridges and cutlery for people to use. The problem is that people keep taking the cutlery home. It gets replaced periodically but within about 3 months the forks are gone again. Has anyone managed to solve the problem of keeping the cutlery in the office, if so how was it solved? I don't really know why people take the cutlery home, most people in the office would earn enough to not need to supplement their own cutlery with cutlery from the office. It's possible that they eat at their desks and then take it home. We have not tried anything and I imagine possible issues, so I'd rather know what works, and is cheaper than periodically replacing the forks. <Q> TLDR: <S> There are other reasons than stealing. <S> Don't assume the worst in people. <S> I've noticed this happening with tea spoons as well as forks in different companies. <S> It turned out that they were in fact rarely stolen. <S> More often, people would take them from the lunch area to their offices to eat something, then either leave them and build a collection of slowly moulding cutlery on or near their desks, or accidentally throw them away. <S> Pizza boxes are great for knifes going missing. <S> If there are several floors and tea kitchens in your office, people from different floors coming to meet with someone who grab a coffee from your lunch area might take a mug and spoon, then just without thinking take it with them to their floor. <S> Go and check there. <S> We'd regularly even out the spoons and mugs between floors as things kept disappearing from ours. <A> Another option is disposable cutlery, but that tends to be more effort than it's worth and can sometimes be annoying to use. <S> If the cutlery is so ugly that only old ladies would steal it, then you've already narrowed down your suspect pool while still having usable cutlery that doesn't bend and break while in use. <A> If people think you are not aware of their actions they wont stop because of lack of consequences. <S> Write an office-wide mail and make people aware, that stealing cutlery is not okay. <S> This will be the cheapest form of action. <S> By not addressing anyone specifically, you can ensure, that the fork-thief stops without the need of blaming someone in particular. <S> You can write that you noticed forks gone missing. <S> With this, you give them the benefit of doubt. <S> If this does not help, you need to consider other options as the answers before mine suggests. <A> I would chose one of two options. <S> Announce that it won't be replaced in the future and leave it at that. <S> If there are no forks because someone has taken them home, tough luck. <S> Let people sort that out among themselves. <S> I bet, everyone will have their personal fork real soon. <S> In a variant of this, you could provide everyone a fork with their name engraved. <S> Keep replacing it regularly and consider it a cost of benefits. <S> But I wouldn't put any more of my time into this issue. <S> It's a never-ending battle that is simply not worth fighting. <A> Did you try using disposable cutlery? <S> Small items like cutlery are prone to be lost in an office environment. <S> Also it is not very sane to reuse the same cutlery across the office unless you have a dish washing machine or staff responsible for it. <S> In that case, why bother with the costs while some plastic fork does the job just as well? <A> From sad experience, there is only one way to stop it: Find someone in the process of stealing, get him fired, and make sure that everyone with access to the cutlery is told about it. <S> Your chances achieving this are low. <A> You could engrave the cutlery to identify it as the company's property. <S> Perhaps that would embarrass people sufficiently. <S> It should help if somebody accidentally takes some parts home and doesn't realize s <S> /he took it from the company. <S> I'm not sure that this is cost-efficient, though. <S> Engraving could cost more than cheap generic cutlery, but maybe you can get a better price when ordering a lot. <S> Also, if there is a dishwasher in the lunch room that might encourage people to leave the cutlery there. <S> (You didn't specify if there is a dishwasher.)
| One option is to use the most hideous cutlery you can find in the workplace. At the end of the day, it is your (your management) decision which measures will be taken, but there must be consequences if the fork thief does not stop.
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Initial job offer (probation) changed and is different in the contract? I have declined other job offers. Now they have changed my starting date too Here's my situation:I have had several successful interviews and gotten 3 offers from different companies, and decided to accept an offer from one of them. The thing is this, they had initially offered me a salary slightly lower than my "bid", with a probation of 3 months and a review to my desired salary after that. It was written in email. I am alright with this arrangement as it was still pretty reasonable. But after accepting the offer and declining other offers, when I was handed the Employment Contract, and it states that the probationary period is 6 months. I highlighted this to my interviewer, but she said that after checking with her colleagues, she "found out" that 6 months is a standard period in their company, and would do a salary review according to my performance after that. How should I go about doing this? Should I push back, and if so, how should I go about doing it? I wanted to ask for her to stick to the initial 3 months as to what was agreed. Do you guys think it's reasonable? *UPDATE: I have requested for them to adjust the probationary period as to what was first communicated (i.e. 3 months) as that was part of my consideration in accepting their offer amongst others. They stood firm by 6 months, and now also changed my starting date to January (due to internal shuffling and again, she just found out about it), when I was supposed to start next week (Start of December). She said that it might be too long for me and would completely understand if I chose to withdraw my application. For me, I'm not too excited about the work I'll be doing there but the pay is fairly reasonable. And there will always be this doubt if I would be able to find other jobs. Also one important thing to note is that I have applied for PR overseas and am waiting for it to be approved, so I will be staying here for another 1 year tops if it gets approved, so there is a pressure of time—I'm trying to get relevant experience and save up as much as I can before immigrating. All these errors aside, I have actually worked with them as part of my freelance gig and thought they were nice people. So I'm a little confused as to how I should go about doing this. Would it be acceptable for me to accept their offer for now, and start looking for other jobs? I'm not sure if that is considered a good thing to do. Or should I decline it right now? <Q> It's entirely reasonable as it was a factor in your choosing the position and you have other options. <S> At this point it is still a negotiation, nothing is set in stone yet. <S> It's really a trade off between how much you want the job <S> and how hard you want to negotiate, <S> but it's not off to a good start when they change things at the last minute. <S> If I had other options I'd respectfully decline. <S> They should have been aware of company policy from the start, so this is rubbish. <A> Take this experience as a lesson and learn from it. <S> I would argue against pushing back as this company has at best demonstrated that they are incompetent and at worst demonstrated that they are deceptive. <S> Walk away and pursue your other opportunities. <A> This is a bad sign, but it doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad company, at least in the parts you'll be working in. <S> (Are you talking to HR here, or a hiring manager?) <S> If you really want to work for that company, it's reasonable to negotiate. <S> At this point, I'd feel a little dubious about any promised review. <S> Since the offered salary is only slightly below what you wanted, you could offer to accept a six-month probation period at a slightly higher salary. <S> If they were willing to pay you your desired salary after a few months, they would probably be willing to pay it to you for the extra months. <S> If they're not willing to give you a concession in exchange for a longer probationary period than originally stated, I'd take that as a bad sign also, since it implies that your interviewer doesn't even recognize the change as bad for you. <S> This is the most negotiating power you will ever have with the company. <S> They've decided to hire you, and that sort of decision normally has a certain psychological momentum. <A> Would it be acceptable for me to accept their offer for now, and start looking for other jobs? <S> Normally this is frowned upon, but given the circumstances I think it's fair game. <S> Theoretically, if you sign the contract, and end up not joining without giving enough notice, you could be sued for damage (different countries have different rules about this, <S> so you have to check the local law). <S> However, I've never heard somebody actually being sued for this. <S> But most importantly: YOU CAN GO BACK TO THE OTHER OFFERS! <S> Go send an email to your second preference that you declined. <S> In most cases, they wouldn't have found a better candidate yet. <S> If you explain what happened, most hiring managers will be thrilled to offer you again. <S> Just try not to sound disgruntled. <A> Walk away now! <S> You negotiated with the company, and they choose not to honor the terms that were agreed on. <S> The company has back-tracked on it's promise, and presented a different contract that what was agreed on. <S> It's completely ok to push back and hold the company to the original negotiated deal, but I doubt they will honor it. <S> If the company is already lying to you before your first day, imagine what they will do once you're on the payroll! <S> In the future, do not decline job offers until you've read the employment contract. <S> Immediately call the other companies and see if their offers are valid <A> I think this may be an honest mistake. <S> Anyway, after 3 months and you are still there, does your behaviour change? <S> So I guess not. <S> Next 12 weeks will be a brieze <A> You call the interviewer and nicely state that she had offered, and you had accepted, a 3 month review plan and if they cannot honor that agreement then you cannot start work with them. <S> Then you contact one or more of the prior companies that had given you an offer and accept one of those and forget this place.
| You should not quit your job or in your case decline a job offer unless you have already accepted and signed a written offer.
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In a CV, Should I write exact programming languages name (Python, Java, C, ...) or regroup them as categories (object oriented, procedural, ...)? I am doing my last year in high school and next year, I'll need to get my first job while doing my studies. I learned some languages by myself. In my CV, should I write "Python", "Java", "C", etc... as skills or should I write "Object Oriented Programming", "Procedural Programming", etc... ? Thanks. <Q> the convention is to list the individual technologies and this is how job specs are generally written so it will better allow people to match your CV to opportunities and also for people reviewing your CV to see if you have the skills they are looking for. <A> The person in HR reading (skimming) <S> your CV has no idea what Object Oriented Programming is, so they will throw you CV out because it doesn’t mention C++, Java and OOP which are all required. <S> You didn’t mention OOP only some strange programming thing they never heard of. <S> I hope that makes it clear: Match their keywords. <A> What I do on my resume is both: I have one line for specific languages, and one line for more general programming skills. <S> Employers are often looking for experience in specific languages, and much less often looking for general OO or procedural language experience. <S> Listing the specific languages you know will be more useful to potential employers.
| List the languages - while it's not necessarily relevant for the one you're applying for here
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Negotiating with my boss to let me work remotely or similar during depressions? I'm a programmer working for a startup in San Francisco. I go through pretty bad depressive phases during the winter (it is a medical condition). It's often difficult to get out of bed, let alone actually be productive at work. My depression also seems to be linked to the weather and amount of sunlight (I feel better when I'm exposed to more sunlight). I have let my employer know about my condition, and have touched on the topic of being able to work remotely from warmer places (ex: it would be summer in New Zealand). However, my boss and HR said that if they let me work remotely, then they would have to let everyone work remotely. There are already a handful of people working remotely, but they negotiated the deal before joining the company, and are paid much less. I also talked to my Team Lead, and he is totally fine with me working remotely (my work, programming, doesn't require me to be on site or even interact with others too much). I have considered quitting my job and just doing freelance work, but that would be a last resort. I've also set a deadline - August 1. If I cannot convince my boss by then, I'll quit. How can I frame the conversation with my boss most effectively so I can work remotely? I am not sure what would an employer be more likely to approve: work remotely, work part-time or take a Sabbatical each time I go through a depression, nor what would be an acceptable amount of time to ask for... I'm willing to take a major pay cut. I only use 20% of my salary. Especially if I'm going to be living remotely instead of SF, I won't need most of it. I was thinking of using my salary as a bargaining chip (half my salary in exchange for this privilege). Do I have any other bargaining chips do I have in my favor, or points I can bring up to help my case? <Q> if they let me work remotely, then they would have to let everyone work remotely. <S> This is basically equivalent of saying "lol no" to your request. <S> You gave your reasons and your employer could not care less. <S> I would not suggest taking a pay cut in return of working remotely, it will not help you and if anything, make you seem desperate. <S> They are highly unlikely to budge. <A> Talked to my boss yesterday and framed my conversation as: <S> I am not sure how to go about this conversation, but as you might know, I have pretty bad depression during the winters. <S> And I learned that the amount of sunlight greatly affects my productivity. <S> I talked to [Team Lead] and [HR person] and we discussed the possibility of working remotely, like [Person 1], [Person 2], [Person 3] and a few others in the company. <S> I realize that they took a substantial pay cut which I am also willing to do. <S> There is a program called WifiTribe (similar to the one [Coworker] went on before he joined), which allows me to work from Latin America which is in the same time zone and has a community of digital nomads to create a work atmosphere and deal with the challenges of working remotely. <S> I've set a deadline for August to pursue this path, as my mental health is very important to me. <S> I have also discussed with [Team Lead] a list of projects that don't require a lot of contact with the rest of the team and can be done alone. <S> And my boss said that we could give it a shot by working from home during the spring/summer <S> (when I have my hypomanic/productive phases) so that I can show the company that I am productive even when WFH (added bonus: I really shouldn't be around too many people in manic phases as I tend to do/say stupid things). <S> And if all goes well I can work remotely the following winter. <S> So guess that worked out better than I thought :) <S> I hope this helps anyone in a somewhat similar situation. <S> These conversations aren't very pleasant to have, but I guess if you're direct and firm about your priorities, sometimes they work out. <A> IMHO, get a doctor`s note, saying that you need / required to be in sunny places during the SF winter months. <S> This will allow you to ever negotiate remote work during the winter months or go on medical leave for the duration of the winter, negating their reason of "anyone would want it". <S> DO NOT go with pay reduction from your current salary, as, i imagine, <S> you plan to work same amount of hours remotely as on site <S> Not sure if medical leave would be paid or not, but you mentioned that your expenses are low. <S> I think being presented with these choices management will agree to some sort of an arrangement, given its for medical purposes and not "just because its you". <S> And after working remotely for few months without productivity loss, you can start discussion of making it permanent
| I would look into jobs with remote options instead of trying to convince the current employer to allow remote.
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How can I back-track after accidentally revealing in a job interview that I might move in 6 months? I was recently hired for a seasonal part-time position where I jumped the gun after discussing my current studies by telling the interviewer (manager A) that I will be graduating in a few months and that I am obligated by my program to get a job within 6 months of my graduation. This means that I would be working for them a total of 6-12 months with no certainty of when I will leave in that period. I did this because I am honest, which I suppose is a good quality, and because it was one of my first job interviews outside of my college PTJs, bound to make a mistake. But I was warned that if they hired me (which they did) that I might not stay after the season if they can't guarantee I will be staying long enough to justify hiring me for a non-seasonal position. I am now up for an interview with manager B at this same company that I am working for seasonally in a position that is a promotion from the seasonal part-time work I'm doing at the moment (but still not much). It is no surprise that manager A told manager B about my potentially short-term stay. I intend to be honest if the question of my stay comes up in the interview, since I can't take it back. The thing is, when I finish my studies I'll be going into a job with a starting salary near $100k but a 30k job is enough to pay the bills in the meantime. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. <Q> Stick with the honesty. <S> Even if it costs you the job. <S> If you are the honest type (a rare gem in todays world) then you wouldn't be happy working there if you lied anyway. <A> In your interview: Talk about how you like this branch <S> and you like this company. <S> Mention that they are in the same industry as your degree. <S> Tell him/her that you like the job, but your degree pays about triple and since you aren't independently wealthy (smile while saying it) you'd have to move on to something else when you are able to. <S> Mention that again you'd love to stay in this company, that you'll be here at least six months, and that you won't leave them high and dry when you do leave like the last person did. <S> Volunteer to help them look for a replacement who is a couple years from graduation when that time comes <S> (it was a good fit for you, right?) <A> Be honest about your constraints, as well as what value you bring to the organization. <S> If you're open to staying if they offer you a long-term position, discuss what that looks like for both of you. <S> For example, in the interview you could say something like, "this opportunity sounds like it would be mutually beneficial for both of us. <S> I'll be graduating in six months, and in order for me to remain after that, I'd need to be in a position that isn't seasonal. <S> To be clear, this is a [salaried position, year-long contract, etc.] <S> , right?"
| If Manager B asks you point blank if you will stay in this position after your graduation, you have to should be honest about it.
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How to estimate a fair compensation for BYOD laptop? I'm in a company that let me choose between a corporate, or a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) laptop. The laptop is my main work tool (web development). I am keen on using my own laptop, however, I expect the company to contribute to the cost of using such laptop: upgrading SSD/ram, buying new peripherals, and, after some years, buying a new device. The problem is that these operation costs would vary a lot from one year to the other, what makes uneasy to find the actual average annual cost. ➥ How to estimate a fair compensation for BYOD laptop? <Q> If they allow you to use your own device, they might also have a policy for compensation. <S> Just ask to your manager or whoever takes care of this type of things. <S> As a side note; if I were you, I'd just use company device if there isn't a compensation policy. <S> I wouldn't want to give a negative first impression as a newcomer. <A> I have had a company pay part of the monthly cell phone bill, because we do use our personal phone when on travel or when working from home. <S> I have not known a company that paid significant amount of money for the employee to use their own computer. <S> If they are paying you to purchase upgrades they will went those upgraded pieces of equipment returned, or you to refund some or all of the money. <S> For the employee BYOD involves some obligations and risks: <S> If your personal machine breaks they expect you to fix it immediately, because normally their IT department would have a spare while your machine is getting repaired. <S> You are agreeing to be your own IT department with spares available. <S> They may dictate specific versions of anti-virus software, that way they know it is kept updated. <S> If there is a data spill they may have the right to re-image your machine. <S> I have known them to do this with phones that could access the company email. <S> The end of employment period becomes much more complex to make sure that all company data is transferred back to the company. <S> There may be a mixing of work or non-work documents that end up being backed up by their systems. <S> For the company BYOD also brings challenges: <S> Different hardware and software versions (windows vs Mac vs Linux) <S> Making sure all machines are updated. <S> (OS, Office, other tools) Making sure that these machines bouncing between different networks don't introduce more problems. <S> All this means that the company may not see a need to pay you for upgrades or because you decide to use your own device; and you may decide the loss of privacy may not be worth the money they might pay you. <A> Normally, if you feel that your own laptop needs upgrades in order to be work-worthy, then you would just leave it at home and use company-issued devices. <S> In a few cases, a company might purchase a docking station, keyboard, monitor, etc. <S> that would help you use your own devices while in the office. <S> In all of those cases, the company would normally own all the additional equipment. <S> But when in doubt, ask your boss.
| I don't know of any company that pays their employees for using their own laptops.
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How much should I offer to pay my rideshare? I read this question: How to tell a colleague that I want to stop sharing the ride? And I thought, maybe I don't pay my rideshare enough... Not the premise of that question, but it raised this question to me. Taking into consideration: I would take public transport if not for being offered a lift which mean ridesharing saves me $a per day. Ridesharing gets me home around b minutes earlier. I jump out along the way which means there are c meters of extra distance due to me. The drive is long - d minutes, so that is certainly a factor. We have a similar level role - grunts. But that should probably be taken into account - perhaps e pay difference. What is a good way to calculate the amount to offer a colleague who driveshares with me accounting for a, b c, d, e and the x factor which would probably be friendship? <Q> In the US, there is a simple way to estimate the total cost without a lot of bookkeeping. <S> The IRS has standard mileage rates for deducting business use of an automobile. <S> The 2018 business use rate, which includes cost of ownership, is 54.5 cents per mile. <S> The moving rate, which only includes variable costs, is 18 cents per mile. <S> I suggest picking one of those, or something in between, and paying half the IRS mileage rate. <A> Offering a specific amount risks either undervaluing them, or if the offer is higher than they'd expect - making them feel obligated to keep ridesharing with you. <S> Instead of trying to do any specific calculation, just mention that you are conscious there are a lot of hidden costs in running a car (including their time) and that you don't want them to feel like a bus service. <S> Ask them to give you a number that they honestly feel covers the cost, and let them know that if circumstances ever change - they should just let you know. <A> Just expanding the point I made in comment as an answer. <S> (Thank @Fattie for suggesting). <S> To me obvious thing is to share the fuel cost. <S> (Calculating cost based on distance you are riding and the average fuel efficiency of that car's model and make). <S> While calculating, always give benefit-of-doubt and rounding-off benefit to the car owner because there is some wear and tear on their car as well. <S> Having worked in different countries (but not ride-sharing), I know in general no one wants to make money from these arrangements. <S> They just want to help out and feel good about making a difference on traffic and pollution situation. <S> So I do no think you should compare it to taxi. <S> Also, no point in using hypothetical numbers as in how much money you would have spent if you would have taken public transport or how many minutes earlier or later you could have reached. <S> You pay for how you are travelling now and not based how you could have travelled. <S> Also, another nice thing to do would be, once in a while may be buy them a lunch or invite them over for lunch (Depending on local culture at your location) to show your appreciation for the effort they are taking.
| Stop guessing, just ask The only person who can really tell you how much it costs them, and how much they expect contributed - is the person you're ridesharing with.
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How can a group of programmers sort their opinions and come to consensus on the best answer? Our organisation is faced with a difficult problem to solve, where there is no "right" answer. Each solution has many advantages and disadvantages. I have given a group of programmers a questionnaire and collected their detailed opinions on many different issues related to this problem. They all have very, very different opinions of the possible repercussions of each solution. Next week we will all meet to put our brains together to settle on one way forward. I will be leading the meeting. Can anyone suggest a process by which I can put everyone's opinions on the table, and have everyone sort through them and comment/rank/sort answers to help the group come to consensus? <Q> Power == solution. <S> You are the team leader, right? <S> Whatever you feel comfortable is the best approach, no matter how absurd it sound. <S> For instance, if you believe C is the best language for writing a web page at the client side then that’s it. <S> It’s your responsibility for making a development decision, not your developers. <S> They just do the coding under your lead. <S> Once everybody is finished, you present your own ideas and that will be the final decision. <A> Leadership is about making decisions. <S> If I were in your shoes, I would consider all perspectives and take some time to reflect on a solution. <S> Then pick a plan or develop my own and then inform the team what we're moving forward with. <S> I'm a big believer in just making sure everyone is working in the same direction. <S> So the plan, the plan is what it is. <S> You try to mitigate risk by considering all perspectives, but at the end of the day, you need to choose. <S> You thank everyone for their contribution, and then you pick a plan and organize the task ahead of you as a cohesive group. <A> You could use a matrix where each axis is a meaningful criteria. <S> For example, vertical axis is "Customer Value" and <S> horizontal axis is "Level of Effort". <S> As a team, place a sticky note for each option on the axis to measure each option based on criteria. <S> In this case, you may be able to narrow down to options with significant customer value with a reasonable level of effort. <S> Or perhaps instead of "Level of Effort <S> " it's "Potential Negative Impact" or something. <S> I agree with the other poster who mentioned organizational objectives. <S> I would weigh each option based on organizational criteria. <S> Could you invite a decision maker, a leader who can help guide the conversation and lead the team to a decision? <S> Are you trying to gain user adoption? <S> Trying to increase sign-ups? <S> Etc. <S> Whatever the objective and criteria may be should be a major part of the process to select which path to pursue. <A> So two parts to this <S> Each possibility is presented by the proposer(s) with both advantages and disadvantages. <S> No proposal without both. <S> Fist of five voting. <S> When you vote on each proposal use the following: <S> All the team raise a hand to vote: 0 fingers - against 1 - defer (until after other items) <S> 2-5 agree at varying levels <S> Simply count all the fingers and choose the one with the highest support, simple. <A> EDIT 12-1-18: <S> This is a question about programmer's ideation in the UX design process. <S> Why was it removed from the UX section? <S> This is a question about programming design during the ideation phase of UX iteration. <S> Some example articles on the subject: NNGroup: <S> Ideation in Practice: <S> How Effective UX Teams Generate Ideas NNGroup <S> : <S> Ideation in Practice: <S> How Effective UX Teams Generate Ideas Programmers face issues unique to programming in ideation. <S> The question is about those issues. <S> To get the best ideas out of people, remove all negative consequences of proposing those ideas. <S> Remove all the possible negative personal, social, and professional consequences. <S> Make the ideation process anonymous and only have positive reviews and ratings. <S> The only thing that matters is which is the best solution, not how bad the other solutions are. <S> Since it's comparison, anything negative about A can simply be stated as a positive about B. Simply use positive points or a scale. <S> Have team members submit their ideas to you. <S> You present the ideas to the team without their creator's name attached. <S> This prevents social anxiety about failing for the creator and prevents personal feelings from affecting reviews. <S> Team members review or rate ideas in positive ways only. <S> This way people get to hear compliments and what works with their ideas without being critiqued. <S> The team is forced to focus on what works when reviewing ideas. <S> The winning solution's owner can be named or you can even leave that anonymous too in the name of the team.
| When trying to find the best idea or solution out of a set, there is literally no reason to critique. Overall, you need to identify your objective and criteria. Go ahead with the meeting, listen to everybody what they want to say.
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Government hiring process requires a reference from current employer. What should I do? I successfully passed the the two first steps of the hiring process: a test and an interview. For the final step of the hiring process they are requiring me to provide my current superior's contact information to complete the process. I don't want to risk my current job. However, I feel strongly that working for the government would be good for my career. Also, the hiring process with the government has already taken too long (in my opinion) and I don't want to give to give it up. My immediate superior at my current work is a nice person, so I don't think she would want to give a bad reference. However, this will for sure put her in a delicate position with the higher-ups. What exactly should I do? Should I ask my immediate superior for her contact info and tell her to expect a call from the government? Should I even allow her to prepare mentally for the call? p.s. They specifically asked for a reference from my "current immediate superior", but even if I wanted to, I never had another "immediate superior", because my current job is my first "real job". p.s. I'm located in Canada. <Q> If you want the government job then you will need the reference. <S> Yes, it is a risk for your current job <S> but only you can determine if it is worth the risk. <S> You can approach your supervisor with something like this: <S> Hey Supervisor, I have been presented with what I feel is a great opportunity with the government <S> and I would like your permission to pass along your contact information and have you as a reference. <S> If she is a nice person like you mentioned, she will happy for you and gladly provide herself as a reference. <S> She will understand that not everyone stays at their first job forever, and being a supervisor she has likely already seen employees come and go. <A> I think one should not hesitate to take risk for better opportunities in career. <S> It is mandatory requirement for gradual success and achievement in life that one should clearly set his target and than boldly proceed towards it's achievement. <S> Yes in some cases there may be some failures but without taking risk one cannot proceed quickly in life and in some cases lost better appourtunities. <S> In your case, luckily you have already cleared written exams, moreover , you are confident that due to your performance in current organization your boss will rate you satisfactorily. <S> In my opinion in such conducive envoirment it is not risk at all that you should state way tell your boss regarding new appointment in detail with all benefit you can get through new job. <S> This process will convince her to help you in your last formality for new job. <S> A helpful boss will never create hinderess in your bright career <A> The other answers are good, but I'd like to present an opposite point of view for consideration. <S> I don't want to risk my current job <S> That's important. <S> You don't know for sure how your boss will react, or how her boss will react. <S> It's possible that your boss is a kind person who would give you a great reference, but her boss may demand you be fired immediately. <S> You don't know what will happen . <S> There are plenty of questions here around "when should I inform my employer <S> I'm likely to leave?" <S> ( Here's one ) <S> That's a big risk <S> My recommendation is that you talk to someone in the new organization and see if they can possibly apply some common sense to this situation. <S> They may be able to find a way to check that box without asking you to risk your livelihood. <S> If you comply with their request and talk to your current supervisor, the worst that can happen is that you lose both your current job and the new job . <S> Are you OK with that?
| By talking to your current boss, you risk losing the job you have with no guarantee that you'll actually get the job you're applying for.
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Telling manager I can't work shifts I never said I was available for I recently* got on the roster for a large staffing agency. The manager has sent out mass emails with the new schedule. He has put me in at times that I may not available, as I'm working another on call job at the times (which takes preference). He is asking me to confirm. How should I reply? I don't want to simply say "no I'm not" as there seems to be a disconnect that should be addressed. I don't want to sound rude and was thinking Unfortunately I'm not available those days. Did I say something that gave the impression I was? I want to make this very clear as the manager has a very unclear communication style. *I was hired several months ago but not scheduled for any shifts until recent. I asked if there was something I needed to be doing to get shifts, like updating an availability calendar, and they said no. The manager I was reporting to had her contract end and now a manager from another region has taken over. It seems the transition had problems. solved thanks <Q> Since there has been a turnover in management <S> this is the perfect face-saving way to decline these shifts: <S> I can work the 3rd, 4th and 5th as scheduled but the 2nd and 6th are evenings, which I suppose [departed manager] <S> didn't tell you I can't do. <S> (Or they are weekends, or Wednesdays, or whatever your conflict is.] <S> If you can't accept <S> any of the shifts you've been given: <S> Those are all evenings, which I suppose [departed manager] didn't tell you I can't do. <S> I am happy to do any shift more than 3 hours, starting and ending between 9am and 6pm. <S> (Or any weekday, or any day except Wednesday, or whatever.) <S> Don't just say you can't work the shifts you've been offered. <S> Re-emphasize what shifts you can work - nobody likes to play 20 questions to get somebody in to work and they'll just shrug and try someone else if you don't help them with this. <S> Asking <S> "Did I say something that gave the impression I was?" will be perceived as a bit of an attack, but more importantly, requires the person to say no if they agree with you, which causes cognitive unpleasantness. <S> If there hadn't been this manager turnover thing, you could go with the generally-approved I apologize if something gave the impression <S> I was available [evenings or whatever the issue is] <S> But here you have the marvelous scapegoat of the departing manager, who knew your preferences but didn't pass them on. <S> You can simply neutrally repeat them without having to blame or criticize yourself or any current employee. <S> Take advantage of that! <A> Typically it is the responsibility of the employee to explicitly inform the employer of times of unavailability. <S> I suggest you clear the matter up as quickly, politely, and professionally as possible. <S> Sir <S> it is important that I clarify I am not available at {X days/times}. <S> I hope we can work around this. <A> Part time shift work is usually negotiable. <S> If you don't push back you get the graveyard or other shifts which are more difficult to fill. <S> So just be upfront and inform the boss of your availability and they will roster appropriately, <S> at the very least you will be given options or an ultimatum and can move forwards from that. <A> While I'm sure you'll consider this to be "absurd", I do find myself wondering how on earth <S> you expected your manager to know not to schedule you for shifts that you were unavailable for if you hadn't told them you weren't available on those days/times. <S> Sadly psychic powers don't come with the manager title ( <S> oh how I wish they did!) <S> I'm not suggesting you need to tell them your "24/7" schedule.. <S> but I think telling them when you have other work scheduled would be plain old common sense. <S> Since you'd missed the boat on this round of scheduling to do this you obviously need to communicate about them now. <S> You propose: <S> Unfortunately I'm not available those days. <S> Did I say something that gave the impression I was? <S> I wouldn't say that <S> .. it makes you sound like a rude wiseass. <S> Instead try something more like: <S> Unfortunately I'm not available those days as I have work scheduled with another job. <S> Are there any alternative shifts you'd like me to pick up? <S> For the future what's the best way of me letting you know the days/times <S> I'm available? <A> Actually it is manager's mandate that he can depute his employees in the shifts which he feels appropriate for effective organizational operations. <S> This decision can be overturned as and when required basis. <S> It is general practice the shift management is done by considering both organization and workers benefits except few cases where operational commitments did not allow. <S> As you have not yet informed to your manager regarding your other commitment, so he used his option and include you in shift. <S> In that case you should adjust your other commitment for your job security. ..
| In my opinion you should tell your manager regarding your commitment, he will adjust you as per your desire unless it is mandatory requirement of your availability in that shift. I appologize if this is inconvenient.
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What to do about a colleague who asked me to help him start a business competing with our employer? A colleague (who currently works at the company) told me that he is creating a new business that would be a direct competition of our current company. He also asked me to help him with a job for his new business due to my skills, but I rejected that proposition. I just want to forget that matter and never discuss it, but what should I do? <Q> You should forget that matter and never discuss it. <S> You are not responsible for the decisions of your friend. <S> It is not your solemn duty to report this to anyone. <S> Just go about your day. <A> When you have a sought after skillset people will often try and factor that into their own agenda if they can. <S> Don't let that happen without clear gain to yourself. <S> and it can be done without negative repercussions. <S> Lastly, if it's not documented, it didn't happen. <S> In some circumstances if it is provable or you have good rapport with management it might be worth giving them a quiet heads up, if it's a niche service or market where competition will not generate <S> it's own clients but must take others clients, then it is a direct threat to your job security. <S> However these often have non competing clauses written into contracts. <A> It is common practice in the industry that when ever a new industry is established they hire skilled human resource from the already existing successful companies. <S> It not only provides expertise in that field but also divert other experienced employees towards new setup and creates salary competition among owners which ultimately benefit skilled employees . <S> It is common and effective strategy to start new business which your friend has used. <S> It is entirely your choice that you can decide to accept his offer by evaluating future career appourtunities and salary setup.
| There is no need to take it further in any direction including reporting it unless there is a clear personal benefit in doing so In this case you should just ignore your colleague since you're not interested and have no need to take any risks.
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Is it acceptable to refuse to be somewhere because there is a sick person in the room? I was in a course for 2 days, small room, 4 people, 1 was very sick (cold or flu, and not respecting good practices like coughing in elbow). I tried to take every precaution I know: wash hands frequently, eat my food outside the room, done my flu jab previously etc. I still got sick one day after, which made me skip work for 1 week and made 2 weeks of my life terrible. I wanted at first to leave the course and go back to my work (which would have been the right decision in hindsight). But then I thought that my company paid for this course so I must be here. In a company that is fairly big and health conscious: is it acceptable to skip courses or meetings because a person in the room is sick? So if my manager asks me why am I not in X place, I reply with "there was a sick person in a room and I didn't want to get sick myself". <Q> It may depend on the company culture, but generally you would be expected to take the course. <S> The company had already paid for the course, and for a lot of courses if you did not attend then a refund would not be granted. <S> Many jobs require exposure to people who are sick. <S> As an example, most people working in retail have contact with hundreds of people per day, and at certain times of the year many of those people might be sick. <S> Imagine the disruption that would happen if a company allowed anyone at any time to not participate in meetings because someone in the meeting was sick. <S> We expect that other people will behave responsibly and not attend meetings or classes if they are likely to have a medical condition where they are likely to transmit an illness to someone else, but there's not really a way of enforcing this. <A> Is it acceptable to refuse to be somewhere because there is a sick person in the room? <S> Yes it is, many of us cannot afford to get sick <S> , I have 4 kids and a business to run. <S> So my catching a cold impacts on several people. <S> I would have made this point immediately at the course and probably commented to the actual person that they should at least cover their coughs. <S> My company is not paying for me to take health risks. <S> If no solution was made at the course I'd take it up with my boss. <S> But if it was warranted I'd get up and leave the course excusing myself with 'sorry, no offense, but I just can't afford to get sick.' <S> or just say I'm not going to sit next to them and relocate as far away as I could. <S> Someone else can be the hero covered in germs. <S> This is a failure on the part of the organiser and whoever was leading the course, it's only 4 people. <S> A responsible organiser would at least make some enquiries and if warranted send the sick person away. <A> This is very tricky, as you're attempting to obtain behavior from someone else, and interacting with a 3rd party to do it. <S> That kind of approach is called "triangulation" and often leads to more problems, and unsatisfactory resolutions. <S> The company paid for the training, so if you don't attend, odds are they are going to lose whatever money (or time) was set aside to train you. <S> The person who is sick probably knows this too, and is suffering through the class to not be the person "wasting the company's money". <S> I'd pull the person aside, and say "Hey I know we all get sick, <S> but would you please cough and sneeze into your elbow like this, to lessen the risk we all get sick" (and then demonstrate). <S> If you do it with the right tone and approach, odds are you'll hear nothing from others (or the sick person) than "OK". <A> It is (at least it would be with my employer) acceptable to refuse, but it is not acceptable to let your manager find out by chance. <S> You need to communicate with your manager immediately (ideally the moment when you leave the course), so he can remedy the situation (probably by seeing to it that the sick person goes to a doctor instead of attending courses). <S> As a rule managers do not want their staff to get ill, so he will probably agree that you should not attend, but if it's a paid course he at least needs opportunity to claim a refund from the vendor.
| If you had a medical condition that would put you at an elevated risk, then I think it would be reasonable to ask your company for permission to leave the class.
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I worked in industry for 1.5 years before going to grad school. I want to drop out - should I be applying for entry-level or senior positions? I found it very frustrating to notice in my job search that pretty much all the positions are either looking for senior developers with +3-4 years experience or (much more rarely) completely entry-level people / fresh graduates. I'm neither. I can definitely generate more value to the company than a fresh graduate, having been exposed to a number of different technologies and having had some experience operating in a corporate setting. On the other hand I'm confident I can pick up new technologies quickly but I'm not able to offer deep expertise in any particular useful specialism, as my work up to this point had been rather broad / on proprietary platforms. And so, in general, is it better to apply for graduate schemes / entry level positions and then hope they will see my added value or is it better to apply for senior positions and underwhelm slightly with the hope of being offered a lower-seniority position? <Q> I would go for entry level, if you add value you should progress quickly and impress while learning. <S> If you aim too high and land a job you're not going to be good at you will get a bad reputation or mediocre one. <S> It's always better to start strong so you can build and keep momentum. <A> Junior. <S> Because you ARE a junior. <S> Juniors, broadly speaking, are people with roughly anything under 3 years experience. <S> That's just how it is in the broadest, most generalized terms. <S> That's not to say you'll stay there. <S> But in the broadest terms you're a junior. <S> If you're providing the value you claim you can, you'll be promoted very quickly. <S> Also, it keeps expectations in check and allows you room to grow into the company. <S> On top of that, broad knowledge is essentially what junior developers have. <S> They can do a lot of things on a shallow surface level. <S> Depending on the organization, tech stack and whatever unknown unknown, you may want to be cautious. <S> It's very easy to get in over your head. <S> I say take junior, impress and move up. <A> Apply for whichever jobs strike you as more interesting. <S> Some employers will have a literal hard requirement for years worked, others use it only as a guide - often with soft language, i.e. it'll say "3+ years experience or equivalent. <S> " <S> Some in both of those categories would include your grad studies as experience, so it's a wash. <S> Regardless, you should recognize that the application is only getting your foot in the door. <S> It's the first step. <S> Regardless of which positions you apply for, be ready to answer questions about your history: <S> Why did you work for 1.5 years and then go back to school? <S> Why are you now dropping out, prior to completing your program? <A> It's impossible to answer your question without knowing what your skills are, where you worked and what positions you are considering. <S> To give you an example, if you spent 1.5 years at Google and are now applying for a job in the same field at a small local startup, go for a senior role (provided you learnt something of course). <S> If you spent 1.5 years at a local startup but are now applying for a job at Google, go for a junior position. <S> The decision to apply for a junior or senior position should also depend on your ability to learn quickly and your ability to sell yourself. <S> To give you an example, during my last job search I was offered several senior positions in a field I'd never worked in since people treated my previous job experience as somehow related. <A> It depends. <S> But you should A) take inventory for your skills, B) match it to the requirements of the jobs you are shooting for, and C) <S> continue applying as long as you fulfil around 70% of the requirements. <S> If you have less than required experience, you will need to either demonstrate proficiency, or find a hiring manager who will open a more junior role for you.
| Get the job, impress, and get promoted.
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Will listing my major GPA instead of my cumulative GPA on my resume cause problems? So I just started working in an admin position in a financial office and I think I may have slipped up. I listed my major gpa on my resume as just (GPA:#.#) as I had been under the impression that this was commonplace, and employees only wanted to know about coursework that is most relevant to the position. I'm now learning that it may not be. My major gpa is .3 higher than my cumulative. Ive completed a background check and sent my transcripts (required of all employees) about a month ago now, and nothing has been brought up. The transcripts only list the cumulative gpa, the major gpa was calculated by me. A degree wasn't even required for the position, so of course no listed GPA requirements. They were pretty clear about hiring me based on work experience, but i'm now worried that the discrepancy may be discovered and i'll be fired for being dishonest. I'm four years out of college and wish i had just left gpa off altogether to avoid all of this stress. Should I address this with HR? Will that get me fired? Should I just quit and start looking elsewhere? <Q> This is almost certainly a non-issue. <S> If it comes up clarify it then. <S> Do not quit on the very off chance of you getting fired. <S> Do not bring it up. <S> Just do your job and do it well <S> and I assure you they won't give a flying concern even if they do find out. <A> You're four years out of college? <S> Dude - nobody cares about your GPA anymore. <S> Just leave it alone. <S> Don't go to your boss, don't go to HR, don't mention it at all to anyone. <S> Good, bad, or indifferent, nobody cares. <A> If you're listing a GPA on a resume without any further qualification, it absolutely should be your overall GPA. <S> You should fix your resume by either omitting your GPA entirely, changing the label to "Major GPA," or by changing the listed GPA to your overall one. <S> Unless your GPA was particularly stellar, you're likely better off just omitting it entirely considering <S> you already have 4+ years of work experience. <S> Having said all of that, since you already have 4+ years of experience and apparently have already been hired, it seems quite unlikely that anyone at your current job is going to care about this slip-up. <S> In the unlikely event that someone ever does mention it, just tell them the truth: you listed your in-major GPA instead of your overall one under the mistaken impression that this was common practice. <S> I see no point in bringing it up to your new employer at this point. <S> However, you really should fix it before applying for any future positions. <S> Not listing your GPA on a resume is generally no big deal once you've been working for a while. <S> Listing one that someone happens to notice is higher than your actual GPA, however, could cause a future hiring committee to think that you're being dishonest, which could lead them to drop you from further consideration without even telling you the reason. <A> I would not worry. <S> Your university likely does not disclose records to anyone just asking. <S> Unless they ask you for your transcript they will not have access to your grades and in the unlikely case they do ask and bring it up, I would just explain it. <S> But again, the employers tend to not even verify your Alma mater. <A> Even if it is unusual to only list your GPA for your major, that is still your GPA for the major. <S> If you created the ambiguity intentionally then that would be dishonest, but that is another matter. <A> If I was a hiring manager then this would sound off all sorts of red flags such as: <S> Is dubma dishonest? <S> Is dubma careless? <S> If they misrepresented their GPA then what else have they misrepresented? <S> Did dubma even attend this college? <S> You are now employed at a financial office and if I am not mistaken then they probably take accuracy very seriously. <S> Answer me truthfully <S> : If your "major" GPA was lower than cumulative then which number would you have used on your resume? <S> Never in my life have I heard of the idea of a "major" GPA <S> and I switched majors twice. <S> The poor performance of my early majors is reflected forever in my GPA. <A> In my opinion while employment of a job it is considered that what you have GPA on graduation, because at that time only your qualifications are degree and grading is what matters. <S> You have already spent your four years , now onwards your performance in work center is only counted while awarding promotion and future privileges. <S> I suggest while you have this weak point in your mind, you should not share it with your colleagues or your boss at all. <S> You should give more attention towards your performance and try to get full grip on your assignment. <S> I am 100% sure, in case management came to know regarding your GPA, they will not fire you by analyzing your performance because for boss actually your performance is essential.
| No one is going to care about your GPA that much if you've already shown you're capable of doing the job well. It is not untrue, just ambiguous.
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I have been in charge of a non-registered "organisation", should I put this on my CV/linked in? In 2015 I started an esports team, that later bridged into me doing a lot of web-development, marketing, graphic design and some other minor work. I never registered the team as an organisation, as we never made any money, and never had the intention to do so. Technically, I still "work" for this organisation, so that would mean that my CV/linked in would say "current job". Would this look bad to companies I apply for a job with? I am wondering if I should put that on my CV/linked in? It has given me a lot of experience, and I did not work alone, meaning that I have people to put as references. My main concern is that they might not contact me further due to it saying "current job". <Q> Already having a position as opposed to being unemployed actually makes you a more desirable candidate. <S> As far as putting not-for-profit work on your resume, if the work you do is relevant to the field, there is no reason not to put it there <S> and no one will think less of the experience you gained from it. <A> Resumes are sales tools. <S> You're selling yourself by showing off your skills, accomplishments, and experience. <S> Of course, resumes have to be accurate. <S> You don't want to pass this organization off as a legitimate company if it isn't, which is why stuff like this is sometimes listed in a "personal projects" or "other relevant experience" section, separate from your actual employment history. <S> This way, you can show off what you've accomplished without causing confusion. <S> Think of it this way <S> : Are you applying for jobs in web development, marketing, and graphic design? <S> If yes, then recruiters will care about those aspects of this project. <S> I'm assuming you're not applying for jobs where you'd be responsible for registering and administrating the legal aspects of a company's status <S> - so, people will generally not care about how (or if) you did that for a side project like this. <A> tl;dr: <S> If it pays taxable money, it's a job. <S> I'm also a server admin and (effectively) community manager for a small mil-sim team. <S> I don't make any money out of it <S> but I put it on my CV under Personal Projects at the end, because I have done relevant technical work that would interest potential employers. <S> Now, you're making money out of this, so it is by default a job. <S> I'd think paying taxes on that income would be most of your obligations to the country you're in. <S> For example in the UK you don't have to start a business to sell on eBay, but you still have to report that income. <S> And if you ever get any trouble for not registering the organization, it would come from the tax agency, not your LinkedIn contacts.
| If the time you've spent on this project contributes to skills or experience that's relevant to the jobs you're going after, then you should absolutely include it on your resume.
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Can I not side with my soon-to-be ex-colleagues? My company, company A, is being sold. It has been bought by a major player in the field, company B, and everybody was quite happy with it. However, due to antitrust concerns the European Commission requires some parts of A to be divided to a third party. This third party, company C, is a hedge fund. My department is being split. Out of the twenty-ish people here, myself and two others will go to B as planned. Everyone else will go to C. My colleagues are not happy. They are putting together a protest email which will be sent to the top brass—which, by the way, will almost all go to B—complaining about the unfairness of the situation, and expect me to join the protest. My dilemma is: All my colleagues, including the other two going to B, will join the email. While I believe the situation is unfortunate, on a very selfish level it suits me well. I don't want to sign the letter. How can I not join the email and yet keep working in harmony during the acquisition process, which could take a month? <Q> Just tell them you don't want to burn bridges before you even get there. <S> I can't tell you how your co-workers will react, but I feel that this response is reasonable. <S> Tell them you don't want to compromise your standing with the new company in the event they take offense to this type of email and that you would rather keep your head down. <S> If you must, tell them you fully support them in their endeavor, but you will not be partaking. <A> My addition to other answers is an alternative delivery. <S> I'd be totally straight with them and say something along the lines of I'm not interested in wasting time and making waves on a protest that will not change anything. <S> This is in my own best interests and potentially theirs as well if they get over their pique and think about what they're doing before they potentially get themselves some negative attention from higher up. <S> I wouldn't try and talk them out of it <S> , just indicate I'm not getting involved. <A> Just do nothing. <S> You're not required to send the letter, and you shouldn't be forced to send a letter you don't want to - be it a protest letter, or any other kind. <S> Neither are you required to express that you're not going to do this. <S> So just don't do or say anything, and let it go. <S> If anyone notices and ask, you can be sincere and tell them why you're not doing it, or you could just evade the question with some excuse. <S> Once again, they shouldn't force you to explain why you don't want to be involved in this situation. <S> I agree with you that it's a selfish attitude to take, so I don't think that stating out loud that you're being selfish is the best way to keep a good relationship with your peers for the next month - it will probably burn some bridges whenever they find out. <S> So just ignore the situation, fly low, and hope no one notices. <S> If they (try to) force you to send the letter, you can state that as an issue that prevents you from being involved - you don't want to be forced into empathizing with your colleagues. <S> It may be an excuse, or it may be true - but I wouldn't care about coming up with false excuses to people who's forcing me to do something I don't want, even if it's a good thing to do. <A> While some answers suggest that you could play the "Signing this mail won't make a difference"-argument I am afraid this might get you into a bigger discussion. <S> I am with you on the point that it suits you quite well and would build my argument on that exact point, that you are confident or convinced of. <S> the change favours more people or is considered more fair. <S> There is no solution that suits everybody in this scenario <S> I am afraid, so no solution will be fair for everybody. <S> Personal note: <S> Please be aware of that your colleagues may at some point even project their frustration at you. <S> So maybe don't put to much effort into keeping friends who maybe aren't your friends. <A> How can I not send the mail, and yet keep working in harmony during the acquisition process which could take month? <S> Just tell them that you don't think it will do any good. <S> Point out that the deck on this one is already stacked the exec's are already going where they want to go. <S> There are causes which are worth dying for, but this is more of a live to fight another day situation. <S> Hopefully this helps in France, (which you've tagged) <S> I've never been/worked there.
| Fact is that some people, including you, are in a position others may envy them of; it is completely reasonable to not disagree on your fortune and not wanting to push for a decision that might have a disadvantage on your position - and it is not given that something will change anyway
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I already accepted an internal offer; Can I still apply for another internal position? I've been working at my current position for 2 years now. New boss does not see my value, so I plan to move to another position. I got an internal offer for lateral move and accepted it. Few days later, there is new higher level position posted. I'm really interested and I think I have a chance at getting the position. Different HR recruiter sent email to me asking whether I just accepted an offer which is the lateral move position. I don't know whether it will push me to the bad position. I don't know whether there is politics in that. Hope anyone can share some experience. Update: Thank you so much for all the answers. I contacted 2nd job HR and she replied me that she is not going to push me forward because I accepted the 1st job. That really upset me. I'm qualified for this position. Just because of the timing, I have to take the lateral move instead of taking the promoted one. Is it against some labor law? I just felt it's not fair. <Q> It doesn't really matter whether you are accepting a job internally or externally. <S> Once you have accepted a job, it is not cool to renege on that and go for a different job. <S> Essentially, you are letting them know that you will jump ship with no regards to your agreements. <S> With an external job, you will burn bridges with the job that you accepted and then give up. <S> Sometimes that is worthwhile anyway, if the job you go for instead is worth the burned bridge. <S> There is also the danger that you don't get the second job, which may result in you burning a bridge and ending up with neither job. <S> For an internal job, burning bridges is much more serious. <S> You are damaging your reputation at the place you currently work. <S> It would be much better to be considered someone whose word is worth something and then wait a couple of years for the step up. <S> However, it is possible that what you are doing will still work - you need to talk to the hiring managers and see if it is too late to apply for that job, since you're already accepted the other. <S> If you see anything less than an enthusiastic "go for it!", it is better to take what you've already agreed to take, and wait. <A> The ability to apply for an another internal position just after accepting a new position within the company is dictated by company policy. <S> Places I worked have restricted the ability to apply to a new position within 6 months of starting a new position. <S> In one place the system would disable the submit button until you were allowed to apply, others had the system send a reject notice as soon as you applied. <S> The hiring manager for the 2nd position contacting you is a sign that something in their system is telling them you recently accepted a position. <S> The company wants to limit your ability to waste company resources by constantly shifting jobs. <S> Every applicant being evaluated and interviewed takes resources. <S> Moving people within the company takes resources. <S> Also if they have to restart the process of filling the job you now want to reject that wastes resources. <S> The company wants to avoid bidding against itself. <S> They usually make candidates who accept a position withdraw from all other open applications with the company. <S> This generally also applies to current employees making internal transfers. <S> You could talk to the second hiring manager, but if these types of polices exist they may not be able to do anything to help you apply for the second position. <S> Quickly switching again may not help your long term prospects with the company. <A> Your new department should understand that the opportunity is new and it's not like you're going to here <S> yes <S> or no immediately. <S> Just go for it. <S> Another thing you can do to grease things a little bit is just talk to your new boss and explain the situation. <S> It might be a little awkward, but it's way better than keeping it all to yourself.
| Don't renege on the job you just recently, just go ahead and apply. Burning bridges within the place you currently work is not an advisable thing to do.
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Planning business trip while looking to quit I recently joined company X. They want to send me on a business trip for training for a few weeks overseas (standard for all new hires), and are coordinating with me to plan this trip. They will soon buy plane tickets and make other arrangements. At the same time, I have a verbal job offer from company Y and they are preparing my formal offer. Their offer is much better than my current compensation, so I'm very interested in accepting their offer. They are flexible on when I would start. I'm wondering how I should handle this, given the possible scenarios. I have not spoken to X about my offer from Y, since I have not received a formal offer. On the other hand, I don't want to leave on a bad note wasting company X resources. What if I get the offer after they buy plane tickets? Or even during the trip? Also, if I'm considering staying with company X (assuming they can match Y's offer), should I just go on this trip (regardless of Y's offer), to get a better feel for their company? Again, it would look bad if I left soon after the trip. <Q> Your problem may be somewhere else: <S> In my company, when you sign a new contract and get some paid training, you have to stay a certain amount of time before leaving . <S> Otherwise you will have to pay for compensation (which can be very expensive, the plane ticket would be the least of your problem...). <S> And even if it is not clearly stated in the contract, they could argue that you took advantage of them, and still have to pay for compensation. <A> In the meantime, it is business as usual at company X. Behave as if you were staying at X until you accept a written offer from Y. <S> In the future, so you don't have to worry about looking bad, burning bridges, or wasting people's time and resources, stop entertaining offers from other companies once you have accepted and began work with a company. <A> You have to stay at your current job until you get a formal job offer. <S> After that, put in your two weeks notice of resignation and work in earnest. <S> Then just go to your new job. <S> Simple. <S> Effective. <S> Painless. <S> If your current boss wants to know why you're leaving, just be honest about the compensation. <S> Everyone's gotta move on sometime these days.
| Not sure why you would still be entertaining offers from other companies after accepting and starting work with X, but if you would rather work for Y you need to wait for them to give you a written offer.
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Is a book on sales technique a bad idea for our head of sales in secret santa? So it's secret santa time again at work, and I've drawn the Head of Sales. Secret santa is normally a jokey thing in our office, so I thought it would be amusing to buy him a 'Sales for Dummies' sort of book. Normally I wouldn't think twice about this sort of thing, but it's been made apparent that sales haven't been doing too well this year. Does that make a gift like this a little too 'on the nose'? <Q> I'd suggest this is one of those "If you have to ask, don't do it" moments. <S> Even if someone might normally find things like this funny, the questions remain: What kinda of pressure are they currently under if sales are doing badly that might cause them to react badly? <S> If they're under a lot of stress this might make them feel very bad indeed. <S> What kind of impression will this give the rest of the company, if sales issues are well known - <S> e.g. will everyone know it's meant to be a joke or will some people consider it a snub, and will everyone find it funny? <S> As others have said, it depends on the culture of the place... which to me means that none of us can tell you whether or not it would be ok as we don't work there. <S> And if you could tell whether or not it would be ok, you wouldn't need to ask us. <A> Normally I wouldn't think twice about this sort of thing, but <S> it's been made apparent that sales haven't been doing too well this year. <S> Does that make a gift like this [Sales for Dummies] a little too 'on the nose'? <S> I think it entirely depends on the personality of the Head of Sales, but I recommend not rubbing salt in the wound here. <S> It's likely the Head of Sales is taking a lot of flak for sale's poor performance and getting a book that insults his poor wounded ego just doesn't seem like a good idea. <S> I recommend another gift. <A> As a gift you are not too far off, though. <S> If the book is a well regarded "must read" in the field <S> then the receiver might actually like it and read it. <S> Not "for dummies" but a real book where you did your research. <S> Then if someone else makes a joke everyone can laugh (including Head of Sales), or you can make the joke in a friendly manner. <S> The difference here is that a real book on the subject would not belittle them. <S> Take this with a grain of salt, of course. <S> You know the person and the environment better than any of us. <S> Just be aware that these kind of jokes can get out of hand and turn into workplace bullying . <S> There are no rules as long as it is all fun and games for everyone . <A> Depends on the person's sense of humour, work atmosphere, your relationship to this person, their relationship to the rest of the company, whether they had an argument with their spouse this morning, planetary alignments, etc. <S> etc. <S> etc. <S> With the right person in the right circumstances? <S> Sure, it can be funny; perhaps even hilarious. <S> If you need to ask here however there's a decent chance <S> it's not, and probably wisest to avoid taking the chance. <A> I'd say first of all try to figure out if they take the bad sales personally. <S> If they think it's their fault or their problem and they're under a lot of pressure, it might not be a great idea. <S> However if they realize it's not just their fault and stuff like that can happen, they probably won't take offense from it. <S> Of course it'll still depend on their personallity and sense of humor. <S> But if you really don't know whether they will take it well, just don't do it. <S> A simple joke is not worth potentially insulting someone over. <A> To add to @Emil Vikström's great answer might I suggest a book which is related to sales at least in an abstract way. <S> It would be treasured by the head of sales rather than thrown away. <S> Malcolm Gladwell - The Tipping Point is a great read which looks in to the psychology behind what causes things to suddenly become popular, such as the Hush Puppies craze in the 90s in America.
| This is not a very fun joke if it comes at someone else's expense and also attacks their professionalism. Only do this if you know the Head of Sales will also laugh and not feel embarrassed.
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What to do with a coercive or bully boss? I happen to work with a boss who overreacts to vague reasons. He has impulsive/ bipolar behavior, where he is fine with one incident and the next day/month he loses his mind over the same.e.g we had an event at our company, So I casually declined the invitation, as I was not interested in attending it. He lost his mind and was on his nerves and coerced me to attend it, finally I had to attend it. When a similar event happened next time, he wasn't interested and on the contrary he told me he din't want to attend it, and asked me whether I wanted to attend it? Apart from work he reprimands people for not attending any event and not having a social life. He instills fear to coerce things we are genuinely uninterested in. I am confused, as to how do I deal with such boss? If I provide any reason, he would say that I give a lot of excuses or have some rude statement under his hat.It has become difficult to say NO to such a person, On the work front I try to do my job pretty decent, my only concern is I am uninterested in such extra-curricular activities where I am forced to be a part of. <Q> Unfortunately, the only real answer here is this: <S> Get another job. <S> We could argue the merits all day about standing up for yourself and escalating this higher, but all of these things will just make work unpleasant in the long run. <S> If your Boss truly behaves in this manner, just get out as soon as you can and carry on. <A> There is this type of people who simply don't care. <S> They can be screamed at and abused at work <S> but they just smile and are able to relax in the evening without losing sleep over the situation in the job. <S> But the huge majority of us isn't like that. <S> We can build up our resilience a bit - by developing good, reliable relationship out of the office, by doing therapy, etc. - but an abusive boss will still affect our wellbeing. <S> For all those people the only viable solution is to admit the situation doesn't depend on them <S> and they can't influence their boss's behavior and search for a new job. <A> During my experience in engineering set up as junior manager I have worked with lot of bosses having different behaviors. <S> During working under such boss as subordinate capacity sometimes it become miserable but considering job security and career progression in mind subordinate is required to be adjusted himself . <S> In my opinion you should try to contain your interaction with your boss and restrict to only essential requirement so that he can't bother you with his behavior. <S> In subordinate capacity you cannot refuse to attend such gatherings even you don't like it. <S> By regularly attending such activities you can make good working relationship with the boss. <S> In above answers you have been suggested to change your job but in my opinion it is not at all appropriate <S> if you are comfortable with your job, changing of job with such small reasons is not at all correct decision bcos it is not guaranteed that in new job you can again face such boss. <A> You could document everything and try to get your boss fired over this harassment, but this probably isn't worth your time. <S> It takes too long. <S> It's somewhat career limiting. <S> It takes too much effort. <S> It doesn't get you a pay raise like a new job probably will. <S> Most of the time it's not worth it. <S> As an intermediate step, something to try before you jump ship and hunt for a new job, I'd talk to HR about your boss's behavior and how it interferes with your personal and work life. <S> HR isn't really at your company for your benefit, HR is more or less to protect the company from you. <S> This is just something you can try before committing to a new job search. <S> It could make things worse, and if you're in the USA and your boss tries to retaliate against you for talking to HR <S> you can sue the company. <S> Other than these two options, you basically have to put up with it or quit.
| Documenting everything is standard whenever you run into trouble at the office these days, but trying to get your boss fired is honestly not a good idea. If you don't like your situation, change it.
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How to deal with indirect comments? I work on a team of 23 people, and am still considered a junior in my field. I have been employed with my company for going on two years and over the last couple months have noticed that most coworkers express their concerns of me with others instead of me. I am the kind of person that I like to understand what I've done wrong, or what I am doing that bothers others so that I can correct my actions prior to the concerns being expressed to others. Most of their concerns are harmless but are none the less negative comments and they are expressed to my superior instead of myself. This looks bad on me as I don't have the chance to take corrective action prior to my superior saying something to me. A perfect example would be yesterday; I had a debate with a colleague regarding a simple theory and why I've implemented things the way I have. During this debate there was quite a bit of miscommunication and I found this to be true in retrospect. However, due to this miscommunication my colleague believed I was simply arguing with him and thought that I had to prove my way of doing things as correct even if in certain situations it would be wrong. This isn't the case and I hate that it was taken that way. Another issue with this route is that my superior won't name who is making the comments so that I can apologize and reassure my colleagues that I will address their concerns. I do understand taking comments in confidentiality, but such simple comments should be addressed between the coworkers in question in my opinion. Clarifications I work in a software environment in which debates are very useful; they are typically not in the fashion of arguments but more of weighing pros and cons of each option presented. I walk away from debates that turn into arguments as they are no longer useful and just take up time. My superior isn't the team lead; he is simply the elder employee with my company amongst a team comprised of multiple companies; there are actually only four employees on the team from our company in which only my direct superior has expressed any concern. I try to remain relatively quiet at work and do what I need to get done for the day; this works well for me but occasionally I need to ask for help with a particular issue and this is where these debates can begin. A coworker can come over offering a solution, I implement the solution and it may not work so we begin discussing alternate solutions and other coworkers may overhear the conversation and join in with their own ideas causing debates to begin. Often these are useful but if miscommunication occurs and the one offering new ideas doesn't understand what the underlying process is and why it is written that way it can get to the situation I had yesterday. How can I handle these situations where coworkers make comments to my superiors instead of myself in a professional manner. My superiors are busy just like everyone else and I can see that it may frustrate them if others are coming to them to complain about me. Since learning of these comments I've began taking corrective action, but it frustrates me that I have to learn of these concerns through my superior. <Q> It is difficult to address this issue with the original source if your superior does not wish to reveal their name. <S> The best you can do is to take the corrective action, as you said you have, based on the feedback from your superior. <S> Every discussion doesn't have to end in an argument/debate where someone is right and the other person is wrong. <S> If you come to a disagreement with a coworker, just leave it at that and move on. <S> I could see how coworkers could be annoyed if you are constantly trying to prove them wrong. <A> You are responsible for responding to feedback and direction from your superior unless they indicate otherwise. <S> Stop looking for arguments with your peers and focus on how your superior thinks you're doing. <S> Now, you don't want to be ignorant to peer feedback, but you also don't need to go out of your way to solicit (or even respond) to it, unless directed to do so explicitly or via some official process at your organization. <S> With respect to the case where your boss won't name the source of the feedback - consider that there may be reasons why they're doing that which you aren't privy to. <S> There's a fine line between receiving and handling peer feedback versus turning into a cutthroat free for all where everyone is out to prove everyone else wrong. <S> That's one of the basic reasons why teams have bosses. <S> So there's a single point of control to help moderate the feedback and focus on improvement, versus having a bunch of people that just pick at each other. <A> A coworker can come over offering a solution, I implement the solution and it may not work so we begin discussing alternate solutions and other coworkers may overhear the conversation and join in with their own ideas causing debates to begin. <S> Often these are useful but if miscommunication occurs and the one offering new ideas doesn't understand what the underlying process is and why it is written that way it can get to the situation I had yesterday. <S> Could you simply ignore the comments from people who do not know the underlying issue? <S> Or simply tell them, "Bob, yes I understand your solution and one that I thought of, but it does not apply to this current situation. <S> " <S> I agree with @dwizum that you should simply stop trying to find ways to argue with your co-workers. <S> Simply stop and all the issues will go away. <S> Only listen to people with solutions and if it starts getting into a heated debate, then simply stop. <S> Who ultimately makes the decision in these reviews? <S> I would talk to that person and simply ask which of the two solutions are to be implemented and go with that. <S> Do not argue or debate about it. <S> Just do it the way your manager told you to do it.
| The other thing you can do is to stop debating with your coworkers.
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How to decline job offer after considering commute? I made a stupid mistake they asked me if I am willing to commute. I told them yes, but I prefer the closer location. However, I received the job offer at the further location. Now I regret it as I cannot commute for 30 miles given that I am in California and it will take me at least 2 hours back and forth. So I guess how can I decline the job offer? <Q> If you want to decline only for the commute reason and are open to joining them if your location is closer, then you can say something like this: <S> Thanks for the offer. <S> I was really looking forward to work with you but as of now <S> but I am unable to travel 30 miles every day. <S> While I mentioned I am open to commuting <S> I did indicate my preference to be closer. <S> Thanks again for showing your confidence in me and I am sorry I cannot take this offer as of now. <S> I hope we get an opportunity to work together again in future. <S> You may be concerned that it will look like you are turning back on what you said during the interview <S> but I think it is okay. <S> Even if commute was not your concern, declining a job offer is kind of turning back because you did appear for interview and expressed your interest in working. <S> This happens all the time. <S> Also, now you have clearly communicated to them what you want and they can decide if they want to change the location for you. <A> Don't give a reason unless you're hoping to turn it into a negotiation to change that reason. <S> In other words, if you'd be willing to accept based on a closer location, or partial work from home, or flexible schedules, or some other condition that eliminates the commute time, go ahead and explain that the commute is preventing you from accepting. <S> If you really want the job, you have nothing to lose by asking. <S> You're under no obligation to do so, and if you're sure you no longer want the job, you have nothing to gain by giving a reason. <A> Just say so and explain the reason. <S> You can say something like "after thinking about all of the details of the offer, I think the commute would be too difficult for me; I would be happy to accept the offer if I could work at the closer location, but unfortunately the farther location is too far for me". <S> If it's a large company (based on your description, if they have 2 offices within 30 miles of each other then it's probably a large company) <S> they'll make it happen for you to work at the closer office. <S> I once had a similar experience where I was offered a job across the country with a large company. <S> I mentioned to them that I wasn't at a point in my life where relocating would be amenable for me, and as the company had an office locally in my city, if I could work at that office instead. <S> They made it happen. <A> Say No. <S> You don't have to give a reason when declining a job offer, if they ask why you can easily just say "personal reasons" or you've had a better offer. <S> Even if you say you've reconsidered the travel and you've decided against it now. <S> So basically just decline it <S> and that's it.
| If however you're not interested in the position and/or don't expect a negotiation to go in your favor, don't give a reason.
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What to do if I ended up working on interview question I had an onsite job interview for a software position at a German startup, which included brainstorming at the whiteboard on how to solve a problem. I should hear back in a few days. The problem is quite challenging and I ended up writing some code to solve the problem they gave me, as I got some insight/ideas on how to proceed. I don't know how good or bad the solution I developed is, to be honest. I made a few tests and it works, in first approximation. Is it bad policy to contact the startup CEO showing the results I got? Am I coming as arrogant or disrespectful (people probably spent quite some time on these issues..)? On the other hand, after their decision the value of the test code I wrote goes to zero. Any feedback is welcome. <Q> I would send the solution you have to them. <S> I can't imagine doing so hurting your chances (unless your solution is pretty bad), and will likely help you for two reasons: <S> 1) hopefully the solution shows that you are smart, and even more importantly, 2) shows that you are motivated. <A> To be honest, there are two things you should consider. <S> First: how well did you do during the white-boarding? <S> Because if you did well, you should leave it as-is. <S> Letting things be is a sort of low-risk option; doing a follow-up communication with the solution is a high-risk option. <S> So if you did well in the white-board meeting, you probably shouldn't risk it; if you feel like you didn't do that well and could use some extra help, go ahead. <S> Basically, try to weigh the odds of "I wasn't going to get the job <S> but this put me to the forefront" versus " <S> I was going to get the job but <S> my follow-up was off-putting." <S> Second: how clean/readable/maintainable is your code? <S> Keep in mind, if you're sending code to a potential employer, they're very likely going to ask themselves: "is this the sort of code I want our developers to be creating?" <S> So if you do decide to send your code, make sure it's immaculate - descriptive variable names, excellent function/class names, smooth logic flow, etc. <A> You're assuming that the programming challenge you were given was (a) pertinent to the companies requirements, and (b) not already solved by their development team. <S> Personally, I wouldn't give a programming applicant a problem that I didn't already know the answer to. <S> I would be looking at their approach to the problem, and seeing if they spotted any of the 'gotchas' associated with that problem. <S> I want to see how they think; not necessarily if they can solve the entire problem in 30 minutes. <S> My advice would be to just send a nice "Thank you" note to the interviewer, and maybe add a line or two saying that you derived a complete solution to their question (and mention one or two of the intriguing aspects, if it had any)
| Sending a solution after the interview won't necessarily have any effect on the results of the interview; all decisions have probably already been made.
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As an outsourced employee, is it reasonable to ask for benefits that regular employees have on business trips? I work for company A. My company outsources 10-15 people (including myself) to company B. I go to a business trip to a foreign country as the only person from company A (there are a few people from company B with me). Company B is covering my business trip expenses (flights, transport, allowance, hotel). I'm the only person from company A to go for a business trip abroad while working for company B. Upon arrival, I learn that company B has a policy that doubles their employees salary for the time of a business trip in a foreign country. I'm not included because I'm not an employee of that company. The fact that I have no said benefits saddened me, as I do exactly the same job as my colleagues and I'm not getting any the extras. The country I'm staying in for my bunsiness trip is much more expensive than my home country. People from company B can afford going the gym, restaurants etc because of the benefits, and I cannot. I've previously agreed formally to be on the business trip to the end of the year and verbally/semi-formally (nothing in terms of flights/hotels has been arranged yet, and I can work remotely) to continue it in the new year. Is it reasonable to ask in my company (A), after this first part of my business trip has ended, whether or not company B can extend their business trip benefits policy to contractors? How about stating that I don't want to go back abroad if I don't get the same benefits as employees of company B get (I don't mind if they say no). <Q> No it's not a reasonable expectation. <S> You don't work for Company B and they are providing you with flights, transport, allowance, hotel and expecting you to work, not go to gym, or restaurants. <S> Anything more than that is not their concern. <S> Specifically anything their employees get is also not your concern. <S> If you have any reason for wanting more money at such a time. <S> Company A is the place to ask. <S> Company B is already taking care of basic extra expenses. <A> This is a classic problem, and is why companies keep salaries/benefits/etc private from employee to employee. <S> You were happy with your working arrangement, and willing to do it. <S> You're only upset because you now realize that other people are doing the same job for more. <S> The company likely specifically outsourced the job you now hold because it is cheaper than if they do that themselves. <S> Considering that, it's unlikely they will say yes. <S> As you had already agreed upon the terms of the position, you don't have much of a leg to stand on if you make the demand either. <S> You're almost definitely being paid less than the full-time employees. <S> Are you going to demand a raise as well? <A> Be very careful you're not falling into a "Grass is greener" mindset here. <S> If you're happy with Company A, don't let the fact that other people elsewhere in the world have a perk that you don't get you down. <S> If it helps, think of it this way: if Company A outsourced you to Company C - a miserable place where the salary was below average, the workweek was 6 days long, and there were no medical benefits or days off... <S> would you want Company A to jettison what they were going to provide for you to give you Company C's perks instead? <S> Company A pays your salary and is responsible for your employment - you work for them, not Company B. <A> There are three separate issues here, only one of which is actually relevant to you: <S> The business trip expenses that B covers. <S> The double salary B provides their employees. <S> The spending habits of B's employees. <S> Before approaching your company you need to ask yourself: Is the money that B provides for business expenses sufficient to cover all the necessary costs of the business trip? <S> If it is not, you need to communicate to your company that B is not covering all the costs of the business trip and work out an arrangement so that all the costs are covered on future trips. <S> As for the double salary for B's employees and their spending habits, that does not concern you or your employer. <S> You are not an employee of B, so even if you do the same work you are not entitled to the same benefits. <S> And if B's employees choose to overspend on business trips that doesn't mean that you need to do the same.
| In short, no, it is not reasonable to make such a demand.
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First job offer confusion: Signing contract on the starting date? I recently accepted a job from an international tech company to work in their office in California. The recruiter (also the manager at the office)first gave me a draft offer letter and asked if I have any questions or needed anything clarified. So I asked all the questions I had in mind and then I told him I'm good with the terms. So next, the CEO of the company back at their headquarter in Asia signed and sent my official offer letter to their California office and then the letter is forwarded to me to sign. After I signed the offer letter, I ask the recruiter when will I sign a contract? The answer I got is: you will sign on your first day. Since this is my first job after college, I'm just wondering is this normal? Because on the official offer letter, the things listed are like my starting date, my annual salary, how I will be paid, 401k plan (3%), dental, vision and health insurance. But they didn't go into any details about these terms. So I'm just a little bit worried what if they change things at thelast minute? Do you think that it might be because they are afraid I might change my mind after signing my contract? Because my friend who graduated last year also got an offer from this company but she changed her mind at the very last minute.(yup she did :D) The company was extremely mad. Perhaps they think I would do the same? But during the interviews I've reassured them several times and clearly showed my passion and determination about the position and the company. It really is the job that I want. <Q> At all 4 permanent jobs I have had over the past 17 years, I have always signed my contract on the first day of work. <S> It usually was accompanied by a talk with either HR or the manager explaining basic things as what the company household rules were. <S> Your guess is as good as mine <S> what the reason behind not signing it earlier is, but I would say keeping the hassle if people do change their mind before the actual starting date to a minimum might be a big part of it. <A> I would not worry. <S> Offer letters generally do not go into detail about the benefits, there are company policies that document those usually. <S> In the extremely unlikely case they switch those, your offer letter should be enough for a legal case. <A> I would ask the contract by email before doing any move. <S> It is a reasonable request, it take 10 minutes for them to put your contract on the scanner then push "email to" or 5 minutes to send the word document by email. <S> Personally, there is at least 3 elements that are important to validate: non-compete-clauses <S> I saw some heavy non-compete-clauses in the past, even if they are invalid, the company lawyer can do damage before a judge take a decision. <S> I saw one of my ex co-worker getting screw over it by the company lawyer. <S> availability <S> There can be some clauses related to the windows that you need to be available, if you can be schedule the week-end or be called after office hour. <S> If there were any bonus, like on call, mentioned during the interview, I would like to have then written. <S> Also, remote work perk is good to have it written in the contract because some boss arbitrary denied it. <S> intellectual property <S> I saw some contracts that everything you create or work on it, even outside work without the company equipment is their property. <S> I did not face a lot of resistance from past employers to strike clauses that I did not feel right and initialize it by both parties, even adding exclusion for my side projects or to allow to work for previous employers during the week-end. <S> So feel free to ask to avoid you and your new employer waste time. <S> Once you will be at their office the first day, the pressure to sign the contract will increase and I feel you will have less power to negotiate about clause that may annoy you.
| Of course, if you do show up on your first day and the contract says something different than what was agreed before, do not sign it and do not start work untill it is fixed.
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Inform an applicant that the for-profit school they went to failed them? A recent discussion I had reminded me of an event in the past. I have always wondered if I should have said something to the students. I was looking to hire an entry level IT tech and turned to the local for-profit IT college. They sent me a number of candidates that had recently graduated, or were about to. I interviewed many candidates from the school and I was shocked at how unqualified they were. I am well aware of what these candidates absolutely should know, as in the past I taught A+ certification. These students couldn't answer the most basic of IT questions. I really wanted to tell the candidates after their train-wreck of interviews that they are in no way qualified for an entry level IT position and I couldn't comprehend how they could have graduated from college. However, I kept my opinions to myself and thanked them for coming and informing them we were looking for someone more qualified. I spoke to the employment representative at the school who finds students jobs and informed her of what I had seen. She truly and genuinely seemed outraged that the school would allow students to advance and graduate who were so poorly educated. However, I never heard from her again. While I am under no obligation to say anything, is there an ethical or moral obligation to inform the students that their school failed them at best, or at worst ripped them off? The fact it still bugs me makes me think I should have said something. <Q> There are mechanisms for vetting and credentialing educational programs. <S> You are not one of them. <S> Your job as a hiring manager is to evaluate fitness for the positions you're hiring for. <S> You should address the candidates from that context. <S> It's fine to inform them that you're looking for someone with different skills. <S> It doesn't make sense for you to attribute their lack of skills to specific events in their background. <S> If it's not credentialed, well then - you have your answer. <A> Not your problem, you already informed the school and that's why recognised certifications like A+ are prized, because the exams are sat independently of the course or school. <S> If you really want to address the matter (and realistically this could get a bit messy and is not your responsibility) you would contact the Qualifications Authority in the locale. <S> Do not involve your company in this, do it as an individual if you must. <S> At the end of the day though there is no difference between this dodgy qualification and an online professorship given on the basis of 'life experience'. <S> The World is full of them. <A> I think it hasn't been mentioned yet. <S> It seems you want to say something like: <S> Wow, I am sorry <S> but you are underprepared. <S> It is probably your school's fault (and there is nothing you can do about it). <S> You should sue them for malpractice, there is a pattern! <S> Consider saying something nicer and more useful, such as: <S> I am sorry but your skills are not matching our company right now. <S> If you want, I can suggest X, Y, Z you can do to improve, but I can't guarantee you'll get a job here after finishing it. <S> You can additionally report this school to governing body, and non-profit organization/lawyer interested in pursuing legal action/class-action suit. <S> But this has nothing to do with the candidate. <S> For what it's worth you might assume they never attended a class. <A> I've been in a similar situation, except they actually hired the guy. <S> He couldn't even write a for-next loop..... <S> Here's the problem for you: <S> If you say anything, you could expose your company to liability for slander. <S> Yes, the truth is an absolute defense in court, but it doesn't keep you, or more importantly, your company OUT of court. <S> You were well within your rights to confront their employment representative, as she sent them to you, contacting them on your own <S> is another matter entirely. <S> Worst case scenario: <S> One of them tries to sue the school and calls YOU as a witness. <S> Not good PR for your company... <S> So, while it would seem ethical to let them know, it can only expose you to some headaches that you don't need.
| Mentioning this to an applicant can only cause trouble for you. You can address applicant's deficiencies, and propose how they can get better. If you truly see a pattern, report it to the credentialing body that has approved the school's program.
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Do I tell a current employer I am considering leaving even though I am just casually talking to a previous employer and have nothing in writing? TLDR; I feel disrespected in my current job, but made a promise to the manager I would tell him if I was thinking about leaving. A manager from my last job verbally promised my old job back, but I do not have anything in writing. Do I go ahead and tell my manager that I am indeed thinking about leaving? <Q> Nope. <S> You gain nothing and risk being alienated, especially if the new job falls through. <S> Only inform your employer of a plan to leave once the contract is signed. <A> You've seen how your company works: Someone makes demands, and they get. <S> You are all nice and get a kick in the teeth for it. <S> Your CTO hasn't actually done anything but promised to do something if you think about leaving. <S> I love the guy, he knows exactly the buttons to press to exploit you as much as he can. <S> If you can go back to your old job at your old (higher) salary, maybe even something added, do it. <S> Or find something even better elsewhere. <S> Whatever you promised to your current company, you should care about those just as much as the company cares for you. <S> Which is none at all. <S> And as was said, don't inform the company until you have a signed contract. <S> There is one person that should count for you, and that's you. <A> You are technically not breaking your promise until you have your written offer because you are not really leaving until you have anything in writing regardless. <A> NO. <S> I wouldn't recommend telling your company <S> you're thinking of leaving / looking elsewhere / have applied elsewhere etc unless you have an offer that you're prepared to accept. <S> I would personally recommend either speaking to the company about the concerns you have with what's going on, or leaving - and explicitly never telling them <S> you 'might be looking for another job'. <S> The reason for this is that it's generally considered to be a bad idea to accept a counter offer from a company if they try to retain you after you receive an offer somewhere else, yet it would likely be best not to mention you're going to be looking for another job unless you have an offer somewhere else.. <S> Either you are able to use that as a negotiation tactic to get something very specific that you want changed if they want to retain you, or you'll be leaving somewhere else.... <S> I'd recommend getting the offer somewhere else in writing and going there if you really are unhappy where you're at <S> and they refuse to address it without you telling them you're considering leaving. <A> It depends on your industry. <S> If there are little companies controlling most of the market, then just leave it . <S> Else you can talk to your ex-colleagues if and only if there are misconduct of your boss involving conflict of interest and tradition value .e.g. <S> democracy, free speech,torture of animals .... <S> e.t.c. <A> The CTO said to come talk to him before you start looking elsewhere <S> and he'll find a solution. <S> What you wrote doesn't mean you have promised him to let him know that you're leaving, and in fact you aren't. <S> After all, if you haven't accepted another offer, you're not leaving, right? <S> What you tell the CTO is that you're unhappy about the situation and why, and try to come up with a solution together. <S> Either the CTO can get you a satisfactory solution or he can't. <S> If the CTO can get you a solution but isn't going to unless you say you're leaving, take that as a no. <S> You want to present yourself as loyal unless and until you have a signed offer elsewhere. <S> Never tell anyone you're leaving as a negotiating tactic. <S> If you can only get a good deal by threatening to leave, you're still marked as the one who was willing to leave, and one that the company has already made a concession for. <S> That's not a good position to be in. <S> Your colleague may have things work out, or he may have it bite him later. <S> You're female, and unfortunately that means you've got to be more cautious.
| It is generally not a good idea to bring up that you are leaving for something else until you have something in writing.
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Adding Consultant Experience to Resume and LinkedIn A similar question has been asked here , but I believe my situation is slightly different. I recently started working a consulting position at a fairly well known company, lets call it Company A. I was recruited to Company A by a rather obscure consultancy/recruiting firm (let's call it Company B). My question is: can I state that I am a consultant in the job title (i.e. Software Engineer Consultant) and set Company A as my company on LinkedIn profile and on my resume? Additional Relevant Information: I am technically not an employee of Company A yet. However, on the official offer letter, it states thatthis is a contract position with "intent to hire". I receive paychecks from Company B even though I negotiated the terms of the offer with Company A. I am a software engineer working in the United States I plan on staying in the United States for future employment. If a future employer were to run a background check, it will most likely state that I am an employee of Company B (at this point). My motivation for wanting to do this is because Company A is well known in the industry, whereas Company B is not. In addition, Company B is not a traditional consulting company. For example, Company B describes itself as a "recruiting firm" on its website. I am worried that doing so will likely make the wrong impression on future employers if they run a background check. <Q> Resumes are sales tools. <S> You want to paint yourself in the best light in terms of "showing off" why you're a good candidate for a job. <S> Of course, you also want to be factually correct since lying during the hiring process is generally a good way to sour relationships. <S> However, it would be factually incorrect to pass yourself off as their employee. <S> As such, it's typical to include both names. <S> Generally, this is done in one of two ways. <S> If your contract was with a single specific client during your entire tenure at Company B, you'd typically list both companies in the header of that position, i.e., Software Engineer I , 2015 - current, Company B under contract to Company A <S> Then follow with the details of what you did, as usual. <S> If you had multiple clients, you'd more typically list them separately as sub-sections: <S> Software Engineer Consultant , 2015 - current, Company B <S> (General details about Company B) <S> Company A, 2015 - 2016 (Details about what you did for A) <S> Company C 2016 - 2018 <S> (Details about what you did for C) <S> This has the advantage of showing "continuous" employment for A, without the impression of job hopping, while still being able to show off the brands you consulted with. <A> Your information is unclear. <S> Are you going to be contractually employed by company A or will you remain an employee of company B <S> ( they already pay you for work at company A )? <S> What kinds of contracts do you have with either companies (employment or recruitment etc.)? <S> So here are <S> the 2 scenarios I see will be the case: you'll be employed by company A WAIT until you signed your contract with A before postinig anything. <S> Coincidentally, your CONTRACT is where you'll find your official JOB TITLE. <S> you remain employed by company B. ( but work on company A premises / projects ) <S> You can't associate yourself directly as an employee with company A! <S> You may state you work on projects <S> X,Y,Z for company A, contracted by company B ( read your NDA <S> , you might not be allowed to say certain things about your work or who you work for ) <S> Your JOB TITLE should be properly listed somewhere in the paperwork between you, company B and company A. <S> (probably in your contract with B or in their outsourcing contract with company A which you might not have a right to see) <S> If you don't have your job title for the work at company A in writing, ask for it with company B( your employer ). <S> If it is different to the offer of company A, attempt to correct it to your liking with company B. <S> If you're after a certain title, make sure in your negotiations before signing that it is stated as you want it in your contract... <S> obviously provided you're qualified and / or the company is willing to give you that job title. <S> Careful, it may quickly jeopardize your negotitations if you demand an outlandish or unnecessary job title. <S> Should you want to become employee of company <S> A <S> you NEED to become proactive with company <S> A to sign an employment contract in accordance with the offer . <S> Only in that case will company B truly be a recuiter for you, not your actual employer, which it apparently currently is... <A> Can I set Company A as my company on LinkedIn profile and on my resume? <S> I have seen this situation in the wild such as you're working at Google, but you contract through Adecco. <S> Basically, you want the prestige of Company A, but you can't really ignore that you're technically contracting through Company B. <S> The way I would list this position on your resume is (your title) at (Company A) via (Company B) . <S> Can I state that I am a consultant in the job title (i.e. Software Engineer Consultant) <S> Use your actual job title.
| When working as a consultant, or employed by a staffing firm, it's totally reasonable to want to display the name of the client company, especially when it's a brand with clout in your industry.
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Can an employer ask a part time worker to come in 1 time a week on their day off for a 15 minute meeting? My employer is asking for me to come in for a 15 minute staff meeting on my day off EVERY WEEK. When I asked her if I couldn't just be told what was discussed on the days I work I was told no it would work better if we all were there. It's 15 minutes. What could we possibly have to discuss that would be so important for us all to be there. My co worker has small children so my boss isn't asking her to come in on her days off because she would have to find daycare. While I understand, even though I don't have children is it fair to only ask me to give up my time off? for 15 minutes? It's not worth my time, can I ask to be paid for a full hour? My boss doesn't like me to schedule appointments on my days I work, because it takes up her time and I have days off to do that stuff. So I schedule those things for my days off, and now she wants part of that time too. do I have any legal rights? <Q> is it fair to ask me to give up my time off <S> Is it legal? <S> Unfortunately, in the US, it is legal. <S> If you say you won't do such a thing, it's OK for the boss to let you go from the job. <S> If you lived in a country that cared about worker's rights, this would never happen to you. <S> (On the other hand, the US has lots of work and <S> it's easy to get a job, and things are cheap, so <S> , you have to take the good with the bad.) <S> What should you do? <S> I absolutely encourage you to not do this . <S> I hope you do not do it one more time. <S> Here is some language to tell your boss: <S> Dear boss, as always thanks for this great job. <S> But I am not able to come to the 15 minute meetings on Mondays. <S> It's just not possible for me to spend that time on my off day. <S> Note that you don't have to explain yourself. <S> You don't have to explain "why" you can't spend the time! <S> Just state that it is "just not possible" for you. <S> It could be you have to get a new job. <S> I am really certain you can get another job easily. <S> You clearly have a good attitude, and you won't let people "walk over you". <S> It's a certainty you'll get another job - a better one. <S> Regarding your boss, I hope they rot in hell. <S> Anyone who would do something like this to a hard-working employee, is a real ass. <S> Important: if boss offers to "pay you" for the meeting, I strongly suggest you say No. <S> It will be "some sort of scam" where they end up offering you "11 minutes" of pay or some such nonsense. <S> Don't fall for it! <S> Good luck in your new and better job! <A> Can an employer ask a part time worker to come in 1 time a week on their day off for a 15 minute meeting? <S> Yes they can. <S> Options <S> If you NEED the job just do it and take what is given. <S> If you WANT the job do it, ask for compensation for the travel time and expense both ways in addition to the 15 minutes. <S> If it makes the job UNVIABLE for you, refuse and see what happens. <A> Two excellent answers already, though I'd frame it differently. <S> Thinking of it as a "day off" is what's leading your employer to believe they can ask something like this - <S> it seems they have no respect for the time you're not working for them, which is sadly far too common. <S> Instead, you could think of the time <S> you are working for them, in which case this would constitute a change to working hours. <S> None of that helps if you can't or don't want to do this - that just leaves you with telling them <S> it's not possible and accepting that this might mean they look for someone else to fill your position. <S> There's a definite double standard in the way they expect you to avoid scheduling other appointments for work days, and if you decide to put your foot down and damn the consequences it wouldn't hurt to make this comparison to them. <S> Worst case : you've learned something valuable about your employer and manager.
| Don't do it! It is absolutely NOT FAIR . It would be reasonable for you to ask how you would be compensated for this - and I say "compensated" as it would involve more than the fifteen minutes.
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I recently handed my notice in and they are not paying expenses I handed my notice in on Monday effective immediately at my current employer as the job was not as described at interview stage. Rightly or wrongly I have withheld on handed my phone and laptop back in until I have been paid my £200 expenses owed. I have emailed the director of the company who has been very unprofessional with his worded emails back. He has said when the items have been returned he will pay my expenses which is fair enough. I said I would post them today. At about 4pm he sent me an email (he probably assumed I had posted the items at that point) saying I owe 130 pounds for the Christmas party as I won’t be attending now and asking how I wish to pay this. I have never at any stage been advised if I don’t attend I would have to pay any cancellation costs and I believe if I hadn’t still had the phone and laptop that I’d had ever received a reply on email. Where do I stand? Do I have to pay the costs to a function that was booked in August when I started in November? Can they refuse to pay me? <Q> Give back the equipment and write off the £200 While you make technically have a case, you're going to spend more money going to court. <S> Secondly, your former employer likely has a lawyer/barrister on retainer. <S> A professional will make sure you spend over £200 is money/time or both. <S> They DO have a case if you've kept equipment that is not yours. <S> Give that back NOW! <S> As for the £130 cancellation, did you sign a contract mentioning this? <S> You likely didn't. <S> I'm not a lawyer, but <S> I'm betting the guy is trying to recoup the money, and have a very poor legal leg to stand on. <S> You can try not paying it and just seeing what happens. <S> The company made decided to play hard-ball "on the priniciple of it." <A> I am not a lawyer but holding the company's property hostage is probably not the best way to get the money you are owed. <S> In fact, you could be accused of theft. <S> I would return their property, and if the £200 is worth fighting for I would hire a lawyer. <A> Unless the cost of the function was something you had a choice about, IANAL but would claim for that if they withheld money for that.
| Don’t hang onto the equipment, but if they don’t pay your expenses in full, then take a look at the small claims option (assuming you are in the UK, as the currency implies,) as it’s a low cost, low risk option for you.
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Looking for the right approach to prepare for a company My aim is to work in a company with good work culture. So, I started my search from Forbes list of Top 100 companies to work for. And from there I narrowed down the list according to my preferences and constraints, and now I have 8 companies which I am looking forward to.. But I am now stuck at how to prepare for these companies. Below are the two approaches I can think of: Look at the job postings and their requirements and skill myself accordingly Learn the technologies which I am more interested in and wait for the relevant openings in these companies Problem with approach 1: there would be very less to no time to learn the technology/tool before the position closes. Problem with approach 2: I don't know if any of these companies will ever be needing a resource for the technology I am choosing for myself. Please help he decide which approach is better and if both of them won't work. Please share, if you have a better approach in mind. Thanks :) <Q> Well, aren't we all looking for that paradise. <S> Please make your qualifications, skills and expertise <S> the primary factors in deciding which job offer you apply to. <S> Sadly the culture within a company can only be experienced within that company . <S> So trial and error. <S> We all do it. <S> If you can talk to others that worked at a company that offers a job suitable for you, ask about their experience. <S> In shiny pamphlets every company promotes themselves as having an outstanding culture and media publications are usually not much more than mouth pieces or paying lip service. <A> It's nice to work at a place with a great culture, but that great culture won't make up for the fact that you hate what you're doing. <S> If you don't enjoy the current technologies that you know, you should start learning technologies that are more interesting to you. <S> After you are comfortable with those, you can start looking for job openings that use those technologies but do not limit yourself to 8 companies. <S> Even companies ranked "best place to work for" will have their downsides. <A> If you're really lucky and their requirements match your current skill set <S> (or you're confident you could learn on the job), you can apply right away. <S> However, there's a very real chance that you might not have the skills yet. <S> In that case, obviously you need to gain/improve the skills you are missing, using books, courses, the internet, any way you can. <S> If you find that a) you don't yet have the needed skills and b) <S> you're unlikely to fill the gaps while working at your current job, you should apply for jobs that will give you the opportunity to learn/practice/apply the needed skills. <S> Then in a year or two, with more experience and an upgraded resume, you can try applying at your dream companies (again). <S> EDIT: <S> Others have touched on the topic of whether this method of selecting a dream job is the best way. <S> In this answer, I'm sort of assuming that OP has done their homework and is sure about this goal.
| You can't really go wrong with looking their current job postings as well as any other information you can get to find out what technologies you need to learn.
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Does providing university email benefit resume? I am in the final year of my degree and starting to look for jobs. I have a university mail and a general all-purpose mail. Does it matter which one I provide in my resume? Will providing the education mail help in some sense? <Q> No, it does not matter. <S> If the company is interested in your education background, they will ask for transcripts, certificates etc. <S> Putting the name of your university and your major on your resume definitely helps. <S> One thing to note is how long you can keep your university email account. <S> At some places it is terminated after you graduate. <S> This is not what you'd want as the hiring process may extend beyond that. <S> You may also consider setting up another email account if you'd like to separate personal and work matters. <A> Time is the biggest factor. <S> If that resume/CV ends up in a place where it could be used to contact you after you lose access to the university email account, then the resume loses its effectiveness if that is the only contact information given. <S> For students looking for internships the university email system is a good way to be contacted. <S> For students about to graduate having an email address not linked to the university helps you keep those job search messages separate from the blizzard of emails that the university is sending you during those frantic last weeks of your last semester. <A> This is right out of a class that I used to teach. <S> What matters is your email name. <S> It should be professional and simple. <S> I maintain a professional email and a private one, and I recommend the same for everyone. <S> Also, don't use a domain that you may not be using over the years if you change carrier or membership, such as in a university or business. <S> Your professional email should be in a format that makes sense and has nothing controversial. <S> GOOD EXAMPLES <S> John.Doe@gmail.com <S> JDoe@gmail.com <S> Doe.John@gmail.com or something like that. <S> That way, the recruiter, hiring manager, et cetera knows who you are without even opening your email. <S> It makes you stand out as a professional. <S> WHAT <S> TO AVOID Anything that indicates political affiliation, sports teams, or anything that is lewd or suggestive... BAD EXAMPLES <S> YankeesFan@gmail.com <S> yes, this could annoy someone and get you bumped. <S> IVoteDemocrat@gmail.com <S> This is not going to endear you to anyone of a differing party. <S> Ditto for any political party. <S> HighHeels@gmail.com <S> Not professional, could be taken as suggestive. <S> NartutoFan@gmail.com <S> Again, unprofessional. <S> TLDR: <S> Pick an email specifically to put on your resume. <S> Use a combination of your firstname and lastname if possible <S> Keep it professional <S> Do not reference politics, sports, anything suggestive or anything silly. <S> The domain does not matter. <S> Use an email address that is not going to change. <A> For example University of Bristol provide email accounts for life, via Gmail. <S> The address contains your name and surname, like a normal email should. <S> My UoB account, for example, was my initials followed by a number, which is not great for readability. <S> Initially I used my uni address because I thought it adds prestige, but I didn't notice any difference by switching to my normal name.surname@provider.su <S> account, except that it made it slightly easier to remember only one address. <A> Use your general purpose email address. <S> The application processes might drag on until after you graduated. <S> When your university time is over, you might no longer be able to access your university email address, so you might miss crucial communication with your prospective employers.
| Many universities have job boards that employers can interact with therefore a university email address helps with that process. No, your email domain is not a factor. Make sure that Your address will not expire after you leave the Uni, either by dropping out or by graduating.
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Workmate displaying unpleasant behaviour after divorce Coworker in my department has been through a divorce last year and unfortunately it changed his personality so much that he started acting like a complete a**hole (for the lack of a better word, sorry) towards pretty much everyone in the office. He's been here for at least 5 years and he always used to be strongly opinionated and never shy to push his views hard. But ever since the divorce this reached a whole new level - he's terribly sarcastic, ironic, refuses to train up junior staff members, gets into arguments with anyone who dares to disagree with him, and so on. More often than not he comments and is highly critical on personal level (think of "you are stupid" rather than "what you propose is stupid"). Last year the team was quite ready to put up with that and cut him some slack as we knew he was going through a rough patch. But here we are a year later and he's not getting any better. Quite the opposite. I am one of few people over here who he kind of respects to some extent because we've known each other for years since we used to work together in one of our previous jobs. And I can see over the last year how it all goes downhill for him. I know that most people over here try to avoid him, and quite understandably so. Our manager tends to give him one-man jobs where he doesn't have to team up with others to avoid conflicts, and so on. I told him not to be so verbally aggressive towards others, or try to be a little less sarcastic for start. I told him he's not helping himself when acting like this. And I'm afraid that after his marriage fell apart he's ruining his career too - the next time someone will have to go I bet he'll be on the top of the list. And with this attitude and in his age (early 50s) it will be hard to find a new job. He may just as well be ruining the rest of his life now. He may need a professional help but his ego will never accept that it's him who's got the problem, not everyone around. I would like to gently help him get back on track but don't know how. Also it's hard when the rest of the team over here have given up and simply avoids him. Any ideas? <Q> As a colleague Do your job, should he interfere with that, let him know. <S> If he keeps on messing with your ability to work involve superiors. <S> As a friend continue what you did so far, offer a helping hand and ear. <S> Remind him of his inappropriate behaviour at work and his demeanor harmful to himself. <S> Offer solutions if you can. <S> Whether or not he will completely self destruct is out of your hands and you're in no official position to do anything about his behaviour at work. <A> Do not invest more time into this. <S> It's his personal life affecting his work. <S> That's not your place. <S> He could be drinking too much, or he may just be super depressed. <S> If your superiors have noticed and he's been given more than adequate time, you should let him know you're there to lean on but don't get dragged down with him. <S> Sometimes doing the "right thing" doesn't line up with work. <S> So, don't let your niceness fall into his self-destruction. <S> As a coworker the furthest <S> I'd personally go <S> would be mentioning that I noticed a behavior shift and when I noticed it. <S> Maybe point out some of the work programs that he may be able to use. <S> That's about it. <S> Besides, for all you know, this started way outside of work and way before the divorce. <S> Again, it's not your business. <S> Not between "9 and 5" anyway. <A> He is misbehaving badly, and everyone has run out of sympathy about his divorce. <S> If you want to help him, the only way to do this is a hard confrontation with the truth. <S> Tell him that he is misbehaving badly, and that one year after his divorce nobody has any sympathy for his case anymore. <S> Tell him that he is damaging not just his career, but his position and his welcome in the company. <S> Tell him that if anything happens where the company wants to get rid of an employee, it will be him. <S> Unless he changes his behaviour immediately. <S> The more brutal you say this, the better. <S> Because if you don't get through to him, he will be gone soon. <S> But after this speech, your duty is done. <S> What comes next is up to him and only to him. <A> Unfortunately, this is an issue that this coworker is going to need to resolve. <S> It's going hard for him, but if he keeps it up, it will likely cost him this job. <S> Others very likely are taking notice and it won't be taken lightly for very long. <S> Regardless of what's going on in his personal life, he needs to come to work, do his job, and treat others nicely. <S> It's called being professional. <S> This reminds me of a very important quote, see this video link for context. <S> Frank: Decide to be fine until the end of the week. <S> Frank: Make yourself smile, because you're alive and that's your job. <S> Frank: <S> And do it again the next week. <S> Dean: <S> So fake it? <S> Frank: <S> I call it being professional. <S> Do it right, with a smile, or don't do it.
| If you feel like you must do something, I would recommend having a personal (outside of work), stern talk with him telling him that he needs to get his stuff together (also of course that you're mentioning this because you care). You can try and be a supportive coworker, but don't overstep you boundaries.
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Doing independent contracting during vacation time I've had my first full-time job for almost 3 months when I got an opportunity to teach a 2-week course for another company on a technology that my current company is about to start using next year. It seemed like a win-win-win situation: I'd get to earn extra money during my vacation. I'd get the opportunity to improve my skills and make myself more valualbe at my full-time job. The company I'm doing the contract for will have somebody to train their employees. I decided to take the contract and subsequently informed my manager that I'm going to take 2 weeks off as vacation time, revealing what I'm about to do - by contract, I'm obliged to reveal to my company if I have engagements with other companies. He seemed a bit concerned: He was ok with me doing this but noted that this was an "exception" and that "vacation is given to rest, not for doing extra work" and raised some concerns regarding burnout. All this seemed a bit strange to me since there was an apparent benefit for my company If I carried out this 2-week course during my vacation. The course was a success and the company I did it for asked me to carry out more sessions in a few months. I plan to take the rest of my vacation for that, but I'm not sure how to share this with my manager again. EDIT: I edited the original question - There's a moonlightning clause in my contract. I'm obliged to disclose If I'm working on anything else. Does that include vacation? <Q> There's a moonlightning clause in my contract. <S> I'm obliged to disclose If I'm working on anything else. <S> Does that include vacation? <S> Yes it does. <S> It doesn't matter when you are working on something else. <S> It only matters that you are. <S> If you plan to work elsewhere during your vacation, your moonlighting clause requires you to disclose that fact. <A> He was ok with me doing this but noted that this was an "exception" and that "vacation is given to rest, not for doing extra work" and raised some concerns regarding burnout. <S> All this seemed a bit strange to me since there was an apparent benefit for my company <S> If I carried out this 2-week course during my vacation. <S> It also creates a potential legal liability for the company: <S> Swiss employment law requires employers to provide employees with at least 4 weeks vacation time, and courts have held that the intent of this time is for the employee to recover. <S> If you are working for a different company, it is not legally a vacation, and your employers could be found in violation of employment law. <S> ( Art. <S> 329 OR ) <S> Swiss employment law also requires employers to protect the health of their employees by taking any measures that are usually thought necessary, appropriate and reasonable. <S> ( Art. <S> 328 OR ) <S> Therefore, if you were to have a burn out, your employer could be argued to have illegally caused or contributed to your burn out, and thus be liable for damages. <S> Knowing that, your manager's stance makes perfect sense <S> : Allow it once because that's exceedingly unlikely to be a problem, but discharge his moral and legal duty to protect your health by reminding you that vacations are for rest, not work. <S> There's a moonlightning clause in my contract. <S> I'm obliged to disclose If I'm working on anything else. <S> Does that include vacation? <S> Of course. <A> Even during your vacation time you're an employee of that company (they pay you during that time). <S> According to your contract you're obliged to disclose work for other companies. <S> DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT NOT TELLING THEM! <S> Your manager is correct, holidays are meant to ensure that employees have time to unwind. <S> You can try to do it again <S> but chances are high, they won't allow it. <S> If they do, they'll be watching you afterwards and any slip-up and the holiday work willl bite you.
| It is in the companies' interest as well as yours.
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Colleague left me with his unfinished work TL;DR: By the end of the day, a colleague of mine told the high level boss that she must go home and that I can handle the task by myself. While the task had nothing to do with me except for her asking for my help during the day. What should I say to my boss, if I'm not ready to do the job for her. A bit of a long read: I have a colleague, let's call her Anna. We share the same office, we sit around 10 meters apart, but we never work together on anything. This morning, while I was working on something of my own, Anna came to me to ask for my help regarding a specific project which I worked on for about 10 minutes, several months ago. Anna never worked on this specific project, but she does know the whole architecture and technology behind it better than me. Either way, I helped her, I did what I could and it only took around 5 minutes of my time. A couple hours later, Anna came and asked me to check some more things, which I did, around 5 minutes again. It happened once more a bit later. *There's also a third side, which Anna should cooperate with in order to solve the problem, this third side is called John and only available by the phone. The end of the day comes closer, the boss of my boss comes in and asks Anna how is it going. Anna tells him all her conclusions, which sum up to: "I've got no idea, I believe it's on John's side, but I have to check it. Sadly I have to go home now. I've already late by 30 minutes, and really must run now, but Peter (that's me) is here, so he can do it instead." Now... All in all, I honestly wouldn't really mind doing it for her, if not for many of the following points It's not my job. I don't know much about the project. She just threw me in front of the moving train It's the end of the day, and I was going to leave in less than a hour. She didn't think of talking to me about it beforehand Regularly she leaves the office 3 hours later, so something here's fishy either way. I didn't argue with her right on the spot. John was on line, I really didn't want to sound unprofessional, and really didn't know what to say at that moment. I didn't even sit near them by that time, I was doing my stuff, they could discuss it between themselves in another office for all I know. Later, when the boss left and John stopped the call, I began to consider my options for the next step. For clarity, I wasn't willing to do her job. I didn't like her behavior in the least bit. My thoughts were as follows: I can't tell the boss how it all went around, and that she just threw this task onto me. The reason is, he's not our boss (again, he's the boss of our boss), he simply doesn't care, he needs results. I might sound pathetic. I don't want to tell him that I simply don't know how to handle the job. I don't want him to think worse of me. Again, it's not like he's going to fire me, but I would lose some virtual points. I could go home too, whatever, not my job. That would be just cowardly and wouldn't look good in boss's eyes even more than anything else. I can just man up and do the job. Not even considering that it might take me several hours, I'm just not ready to do something for her under current circumstances. In the end, before she left home, I told her that I don't want to do it without her, and that she better call John (3rd side) and tell him to wait until tomorrow. While talking to John, Anna sounded apologetic for my reluctance to work with him, trying to convince him that I'm the bad guy here, or whatever. Later the boss came around and asked how's it going, to which I responded that I can't do it without her, so we (her and me) postponed it until tomorrow. The question is, in two parts, what could I do and tell my boss to get the best out of the situation (considering I wasn't willing to do the job all in all). How should I handle it with her tomorrow morning. Edit: Our real boss isn't accessible right now, hence I couldn't ask for his opinion <Q> Just send an email to Anna and copy your boss: Dear Anna, It was great helping you out today on few occasions. <S> It was interesting to learn about your project. <S> I am happy to help you out more <S> but I am tied up with other projects. <S> If your project requires immediate help, X (i.e. your boss) would have to approve my time spent on this. <S> Also, you mentioned to Y (your boss's boss) that I will be working on this <S> but I was not aware of this. <S> Again, let us get it approved by <S> X first considering my other commitments. <S> You may have to inform Y again about the miscommunication. <S> Your exact wording may change but the idea is: Instead of talking to boss and your colleague separately, deal with them in the same email so that everyone is on same page and you have written document of all discussions. <S> Subtly indicate to Anna that she informed Y something which she was not suppose to <S> and she would have to clear that confusion again with Y. <A> What I recommend is that you speak with your boss, explain the situation and your concerns, and ask them how they want you to handle it. <S> That's what your Boss is there for: to manage the team and decide on what the priorities are and who should do what. <S> I can't tell the boss how it all went around, and that she just threw this task onto me. <S> The reason is, he's not our boss (again, he's the boss of our boss), he simply doesn't care, he needs results. <S> I might sound pathetic. <S> No. <S> The Boss of your Boss is also your Boss, as is anyone else directly above you in the org structure. <S> If they are pressuring you to get this done, I think you need to explain the situation to them and that you don't feel you have the knowledge of the project to do it in the timeframe required. <S> You shouldn't feel bad or inadequate about any of this. <S> It's not your fault that your colleague isn't taking responsibility for their project and has just dropped it in your lap. <S> If anything, if you explain what happened, it should reflect badly on them . <A> You are viewing this as her throwing you under the bus, you should instead be viewing it and promoting it as her saying ‘user95519 is da Man ’. <S> The goto guy for getting stuff done (in this context you can be the man regardless of sex). <S> She’s not throwing you under the bus unless she doesn’t believe the task can be done or can’t be done in the time available, if she does <S> and you disagree it <S> ’s an opportunity to shine. <A> You've dug yourself into a hole and there isn't much that you can do at this point other than working with Anna and John to complete the project. <S> There isn't much you will be able to tell your boss to save face and get out of this task because you: Stayed silent when you were unofficially tasked with this project. <S> Told Anna you didn't want to do it without her instead of telling her that you wouldn't do it. <S> Told the boss's boss that you and Anna postponed until tomorrow ( implying that you're working together on this project ). <S> Next time, you need to speak up for yourself to avoid getting into a situation such as this.
| Tell your Bosses Boss what you are currently working on, and ask if he wants you to pick up this other task and do it, or leave it to your coworker.
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Should I compete against my current company as a freelancer? I'm thinking of leaving my full-time job and working in the same field as a freelancer. Would it be a bad idea to pitch my freelance services to my current company's clients? I know how much my company charges them, and I could do the same work for about 50 percent less, while still making considerably more money myself than I do in my current job. There is no no-compete language in my contract with the company, so I don't see any legal reason why I couldn't do this. But I wonder if there could be reputatational or ethical issues at play. I don't want to get a bad reputation within my industry because my current company muddies my name if it finds out I quit and started competing against it. I also worry that the clients could view me negatively if I told them I'd left the company and proposed working for them as a freelancer. I imagine this is not a rare situation. Plus, it seems totally normal to move as an employee from one company to a competitor, which is similar to but not quite the same as what I'm thinking about doing. But I frankly just don't know what the expectations are of someone who leaves a company and goes to work for himself or herself, either from my company's perspective or its clients' perspective. I'm in the United States, for what it's worth. <Q> If there's a significant chance of the community becoming aware of this / if it's a small enough space, I would avoid doing anything like this on a large scale. <S> Though perhaps not illegal if you don't have any 'non-compete' clauses in your contracts... <S> Keep in mind, though, you very likely are bound to one or more confidentiality clauses , most companies will include this in their onboarding paperwork. <S> This means you should keep information like their current rates (if private), vendors, other trade secrets private.... <S> Additional Note: <S> If you have to ask if something is ethical or not, very likely others will question it the same way you have. <S> This is the impact this action may have on others who learn of this practice if you move forward with it. <A> [...] <S> There is no no-compete language in my contract[...] <S> In that case you can do that, sure. <S> It is a free market after all. <S> However, as you said, poaching clients will not go over well with your current employer or potentially their client, so prepare for heavy sailing onwards indeed. <S> But: Are you certain <S> you really can deliver the same service for half the price to the current clients in the same or similar quantity, quality and time?! <S> ... <S> a one man band vs a company with how many other employees exactly? <S> Depending on what is more important for the client, they may opt for you if price solely is the primary factor or they may keep working with the company if other considerations are more or equally important to them while putting you on Santa's naughty list . <S> If the client has other dealings with your current employer besides what you can offer them, you're probably also out of luck. <S> EDIT: There apparently is a "Uniform Trade Secrets Act" adopted in 42 U.S. states that regulates the use of trade secrets and some argue that a client list is a trade secret. <S> Please refer to the following link that is listed in Dans answer. <S> https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/167128 <S> Seek legal advice if you want to win your current employers clients. <A> In the USA, your company’s client list is most likely a trade secret, and what they are charged is quite definitely a trade secret. <S> You will very likely end up in court. <S> Worst case with a criminal conviction, best case with a huge bill for your lawyers. <S> And this has nothing to do with non-compete agreements. <S> You can contact potential clients that you don’t know through your ex- company. <A> I have to disagree with the answer that this is illegal at least in the USA. <S> It's not even unethical unless you are actively attracting clients by stating you're going freelance and they will save by going with you during your employment. <S> Matter of facts, courts agree with this. <S> See this link on taking customers with you. <S> This idea is no different than any other business. <S> Take for example a beauty spa or gym. <S> These frequently have clients who like particular employees and it is common that when those employees leave, the clients go where the favorite employees go be it a competing business or their own personal company. <S> It's completely impossible to tell customers they can't follow their favorite employee to a different location.
| If the relationship between the client and the company or a manager is close, they most likely will not go for your cheap offer either. It would be unethical , and you do not want to be known for this type of behavior.
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I just started a new job and I’m not sure if it is right they pay me in cash after I filled out a W-4 I just started a new job and my employer made me fill out a W-4 form but after I worked a week I was paid in cash. What should I do? Why did I have to fill out a W-4 form? <Q> Yes you should get a stub either in person or electronically. <S> If you weren't told about how you were to be paid, ask your employer/manger. <S> You want to have taxes withheld. <S> The first thing to check is to see if anything was withheld for taxes or social security. <S> If cash = hours x rate then they might not have had anything withheld. <S> It is possible if the pay was for a very small number of hours then withholding for taxes could be zero, or if you specified on the W-4 that you are exempt. <S> Social security and medicare are withheld unless you are working for a small number of employers or are working at your university. <A> To be honest, getting paid in cash would be a possible red flag. <S> One very large incentive for a business to deal in cash is that it becomes easier to 'hide' from taxes. <S> For instance, a lot of cash purchases in small businesses are never actually reported to the government <S> Keep in mind, one door that is opened for a business that pays in cash is forgoing paying your payroll tax. <S> Aka, the tax that the employer pays to the government. <S> Them doing this <S> removes the credits you get for Social Security and Medicare <S> (so even if nobody gets caught, you get screwed in the long run.) <S> I'd seriously suggest reading this, as it details some of the issues you might run into <S> I'm not saying this business is shady - there might be a legit reason why this happened. <S> But... I'd definitely take a very close look at what's going on with your pay. <S> Like others mentioned, are there taxes being withheld? <S> Do you have a statement that indicates the amount that is being given to you? <S> Is the 'cash' thing temporary due to your just starting to work there, or are they planning on paying cash for each pay period? <A> Yes, wage payments in cash are not illegal ( or problematic on their own ). <S> As has been said, make sure you get a pay stub or some other document that lists your salary, hours paid, deductions, witheld taxes etc. <S> Since the most inconspicuous payment is with a paper trail, you could ask them to give you cheques or make a wire transfer. <S> If they ask why you can say you're uncomfortable carrying that much cash around or something alike. <A> I just started a new job and my employer made me fill out a w-4 form <S> but after I worked a week I was paid in cash <S> what should I do? <S> Why did I have to fill out a w-4 form? <S> The legally required W-4 form is used to compute how much should be withheld from your wages for tax purposes. <S> It has nothing to do with how you are paid (by check, direct deposit, or cash). <S> There is nothing for you to do here regarding that form. <S> If you prefer, you can ask your employer if you will continue to be paid in cash, or if you will eventually receive a check. <S> Although unusual these days for many professions, it is not illegal to pay employees in cash. <S> As long as all the taxes are reported and paid, paying in cash is fine. <S> Employers are generally not even required to provide paystubs with each payment, although access to that information must be provided (often electronically). <S> Talk to your employer to find out how they intend to proceed.
| If the cash you receive matches that documents bottom payout line and all the necessary deductions have been made, you're fine with cash payments.
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Is it worth holding off asking for my performance review? I was originally scheduled a performance review in mid-August, which is tied to a salary gain as per my contract. However, due to unforseen issues outside my department's control - work was delayed and it was decided by my previous manager that we should delay the performance review until mid-November when the work would be complete (and as such the review would be more complete). I agreed to this, as it also increased the chance of the review being positive (that is, in August - I would not have felt it likely to get a positive-enough review, based on the work I had achieved at that point) In late-October, our company faced redundancies and my manager was one of those affected. As such, I was moved into a new team - with the previous terms of contract still being upheld. My new manager has not yet held my performance review, and I believe they will need me to ask them specifically to hold it - if I ever want to see this salary increase. Ideally, I'd like to wait till next year January before bringing this up - as I will have completed significant work under my new manager, and they will have a complete view of my abilities. What are the dangers of holding off asking for the review (given that it is guaranteed in my contract) and is the advantage of having more work under this new manager a real advantage to the review (or just imagined)? <Q> Get a performance review. <S> There is very unlikely to be a down-side, but there is a possibility of a raise. <S> My new manager has not yet held my performance review, and I believe they will need me to ask them specifically to hold it - if I ever want to see this salary increase. <S> If you keep putting off your review, the new year budget is likely to be finalized and there will be no extra money for your raise. <S> Your review can go 3 ways <S> You get a raise <S> Your new manager may give you a raise based on what he/she has seen in the short time you've worked with them, or because the higher-ups see that you've earned one. <S> You get a middling review and no raise <S> This is what you believe is likely to happen. <S> Your manager isn't familiar with your work, and won't give you a raise. <S> Currently you're not slated for a raise so everything stays the same. <S> Except, you now have an opportunity to ask for a raise. <S> Begin laying the ground work! <S> Say <S> I really feel I need a pay increase because of tasking X, Y, Z that I stepped up and took point on. <S> (Or whatever you did to warrant more money). <S> Listen to your new bosses response to this question. <S> You may be able to get a raise in a few months. <S> You review is terrible and you are fired or put on an improvement plan If you survived your manager being fired, you likely not terrible. <S> If you were terrible, you'd have been shown the door already. <S> Given your post, this outcome is pretty unlikely. <A> I´d ask my old manager if he would be so kind to give you a interim report. <S> Now it may be to late - but for the future whenever you change departments or you boss changes, it is good to have a paper trail of your performance so far. <S> As far as it is about money, don´t play by their rules. <S> If you think you deserve a higher wage, just ask for it. <S> Best way to determine that, is to apply somewhere else. <S> You don´t have to take the job, just have options. <S> You wage is defined more by your opportunities than by your reviews. <S> As for their Performance reviews - that´s Company politics. <S> So it entirely depends on the specific company you work at, and your goals there. <S> May look odd in your personal file if the review is missing. <S> On the other hand, if you don´t plan to spend a lifetime there, it may not matter too much. <A> I have been in this situation multiple times. <S> What worked for me was asking, "I realize you've only been my manager for a short while, but I would like to know how I am doing and the areas you feel I need to improve." <S> Each manager knew that reviews had been delayed, so it gave each the opportunity to not stress about answering when reviews will happen. <S> Note: <S> If you have ever been on the manager side, giving reviews tend to be stressful. <S> Asking for input also allowed me to show that I am trying to improve and open to change. <S> It also encouraged her to start thinking of my job performance and communicate to me how the review was going to go before review time. <S> Each time I have done this, reviews and/or pay increases have occurred rather quickly. <S> Best wishes!
| Ask for specific goals you can set, and if reached will trigger a raise.
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Is it a good idea to take part in a transfer interview if I have no intention of accepting the job? I've been offered an interview for a department transfer within my organization - basically to the exact same position, but working for another group on another project. I'm happy with my current department, and I have no intention to take the position offered - but I've accepted the interview offer anyway, because I think it will be good practice for future interviews, and a good way to network with the other group. But I am worried that if the interview doesn't go well, or that my lack of interest shows through, that it will sour my relationship with that group (which we regularly have to work with) and while it's not very far, it does take place in another building which I will have to take time off to visit. My supervisor has already approved this request - but I'm wondering more seriously - was it a good idea to accept this offer? Should I interview with this group, even though I won't likely be accepting any offer they make? Should I go to an interview I don't intend to accept the job (if offered)? is related, but this question is specifically for an internal position . <Q> Why not send an email and say after thinking about it further, your heart and interest really wouldn't be in it if you were on this new team, and you would like to rescind your interest in interview with them? <S> However, you are still excited to work on projects with them as you have done in the past. <A> You need to understand why you were selected and how this process works. <S> In the comments you explained that: Our organization has a list of internal candidates for this type of position - so my name was pulled from that list - though the person who offered the interview recognized me personally you mentioned in the question <S> : My supervisor has already approved this request If you didn't self-identify as wanting to be considered, then the new department takes a risk that everybody they would want doesn't want to move. <S> Thus your tepid view of the opportunity isn't something that they would hold against you. <S> The approval of your current manager might be because the corporate culture is that you always give approval. <S> Thus there is no information provided here, in reality the current boss might be positive/negative/neutral about the situation. <S> There are other possibilities. <S> Your manager knows something. <S> There could be cuts coming soon. <S> You might be in danger of losing your job. <S> You should talk to your current manager to get an idea about how this typically pays out, also try and understand what they think the near future looks like. <A> I think you should be more worried about the interview going well, them offering you the position, and you turning them down. <S> They will be left thinking "this guy just wasted our time" and you will have to continue working with them in the foreseeable future. <S> You may think this will give you good interview experience, but since you have nothing to lose and know you won't accept their offer you will likely be more relaxed and over-confident. <S> When you go to a real interview you may not have that same state of mind to be able to perform the same.
| Sounds like you have very little to gain from taking the interview, but potentially something more important to lose.
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Should I request a lower raise to avoid a health-insurance premium raise threshold? At my company, per-year health-insurance premiums increase by $1044 once a salary is greater than or equal to A. A does not seem to change with time, and it is the highest value where a premium increase occurs. The premiums are piece-wise constant with respect to salary. I currently make B, such that, if I received a 2.28% raise, I would make A. I expect my new salary to be between A and (A+$1300), with the latter being a 3.3% increase. The only other factors that come to mind that would be affected by salary are 1) 10% company match for 401(k), and 2) raises are expressed in terms of percentages of existing salary; these percentages are functions of performance category and ratio of current salary to midpoint. Therefore, there is compounding, but the percentage can be reduced if the current salary is higher. Based on some crude calculations that consider the premium increase and the 401(k) matching, it seems it would be better to make (A-$0.01) than it would be to make between A and (A+$950). Therefore, if my new salary is between A and (A+$950), should I request (A-$0.01)? Are there other factors I should consider? Update I ended up creating a spreadsheet of possible scenarios and noted the significantly more limited range for which it would take more than a couple of years make up the difference. I would have expressed concern if I ended up in that range. Fortunately, however, my increase for this year exceeded my expectations, to the point that the premium increase was not an issue. <Q> Therefore, if my new salary is between A and (A+$950), should I request (A-$0.01)? <S> Assuming you are able to request raises, it would seem to make a lot more sense to request (A+$1300). <S> You can use your argument about the net loss due to higher insurance costs to bolster your request. <A> Last time that happened at my company, we have negotiated to officially raise the salary to A - 0.01 , but keep track of the intended salary C (being A < C < A + 950 ), so next raise would be based on C instead of A - 0.01 . <S> That way, the affected employee kept the best salary they could, as the company couldn't pay A + 950 or higher, but the employee didn't miss the C - (A - 0.01) <S> raise permanently - they only refused it while it wasn't a benefit for them. <S> This only works <S> if there's trust between both parties - I don't think there's a legally binding instrument to agree on this. <A> Consider that the raise is forever. <S> If you get 1% less salary this year (and are happy about it), you will also get 1% less salary next year, and the year after, and the year after that. <S> You gain a bit this year, but you will lose out all the following years. <S> Take the raise that you can get. <A> Your company has a perverse incentive in place, and it would be a more constructive response to lobby for it be changed than to engage in shenanigans that simply perpetuate it rather than addressing it. <S> You're proposing responding to one form of dysfunction with more dysfunction, which is bad for the company and likely for you. <S> If you really can't get the policy changed, you'll have to decide whether $1000 is sufficient compensation for contributing to the dysfunction of the corporate world (and the risk of looking like an employee trying to game the system). <A> Health Premiums are pretax. <S> They (a) reduce your tax liability, and (b) do not affect 401k contributions. <S> Because of the effect on your tax liability, you will pay less in taxes in trade for more premium cost. <S> The $1,300 more to your gross means you'll be saving more retirement, and get a larger matching 401(k). <S> Even if it may seem outrageous upfront, it is pretty typical that crossing from A-$0.01 to A will still result in a slightly larger paycheck (or, at least, not significantly smaller, usually just a few dollars) as well as not negatively affecting your 401(k). <S> Even more so, A+$1,300 will be a larger check than A-$0.01 upfront and over time. <S> Of course, without knowing A, your salary, your tax liability, marital status, property ownership, premium differences, and so on, it's hard to say for certain <S> if A or A-$0.01 would be beneficial, but A+$1,300 will definitely be beneficial overall, because it'll have a smaller tax impact because of the increased premiums, yet still be a boon for your 401(k). <A> Instead of refusing or downgrading the raise, why not ask for it to be deferred ? <S> Then you have not given up the rights to it while still keeping your pay below the all important threshold. <S> It may also be easier for the company to implement than anything else. <A> I don't think you should request a lower raise. <S> Although the situation of having to pay more for the same health coverage isn't pleasant, requesting a lower raise would set a bad precedent for yourself. <S> Even though it is for financial reasons, it sends the message that you don't need/want more money. <S> The next time you are considered for a raise, they may continue with the lower raise since you previously rejected a higher one. <S> Also, requesting A-$.01 means that it will take longer for you to get to A+$950. <S> There is no guarantee that your next raise, if you accept A-$.01, will get you to A+$950 <S> ( What will you do then? <S> Reject a raise completely? ). <S> You could end up losing more money than the extra cost of insurance for a shorter period. <A> I'm answering this in Workplace mode, not Financial mode, as this is the Workplace stack. <S> That is, whats best for you <S> career wise <S> , not what maximizes dollars and cents mathematically. <S> $1044 a year is $87/month more for insurance. <S> Your raise would at least offset most of that increased cost. <S> Net result is you are quibbling over a few dollars, or few tens of dollars, a month. <S> Don't be 'that person' who causes trouble for HR and gains a reputation of being difficult. <S> Point it out to them if you want, but don't cause a stink over this. <S> And instead, put this mental effort into finding some other way to save a few dollars a month. <S> BTW, I think making employees pay more for (presumably) <S> the same insurance based on their income is a terrible policy.
| There's no good reason for pursuing a smaller salary in the hopes that it will produce larger paychecks, especially since it will have a negative impact on your retirement. My advice... take the raise they offer .
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What to do when a project is outside of my capabilities? I am currently working on a software project with myself and one other developer (we are at an equal level in the company), however, we've been stuck at more or less the same point in this project for about a week now with no sign of any progress. Either the project is simply "too hard" for the both of us (we both at a medium pay bracket and skill level) or it is downright impossible. What makes it particularly difficult is that our manager is also a programmer and has mandated that many things be architected/implemented in a certain way, and working around these constraints only makes it harder to accomplish the task. It doesn't seem reasonable to ask my manager to take me off this project since it's a relatively small company and there aren't any other projects which I can go on to. So the only thing I can do is ask my manager to relax some of the implementation constraints to make the project "easier" or it will never get done. How can I go about this in a professional way, without embarrassing or devaluing myself as an employee? <Q> Let your manager know. <S> Make sure you have all the reasoning worked out and the avenues attempted. <S> Then tell the manager you guys have hit a sticking point. <S> Don't delay further. <S> Then you can thrash through a solution with the manager. <S> If possible try and pinpoint exactly whats blocking you and some tentative resolutions, it's always best to have an idea of a solution than just crying about things. <A> When you're stuck, it's time to escalate. <S> But escalate the correct problem, which is that you're stuck. <S> The problem isn't (yet) that you shouldn't be on this project. <S> Make an appointment with your manager and explain where you are stuck and (important!) <S> what you have already tried . <S> Ask for help in solving the technical problem. <S> Perhaps there is something your manager doesn't know you don't know, or perhaps there's a real issue with the manager's approach and you've now discovered it, or perhaps it's a mismatch between your skills and project needs. <S> Showing the boss what you've already tried is important because it shows that you're not just lazy and dumping problems on him at first opportunity, and because it shows him <S> how you're trying to solve the problem. <S> I've been part of many conversations where, once that part was presented, light dawned <S> -- that isn't a good approach and try this instead. <S> I've been on both sides of that conversation. <A> So you accepted an assignment from your manager, but now you find yourself unable to fulfill this assignment. <S> What you need to do is that you report this situation to your manager. <S> But before reporting to your manager you need to find a solution to a problem you mentioned in your question: <S> Either the project is simply "too hard" for the both of us <S> (we both at a medium pay bracket and skill level) or it is downright impossible. <S> No manager wants to hear that something is impossible or too hard, so you and your colleague need to propose solutions on how to make the project viable. <S> Some possibilities are: Reduce the scope of the project <S> Recruit a more senior colleague, at least for consultation / training <A> Inform your superior immmediately. <S> Identifiy <S> where <S> you're stuck and if possible why . <S> Don't whine about the restrictions! <S> Ask your manager for guidance and priorities to aid in a step by step procsess breaking through the blockade you're facing currently. <S> Clearly identify where and why these restrictions hinder your progress, present a working alternative outside of these restrictions to strengthen your argument.
| Go in with an attitude of "let's figure out how to solve this", not "get me off of this thing", and if your manager is reasonable, you'll be able to work together to get you unstuck, one way or another. Propose alternatives to the mandated design decisions ONLY if the restrictions truly are a / the reason why you can't continue, explain that the both of you didn't find a way to continue within the requested framework.
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How to deal with project manager who has changed view about me? Just now I have been promoted as Team lead and from Senior Web Developer. Actually I have been promoted due to my good technical knowledge, but now my managers expectation are very high as "Team Lead". The issue is that in my previous week I have given one task estimation and that estimation was judged as Over Estimate and now my manager has forgot my all good work and only recalling overestimation thing in each every discussion. I am feeling bad that how one mistake can erase all good things. Actually I want to learn the professional way to handle such situation. So my question here is how to handle scenarios like on I mentioned above ? How to handle project manager who is always on fire now? I am loosing my interest of work due to this issue ? Even she is criticizing now on my every task and judging me like a hell.(she is non technical) <Q> my managers expectation are very high as "Team Lead" <S> Promotions come with increased expectations - sometimes massively so. <S> With great power and all that. <S> It's an unfortunate reality of human nature that first impressions matter , and it would appear that your first impression on the your manager as a new Team Lead.. <S> wasn't great. <S> Add in that if your manager was one of the people who made the call to promote you then your mistakes also reflect on them as well. <S> To be honest your "mistake" wasn't that big a deal in my view - yeah <S> you were out on an estimate by a significant margin <S> but if you're going to be out by such a margin <S> it's far, far better that it's an over estimate than the other way around. <S> Honestly if you'd done the same thing in 6 months time it wouldn't have been anywhere near as big a "thing" How to handle project manager who is always on fire now? <S> Unfortunately in the absence of a working time machine you can't go back and undo that - so the best thing to do going forward is to be whiter-than-white. <S> Then if after a few weeks of you getting things (particularly estimations) spot-on (well, at least within closer margins - anyone expecting an estimation to be 100% accurate doesn't understand what the word means!) <S> if they are still giving you a hard time over the previous mistake it would be fair to say <S> I realize I made a mistake in one of my first estimations <S> but I think I've shown over the last X weeks that it really was a just a blip and that I'm capable of estimating well <S> so can we move on from what is in the past please? <S> I am loosing my interest of work due to this issue ? <S> I don't say this to judge <S> but if you're starting to give up this quickly are you sure you want to be in a leadership/managerial role? <S> Like I say it's no judgement on you if you don't <S> , it's not a case of being "better" or "worse" <S> it's a matter of whether it's suited to you and what's going to give you the best work life for you. <A> The issue is that in my previous week I have given one task estimation and that estimation was judged as Over Estimate and now my manager has forgot my all good work and only recalling overestimation thing in each every discussion. <S> I am feeling bad that how one mistake can erase all good things. <S> They have not forgotten. <S> However, the roles you are in are changed now, whereas as a developer senior or not, your quality is perceived in terms of work done as a team lead your quality is perceived in terms of the work the team does. <S> Your manager's quality is perceived in terms of the work that all his team leads do. <S> So by picking up on something that is (percieved as) an overestimate and reminding you of it, they are trying to get you to give lower estimates for you and your team and essentially to get your team to do more work. <S> In short, they are playing games and manipulating you. <S> It would be interesting to see how the work you underestimated actually came out in terms of effort and quality once it was done. <S> The best way to counter this is with hard facts, look at your teams' estimates and effort, calculate how accurate they are on average. <S> Use that to look at how future estimates are done. <S> So next time your Manager uses this one issue to pressure you <S> you can say that on average estimates come out X% accurate. <S> Also if your manager is any good, they will know that estimating work is never a science people will use their understanding of the problem and past experience to do a best guess. <S> A manager who expects every estimate to be accurate is not a very good manager. <S> You could start to remind them of this if they push too hard. <A> Both of these things are about as bad as the other. <S> You could also just ask your manager to stop harping on your estimate - an informed guess by definition. <S> You're allowed to push tactfully back in the workplace. <S> You don't have to just sit there and take it. <S> Just stay away from things in poor taste; don't make fun of your managers gender or any other protected status in the USA.
| Where I'm from, we'd just check that behavior with a joke about the manager consistently bringing it up, or we'd just mention a few things the manager fouled up to get them to stop.
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How to describe a job on linkedin without overinflating and underselling it? I come across so many LinkedIn job titles and job descriptions that make me roll my eyes or which I think aren't even true that I'm wondering what I should put there myself. My position (the position named in my work contract) is "team leader" in department A. The whole field A at my company is divided into only 3 big teams. I manage one of them. Each team has a different thematic focus (a different function). Mine is B. Would the description "head of B" (or "managing B") be untruthful or pretentious? I want to be truthful, but also avoid underselling myself. If the question is too specific: what are the best practices to name your job on linkedin and similar networks? I think it's a workplace question since I'm mainly worried about the impression my profile will make in professional contexts: on my coworkers, recruiters, etc. <Q> You also usually want to use the same job title that you officially had in your old job. <S> If the recruter calls your references you want them to agree with the job title you advertise. <S> That said you also want to sell yourself. <S> In your example, both "Team Leader" and "Head of B" would probably be ok. <S> If you think that mentioning B is a good marketing point go for the later. <S> Bottom line is, people do sometimes roll their eyes when looking at grandiose job titles. <S> But they still pick up the phone and call. <A> Would the description "head of B" (or "managing B") be untruthful or pretentious? <S> I want to be truthful, but also avoid underselling myself. <S> Yep and Yep. <S> Sorry but <S> both of those are examples of the eyeroll-inducing inflated titles you mention because you aren't either of those things - you're a team lead, which is nothing to be embarrassed about! <A> Personally, I'm a big fan of just being straight forward. <S> List your title as it is in your company. <S> Don't complicate it and don't try to pad it. <S> I'm a technical lead at a small company, so often I get pulled in to do some filtering on applications and the things that turn me off the most, is business speak, jargon and inflated titles. <S> I'm looking for genuine folks to work with. <S> It also points to a "cut and paste" mindset where individuals tend to grab something from the internet and paste it into their resume and often those sorts of solutions are not preferable. <S> Take this with a grain of salt, often I make my final decision at the interview.
| First, you want to be consistent with your job title, be it in your CV or LinkedIn. If you want to include a reference to the specialty (ie. "B") then say you're the "B" Team Lead Which is accurate, gets the specialty across and isn't underselling yourself. Do not downplay the importance of your role by fear of sounding pompous.
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Dispute over the software that I used to complete my task for our company my friend and I set up a e-commerce company together as %50-%50 partnership. My part of work was get product information from websites and keep the inventory accurate for our online store. We do not have any written agreement over task division among company. Since my friend has no coding skills, I was doing that part. I have developed a web scrapper from scratch on my personal computer and the software was running on my personal computer as well. I took the software from updating an Excel file to web store daily to updating the web store inventory with webstore's provided API continuously. Since software does all my work, I look like I am not doing anything. Now we are dissolving the partnership and there is dispute over the software. He states that it belongs to company and I should leave it. But It did not feel right to me because I created it to do my part and that does not make it companies property. During the software development none of company's resources has been used. Since we split the profit %50-%50, I was not on payroll as software developer and paid to create that software. Also we would both ship the orders so there was no clear distinction on other job duties. I would appreciate your inputs regarding this software ownership dispute since I don't know anyone to consult regarding this issue. Thank you all already! P.S. We are located in NJ, USA <Q> You seem to have worn two hats in this transaction: Manager responsible for selecting software. <S> Developer of a software package. <S> Wearing Hat 1, you were responsible for selecting software with a license that meets the company's needs. <S> There are many ways you could have done that. <S> For example, if picking freeware you would need to check it was licensed for business use. <S> It would have been very irresponsible to select software with a license that says "This license is valid only as long as Lamazone remains with the company.". <S> Back when you decided to develop the software you should have sorted out the terms and licensing. <S> If you were doing it as part of your contribution to the company, it probably belongs to the company anyway. <S> If it does not belong to the company, wearing Hat 1 <S> you should have required, from yourself wearing Hat 2, a suitable license that meets the company's needs. <S> To avoid self-dealing, you should have discussed the license with your co-owner and got his approval. <S> Using it to do part of your job without a formal license strongly suggests that you developed it as part of your contribution to the company and the company owns it. <A> I'm not familiar with USA/NJ laws, but this seems really straightforward to me. <S> My part of work was get product information... ... <S> Since my friend has no coding skills, I was doing that part. <S> You agreed you would do something <S> and you decided to do it as an automated software. <S> It was done within the company and what you both understood as "work" or your responsibility, and for the company. <S> And therefore it's owned by the company. <S> Who owned the tools to create the software doesn't matter. <S> Also, as a former entrepreneur I have to say that being an entrepreneur requires you to have a bit of good faith, and not to dive into disputes like this. <S> I'm sure your partner made calls with his personal phone and wore a suit he had bought himself. <S> Starting to argue that YOUR contribution was somehow more special for any reason is counter-productive. <A> Based on experiences, it seems you own 50% of a company that owns the software you created. <S> Unless you can prove the software was created for other consideration (payment, trade, etc.) <S> the company owns it. <S> That you used your personal resources likely doesn't matter. <S> Meaning, when dissolving the partnership, you are entitled to 50% of the value of the assets which includes the value of the software. <S> You can negotiate retaining the software as part of your 50%. <S> Since it seems there is already disagreement, you should now focus on locating legal counsel. <A> So many wrong answers in here. <S> If there is no written contract between you and your friend, you own it. <S> If you haven't licenced it as open source <S> it's proprietary by default. <S> That's why when you work for professional companies they specifically mention in their contract that any code you write during work time is owned by them. <S> Enforcing this is another matter however. <S> It would require a lawyer. <S> You could always document as much as you can now and then hit the company with a lawsuit later down the road if it becomes profitable. <S> Keep in mind though if he has documentation himself, such as email correspondence where you discuss ownership, he could use that against you in court.
| To fix all this now without paying a fortune to lawyers, I suggest offering your partner an exchange in which he drops any claim to company ownership of the software, so you can use it and license it to others, and you grant the company a perpetual source license to modify and use the software.
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How to deal with client who is not accepting his mistakes and arguing a lot while giving requirement I'm team tead and working in service based IT company and I worked as a dedicated developer on one of the project which is based on middle east. As a part of the dedicated job, I have to go through so and so requirement given by client. At times, he is giving some task to me to implement some feature and after some days he overturned and telling me to implement in other way.I reminding him that earlier you told me to implement task in this way now you are making change in requirement but he telling that I did not told you. It feels not good to me in this situation. I m in jeopardy situation as I'm working as dedicated developer and timesheet is going weekly basis with ample of hours so can not deny to manager. What should I do? <Q> After a phone call, write back to your client with what has been discussed and ask for confirmation before working on it. <S> If it's already written, write back to the client requiring confirmation when a task conflicts with a previous requirement. <S> Include the previous email, with dates and some context on the previous requirement. <S> Your manager should work directly with the client and then to dispatch the tasks back to you so you can focus on development and not lose time on "client management". <S> If that's not possible, explain to your manager that the client often changes his mind and that it impacts the hours you have to work/bill. <S> He might advise you a course of action. <S> Did you talk with your manager to explain the situation? <S> It is possible that your manager doesn't care, in that case it is up to you to judge if you can keep going in that direction (your mental/physical health is important!) <S> or if it's time for a change. <A> ChrisR explains a good standard procedure you should make a habit of. <S> In your comment you said, your manager doesn't care and intends to bill the client anyways <S> so: <S> DO WHATEVER YOUR CLIENT TELLS YOU. <S> INFORM your manager about every new request that results in hours to be billed in the invoice. <S> (one end of day email to your manager is sufficient and less time consuming for you - same for emails to the client) <S> Rinse and repeat until either the manager starts to care or the client signs off on the project final. <S> ... enjoy the realities of dealing with clients... <A> Just tell your manager the client reneged and refuses to admit it. <S> Your only real problem here is explaining how you've used your time, primarily why you were doing something the client claims not to have wanted. <S> Frankly, this is your manager's fight not yours. <S> You just need to keep working towards the goal which in this case is satisfying your client. <S> As long as you're doing that you should be fine. <S> You should get clients to submit everything in writing moving forward. <S> You'll also need to change implementation to meet your client's needs. <S> Other than that, you need to have some f <S> *** you money. <S> Work towards saving a years worth of pay after taxes. <S> If you do that, you can choose to say "f <S> *** you" to troublesome clients by walking away and not worry about what happens when you lose your job or lose your pay from not completing their project. <S> It's important to know how to handle the situation you're in, but it's more important to put yourself in a position where you don't have to put up with it. <S> This will help you out a lot in the long term.
| You should require everything in writing from your client. Ask your manager to shield you from those requests.
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AMA session before an interview I got an email asking if I was interested in a better role and after replying back yes I got a calendar invite today asking me to attend an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session (in like 10 hours) by the founder where I and other people he was talking to will get a chance to talk to him about his passion and ask any questions we had. I found it a bit strange and politely said I couldn't attend it. After the event he emailed back saying the event went well and asked me why I couldn't make it. I honestly told him I find it a bit strange to do an AMA before an interview. Is it normal to do an AMA (with many potential candidates at once before an interview)? <Q> It is strange BUT he offered an opportunity for exposure in a high value setting. <S> By declining you are implying that you aren't interested in why the founder is passionate about the organization or the direction they see it going. <S> If you are trying to impress someone and they invite you to listen to something they are passionate about <S> usually it's a decent idea to hear them out. <A> It is not very common but at the same time not very strange. <S> They might be aiming to give candidates as much information as possible and using the session as an informal group interview to gauge candidate interest and also allow candidates feeling uncomfortable with the culture, work etc. <S> to drop out before going through all the following steps. <S> In your case I would say it worked. <S> You did not attend because doing an AMA before interview was unconventional which made you uncomfortable. <S> Their culture likely promotes innovative thinking with a lot of unconventional approaches. <S> So culture mismatch, avoided. <A> I'd consider it part of the interview process. <S> There's always dumb things you have to do, and things that look dumb that you have to do. <S> Think of this as one of them, if it helps. <S> So, you blew off an interview session, and you demonstrated that you really aren't interested in how the company got to be the way it is. <S> That's probably enough for you to be dropped as a candidate. <S> Let it be a lesson for the future. <A> My company does this as well, but in a different way. <S> We have a formal and informal interview. <S> The formal interview revolves around skills, experience and ability. <S> The informal interview is to determine if the candidate "meshes" well with the team, it's structured very much like an AMA in that you can ask almost anything. <S> Let them get a sense of the the people they're working with and let's us know what the candidate is comfortable with. <S> It can be an intimidating process, however, it's one of the best ways to really get a sense of a candidate. <S> To see if they can have a voice in a group of people. <S> Because developers tend to wear many hats at our company, we need our candidates to be comfortable with the idea of talking to people who are and aren't technical. <S> (Our open session has one Technical Lead, One Support Agent and one Junior Developer) <S> We also need candidates who can communicate. <S> Since communication is vital to a small team, it's key to find out if the candidate has those skills. <A> I've never been asked this in a one to many setting, sure there's discussions about non work things and a getting to know portion of most interview processes, but the one to many nature and timing of this makes me think it's for selling vacuums door to door instead of something legitimate. <S> Most CEOs I've met have better things to do than talk to random folks who may or may not join for almost any reason, if they join the interview process it's usually towards the end.
| I cannot speak for the AMA you skipped, but the reason we do it is to break the ice with a new candidate.
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How would working at an "Adult Toy" company impact future hiring? A startup company which makes high-tech adult toys is hiring engineers and programmers. Unless I make a bunch of money from it I don't want to stay in this industry. Is being employed/associated with the company a bad idea if I plan on moving to more conservative fields once I move?(Aerospace/defense). How would a hiring manager view this? <Q> It's a design and manufacturing company, and that's the way it should be viewed. <S> Concentrate on the actual role rather than <S> whatever's coming out of the design pipeline and you should be fine. <A> That particular industry is actually known for being fairly advanced in technology. <S> Websites of that nature usually have very advanced tech (who do you think <S> pioneered streaming video). <S> So, if, on your resume, you emphasize the engineering aspect of it rather than the more titillating aspects of it, you should be fine. <A> You’re way overthinking this. <S> My fiancé was an order picker at a popular adult web shop. <S> He interviewed at quite a few places before taking his current job in the far more conservative (no pun intended) food industry, but no one cared what products were in the warehouse. <S> Recruiters did care about his warehouse experience. <S> Hiring managers and recruiters are professional relationships and will be professional about this too. <S> If they are not, they weren’t worth dealing with in the first place. <A> I've been in this situation professionally. <S> It's a total non-issue. <S> Provided <S> it's an otherwise reputable company, they same boring internal corporate things you'd find at furniture manufacturer. <S> If you go for the interview, you will likely find their offices just a plain and drab as any other featureless office park. <S> Career-wise, they're no different than any other job. <S> It's experience. <S> Since it's a somewhat amusing anecdote, I've freely talked about it. <S> Most corporate types are adult enough to not really care. <S> If you're worried about describing it on your resume, most of these companies already have 'family friendly' corporate descriptions. <S> "Worldwide Leader in Products for Couples" or some such easily decryptable vaguery. <S> Side note, the test data is a hoot!
| Yes, some conservative people might have a knee-jerk reaction that having this in your past resume isn't something they want to deal with, but most people will see it for what it is - a software job for a design and manufacturing business. No, it's not a bad thing.
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How to work abroad? I am Chinese, I don't know English. I want to study English while working abroad. I am a chef in China. I have sent about 200 resumes to foreign companies. No company hires me. I just want to do a minimum. The job, even if it is cutting potatoes, is it impossible to have a job without English? I know that my current thinking is a bit of a mystery. I wanted to learn English two years ago. In China, I need to work twelve hours a day. There is no English environment, so I always want to study English abroad. Why did my resume show that I can do the lowest level of work, work twelve hours a day, and no company is willing to hire me. <Q> It's not just about the language which definitely you can can start learning in your spare time. <S> The problem is VISA. <S> Will a company sponsor your VISA for a low profile job? <S> Someone capable to do <S> the "... <S> lowest level of work, work twelve hours a day... <S> " can be found anywhere without all the hassle that comes from VISA sponsorship. <S> If you want to move to another country then, together with the language, you should work on your skill set, you must offer something they can't find elsewhere. <S> Why should they pick you instead of someone else who is already there? <S> You may also start looking for an apprenticeship to get a foot in and to gain some experience (Chinese chef with experience in, let's say, French sweets?) <A> Learn English while you're where you are now. <S> Look on the internet, look for books, ask friends and family about resources to help you learn English. <A> In England there are plenty Chinese restaurants that only hire Chinese staff, on and off the books. <S> It is very unlikely for a takeaway to take you on as the costs of a visa outweigh the profits that they can generate.
| There are a lot of ways to learn English, and you should be able to do this in your spare time. I have personally experienced that if you get in touch with a big enough company there are people that will sponsor a visa for an authentic Chinese chef depending on how good you are.
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How to handle disrespectful treatment at workplace? I joined in an organisation before 6 months as Ruby on Rails (ROR) Developer. I have complete experience as ROR Developer and with mid level front end skills. This organisation is wholly a JAVA based organisation where they have a small part build in ROR. That ROR part does not have much work for me to do hence I am being put in the JAVA projects so that I don't sit idle in office. Also the people here have very good fluency in English and they are here for 5 - 10 years. My previous organisations are where your work speak for you. Here you have to speak for you. As I look very soft and struggle to speak good English they have decided that I am an under performer and treat me that way. They behave like that I don't even exist in the team. If I ask, then they will assign tasks. Otherwise they won't. During Planning meetings, They don't even plan tasks for me or try to keep me occupied with work. I would like to inform that though I am not a native English speaker I have a decent spoken English. I can adopt to any programming language easily. The problem here is it is more customised that one cannot google and figure out if something went wrong. How to handle such situations? <Q> 6 months isn't very long to break into a team if you're an outsider of some sort. <S> Just work as professionally as you can <S> , be friendly and helpful, don't get frustrated <S> and you'll prove your worth eventually. <A> You mistake is to assume that a evaluation as an underperformer is a sign of disrespect, and relate it directly to specific weaknesses. <S> An underperformer is defined by his output in a specific field, and to be an underperformer in one field is not the end of the world, and being categorized as such is not disrespectful, but can be a rational decision of a project. <S> As I look very soft and struggle to speak good English they have decided that I am an under performer and treat me that way. <S> That sounds like you believe that they judge you by personality traits and language skills alone, and not based on your output. <S> I found nothing in your text which otherwise suggests this. <S> Interpret it from their viewpoint: <S> Imaging you have a task, where you know that a Java novice could do it in 2h, including requiring help, and due to the language barrier potentially with a misunderstanding causing delay/bugs/errors. <S> Imagine now that you could do the task in 0.5h-1h because you are experienced. <S> What would you do if your task is to execute the project and not to train the colleagues. <S> Would you, even if you get pressure from your boss. <S> During Planning meetings, They don't even plan tasks for me or try to keep me occupied with work. <S> It is not the task of the project to "keep you occupied". <S> It is your task to become valuable enough for the project to assign tasks to you. <S> Plan your language training, Java training, and be willing to sacrifice an considerable amount of personal time for it, and talk to you boss. <A> A thing to be careful with is that while it doesn't hurt to ask for help, you shouldn't expect them to do it. <S> Afterall, they have other team members they can easily communicate with and get work done but they have to put extra work in to communicate with you. <S> In my personal experience, people will not put the extra work in for you. <S> If anything, expect remedial work in such a situation as you currently are. <S> However, did you write this question yourself? <S> If so it appears you have good command in writing english and perhaps good understanding. <S> Can you ask your boss or manager if it is possible to communicate work to you in email or ticketing systems? <S> but you can understand written english much better.
| Perhaps write your boss an email explaining you have trouble with understanding spoken english
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Managing the effect of hype on top management as a doer This is an issue I found in many companies, and it's been verified by friends and colleagues as a general problem. Context: company, often a startup, which is cash-hungry or led by former salespeople (no technical leaders) Problem: some manager or salesperson will generate hype by promising something that does not exist or which is outside the current roadmap. Senior management, by hearing the good news, will get immediately excited about the money coming in. The doers/engineers/technical people are then asked "when is this going to be ready".A normal, rational, technical person will consider the request and mention whether it is a) unfeasible, b) unprofitable, c) hard to do given the existing roadmap which has been carefully considered and shaped by multiple people in the company, or d) all these things together. As somebody pointed out to me, "three months from now the senior manager won't even remember what this was about, but he will remember the enthusiasm and promise of the person who found this new opportunity, and the negativity and lack of collaborative spirit of the engineer who said it couldn't be done". I see this happening regularly: somebody generates hype, engineers are left to deal with the consequences, and if one tries to discuss the topic he is told "well, do you want to be one who goes and explains the CEO this couldn't be done because you could not fit it in the roadmap?" I have seen people surviving for years by contributing with little else than such hype. What is the most effective strategy to handle such a common occurrence? Note: I wanted to add the tag "organisational behaviour" but couldn't find it. <Q> IMHO,As technical person (doer) its our job to give a technical estimate of the task. <S> I found that "NO" will always be perceived as negative attitude. <S> Issue need to be framed in the way it can be understood. <S> Money is always a great measuring tool for task at hand, depending on the industry, it is rare that required cannot be achieved, but at cost. <S> Even if the cost estimation include hiring a specialist in specific field, learning a new skill-set or producing specialized instrument. <S> And if the cost is deemed acceptable, why wouldn`t it be "Yes"? <A> well, do you want to be one who goes and explains the CEO this couldn't be done because you could not fit it in the roadmap?" <S> Yes. <S> Simply put, it's your professional obligation to be honest and up front with whomever you work for. <S> Small anecdote, often we'll have disagreements at the company. <S> We're a small firm so often a lot of top level people have input in these things. <S> Sometimes, the tech team (me for example) will point out an issue and our manager will say "You're right." and I often say "You pay me to be right." <S> In other words, you're given a salary for your expertise, experience and talent. <S> Part of being a technical person is being up front and honest about what is and isn't feasible with management. <S> If you do this, you need to provide evidence, not just <S> nay-say. <S> You need to be clear and concise in the "Why" of your position. <S> I have no problem telling our CEO that something is not feasible and thus will cost a lot of money and is a huge risk. <S> This is not ideal. <S> Everyone wants everything to be buildable, sellable and profitable. <S> But the real world doesn't work this way. <S> ... <S> and you should be up front, because that can keep the business running longer because it's not taking needless risks and burning money. <S> If on the other hand, you avoid "explaining why", then what will happen is the company will burn money on things it can't accomplish and in turn maybe have to close shop. <S> No one wants that. <S> There's nothing wrong with the truth and facts. <S> Decision Makers can only make the right decisions provided the people their paying are telling them the realities of technical challenges associated with a product or service. <S> You should always be able to ask the uncomfortable questions or have the uncomfortable conversations. <S> To me, that's the difference between a business that knows its risks and a business that's going to fail. <S> Uncomfortable conversations are usually the most important conversations. <A> I have been in this situation at least two times in my life. <S> My advice would be that you, as a technical person, should always make clear what is possible and what is not in a given timespan (1). <S> And you want to have written proof of what you said and to whom you said it. <S> "well, do you want to be one who goes and explains the CEO this couldn't be done because you could not fit it in the roadmap?" <S> If you value your profession and see yourself as a reliable, honest and knowledgeable person, you definitely want to. <S> Especially in the start-up environment, projects are all about management of expectations. <S> You never want to overpromise. <S> In my experience, as I worked in a small bio-tech company that promised Nobel Prize-winning would-be solutions to its customers, I grew to be the "killjoy" in the team. <S> Meant to be pejoritve by the management's side, I eagerly embraced this title and made sure I always told them what was doable and what not (spoiler: most of what they came up with was in the second group) while still being reliable and deliver anything I had said could be done. <S> Of course, this kind of over-the-top enterpreneurs never learn or care about feasability, so at a certain point, you just say things once, hear them rant about "positive attitude", "ambitious goals", "pushing the limits" and other forms of managementspeak; and then just allow the trainwreck to happen provided they didn't pay any attention to your warnings. <S> Finally, you leave the company. <S> (1) Note that completely impossible things to achieve (like in physically impossible, such as manufacturing magnetic monopoles or faster-than-light travel) cannot be completed in any timespan at all, but certain kind of managers do not want to know that, so you just keep telling them "no" no matter what timespan they suggest.
| In short, as doer, your answer should be "Yes, but" and then the cost analysis or proof of actual impossibility. In my, limited experience, the real problem is no one wants to ask the uncomfortable questions.
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What if I won't sign the contract immediately? I was in an interview and I'm pretty confident I will get the job. I'm wondering one thing. If they asks me to come to the office to sign the employment contract, what will they react if I say that I can take the contract and show it to a good friend of mine, who has studied law, before I sign it. Is this wise? May I lose the job if I do like this? <Q> Is this wise? <S> Reading the contract before signing it is definitely a wise idea, and showing it to someone with more expertisey is, likewise. <S> May I lose the job if I do like this? <S> Yeah, <S> but you really don't want to work for a company that wants you to sign a legally binding contract without reading it first, so if that happens, consider it a bullet dodged. <S> There are no good reasons to not let a new employee review the contract before signing, only nefarious ones. <A> Yes, it's a good idea, but you should execute this carefully <S> Let them know up front that you would like some time to study the contract and any other agreements you are supposed to sign (confidentiality, IP protection, code of conduct, etc). <S> If you get push back, reply with something like "Surely you value employees that are thorough and apply due diligence to important decision. <S> If I had to sign a contract on the company's behalf, would you want me to do so without reading it first ?" <S> Do NOT tell them that you are going to show it to your friend. <S> These contracts are often considered confidential by the employer <A> Every company I have ever dealt with gives sometime for the person to evaluate the offer. <S> I have seen them as short as a few days, but up to a week isn't unusual. <S> I suppose if the the job was an internal transfer/promotion the deadline would be very short because the benefits wouldn't be changing, but pay, location, and title would be. <S> A proposal that has a deadline of less than a day doesn't leave anytime for questions.
| In fact, most companies will send you the contract a few days before the signing specifically so you have time to read it before you sign it. You wouldn't buy a used car without having the opportunity to inspect it, and test drive it; therefore asking you to sign a contract without time to review it would also not be advisable.
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Fraudulent job applications with no discernible purpose. Have you ever seen them? Any idea of the motive? Our company recently received two job applications into our applicant tracking system within a minute of each other. If we had looked at either of these applications in isolation, we would have been very impressed with it, and we would certainly have done at least an initial phone screening of the candidate. However, when we reviewed both applications in comparison to each other, it became clear to us that something hinky was going on. Further research led us to conclude that both applications were fraudulent (including fake applicant names) and submitted by the same person or people. A lot of effort was put into these fraudulent applications. The content on the submitted résumés was detailed, relevant to our work, and impressive. Substantial effort was put into making the applications convincing. We're pretty certain that the fact that two application were submitted was an error, that in fact whoever did this only intended to submit once and made a mistake. Red flags only became obvious when the two applications were compared. Because of the amount of effort put into this, we must assume that the person or people who did it had some real motive, but we're at a loss to determine what it is. Have you seen anything like this at your company? Do you have any idea what the motive for it might be? I've posted more details about this on our information security blog , including copies of the two résumés that were submitted to us, but as per Stack Overflow policy, I've included above sufficient details about the question that my question here stands alone. <Q> I had a similar situation when I was managing a team about 20 years ago. <S> Half a dozen CVs each with different names, but many of the individual job details were cut/pasted and in a different order. <S> Again, it's only obvious when you have several to compare. <S> The names were also distinctive. <S> Long story short, the recruiter raged and shouted at me after I turned them all down saying they were obviously faked. <S> I think it was a shakedown alleging illegal racism in hiring. <S> I just ignored it and declined further calls, and never heard from them again. <S> Having said that, I did have solid grounds to refute any such allegations. <A> It's probably for research purposes. <S> Normally they aren't stupid enough to send them within minutes from each other, so this was a clear mistake on their side. <S> I wouldn't expect a malicious purpose or a fraud. <S> The question is what should you do if you notice the applications are too similar for two completely different people. <S> I think you should (preferably) ignore both or, alternatively, answer to both the same way. <S> Preferring one could skew results. <S> To be honest, I did something similar myself by applying with two versions of my name and with two application formats and pictures (adding a photo to your application is expected in my country). <S> I didn't apply for the same positions and mostly not at the same companies twice obviously but the purpose was similar - it was to find out what format and name led to better results. <S> And I did get some interesting results, which made it possible for me to optimise my application strategy. <S> The problem with the earlier replies ("It's a scam!") is, apart from the "scam" having a very low probability of success, that they don't explain why very similar CVs were sent to OP twice. <S> Surely, if someone wanted to scam OP they would try to be as inconspicuous as possible and send e.g. just one or several completely different applications. <A> It could be an agency trying to feel out your system and seeing if certain keywords got the right amount of attention. <S> It's basically spamming your company in the hopes that at least one or two will get in. <S> From there, the scam goes something like this: If they get a callback for an interview, they will send a very skilled, highly qualified person to do an for the interview. <S> Once you hire them, after a few weeks when they have learned all about your company, they will suddenly have a family emergency out of state or out of the country, and that's where the bait and switch occurs. <S> They will say that they can no longer continue the job, but happen to know a highly qualified person.... <S> Another fake resume later, and a noob from a code mill who has been briefed on your company comes in and gives an interview that is stellar, thanks to good coaching. <S> He takes the job and is being coached over the phone by the person that left, who is now working somewhere else, and not with their sick moter/father/child/grandparent/uncle, et cet. <S> A variant of this one is just to stall you, send in a few stalking-horse candidates, and then, once those fakes report back, they send in someone who's been coached on your company from the recon done by the fakes, <A> This could be the first step in CEO fraud as well (or maybe HR fraud in this case?). <S> They try to get you to communicate with them to analyze your speech patterns and usual wording, as well as the composition of your company's mails. <S> Then they send their own mail to one of your co-workers that looks exactly like what you would write <S> and like it's sent from your account. <S> They either instruct your co-worker to click on a link to a virus or to pay some money to some bank account without telling anyone for some obscure reasons. <S> I witnessed this kind of attack once <S> and it's very efficient. <A> I heard about a similar observed pattern where the general conclusion was that it was an attempt at placing profiles for corporate espionage.
| I've also hear of unethical recruiting agencies using similar tactics to "crowd out" other applicants. I've read several papers where the method used was researchers sending slightly different applications to companies and checking the results.
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How appropriate is it to ask for a raise while possibly quitting the job soon? Context : I work in two companies, and I'm thinking about leaving the first one to have more time to focus on learning new technologies and a new language for the foreign country I'm planning to live in at the start of 2020. I'm currently working 3 days per week in this first company since a year and a half, but I've been working here for 4+ years in total and never asked for a raise before (guess it was time to wake up). If I was to leave the job about 2 months (maybe less) after asking for the raise, how appropriate would it be ? <Q> I've been working here for 4+ years in total and never asked for a raise before (guess it was time to wake up). <S> If I was to leave the job about 2 months (maybe less) after asking for the raise, how appropriate would it be ? <S> It's perfectly appropriate. <S> Asking for a raise and potentially leaving are two different things. <S> If you haven't had one in 4+ years, you are long overdue. <S> Ask today. <S> If you later actually decide to leave - <S> oh <S> well, these things happen. <S> If challenged, a reasonable reply is "I hadn't actually decided to leave at that point in time." or something along those lines. <A> I think general advice that people give regarding "possibly leave job in X months": Until you have signed contract or at least real offer, assume there is no "job in X months" and proceed accordingly. <S> That is not about ethics, but about your current situation. <S> Reality right now is that you feel like you deserve a raise, and you have no other job offers <S> Maybe your other job will disappear, maybe company go bankrupt, maybe you'll have to stay with old gig for whatever reason, maybe you'll have to move and only your current job will be OK with remote work. <S> If you want to make gods laugh, tell them about your plans. <A> How appropriate is it... <S> It doesn't matter that you may leave. <S> You should always be paid what you can negotiate. <S> One scenario <S> I suppose you should consider is if their offer is good enough to actually make you stay, giving up company 2.
| Of course, if you've decided you can live with never, ever, returning to that company, sure, ask for a raise. There's nothing inappropriate about it, but, it could sour your relationship with the company in question possibly eliminating and chance of returning if you ever thought to.
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Festive Email To Close Colleagues First off, I've had a good year at work. I've learnt a lot and progressed in my profession which I attribute to the help of certain people I work with. I'm your standard introvert type so my idea was to send an email to these individuals just saying thank you and how much I appreciate their help during the year. Does this sound appropriate? The company doesn't have policies around no personal emails etc. it's a fairly relaxed place. Would you recommend I send out singular emails or on one email to them all with the same message? Any experience on this would be great to hear. Update (If you're interested) I've taken the advice and done this face to face - received very well. Thanks all! <Q> give holiday cards to everyone <S> give holiday cards to specific people <S> It all depends on the culture of your specific workplace. <A> I agree with Snow's answer that it might come across as a little odd, but I wouldn't say it's inappropriate either. <S> When thanking people like this in any context, individual notes always add a more personal touch. <S> I would normally also suggest a handwritten card, but not in a workplace setting where everyone will likely see them. <S> The biggest thing you want to avoid is having people know that other people got thanked when they weren't. <A> By all means wish people a happy Christmas in person as and when the need arises, but there's no need to send out an email.
| I have been in places where people: send holiday emails to everyone send individual holiday emails At the very least, if you are truly thankful for the help of these colleagues it would be more meaningful to tell them in person how thankful you are. This isn't usual practice for people to do and might well come across as being a strange thing to do.
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HR told me what what the maximum salary I could expect, can I still try to negotiate that or is that disrespectful? Got contacted by a company which wants to recruit me. I an had phone call from HR who told me "to avoid wasting both of us time, this is the maximum salary we can give you". I have good reasons to think they are really interested by my profile, but also good reasons to think that they are not lying and that this is the maximum salary I can expect. Should I still negotiate for more, or is it disrespectful to do so, as the HR was pretty clear on that? <Q> However... "to avoid wasting both of us time, this is the maximum salary we can give you" <S> This is interesting. <S> It could be one of two things: this is either a strategy to keep your from being aggressive or assertive about what you deserve OR the truth. <S> If it's the truth, you can still push back, ONCE. <S> I would say "Are you saying that is non-negotiable?", if they respond "Yes, it's non-negotiable." <S> Then I would make my decision. <S> However if it's just a strategy to keep you from negotiating what you want, then they'll bend a bit. <S> But the overall response here is: <S> You should never be ashamed of asserting your worth. <S> In business and in life. <S> People will want you to compromise constantly. <S> You can, if you want, but you should never feel embarrassed or ashamed asserting your worth. <S> Do you think the company is embarrassed when it charges clients its fee? <S> No, it isn't. <S> That's business. <S> They do their business and you do yours. <A> Should I still negotiate for more? <S> No, they set a parameter, if it's not viable for you, look elsewhere for a job. <A> It's worth confirming this with them: "This is potentially a show stopper for me. <S> Is this really a hard limit?". <S> Chances are, it actually is a hard limit and they bring it up right away since it's probably on the low side of the market <S> and they already have lost a few candidates because of this. <S> So they actually do what they say: try to identify a hard show stopper up front. <S> I certainly had this discussion a few times. " <S> Recruiter: <S> XXX is the max salary", "Me: <S> Sorry <S> but that's not going to work for me. <S> Can this be tweaked somehow?". <S> " <S> Recruiter: <S> sorry, it's a hard cap". <S> " <S> Me: thanks for your interest, bye.". <S> No harm, no foul. <A> Should I still negotiate for more <S> NO Reply (assuming it's too low) <S> I appreciate your considerate approach. <S> In that sentiment I unfortunately have to respectfully decline your offer if you see no way to come to another agreement. <S> Thank you for considering me to become part of your company <S> and I remain open for future inquiries. <S> If you like, you could include your salary expectation in case <S> they REALLY <S> WANT you <S> but it seems a moot point to me. <A> It sounds like they want to discuss salary up-front, to avoid wasting time going through interviews if both parties are not on the same page. <S> It seems to be becoming more common and, in my opinion, it makes some sense, if they have a hard cap on what they can offer for that position. <S> I think the key question is: is that maximum salary within the range you are looking for, or would be willing to do the job for? <S> If so, it might be best to just carry on with the process and see where it goes. <S> If not though, then you probably should just be honest and tell them that it's below the level you are looking for, especially if you already have a job. <S> If they can't do better then you'll probably have to just walk away, but you might save both parties some time. <A> You have a minimum salary requirement, and obviously you would like to get more than your minimum requirement. <S> The company has a maximum salary they are willing to pay, and would like to pay less. <S> And then there is the number that HR told you, which may be their maximum salary, or may be an attempt to get you for less. <S> Nobody knows. <S> Being "pretty clear on it" doesn't necessarily mean it's the truth. <S> If HR's statement is below your minimum, then it's absolutely fine to tell them "your number X is below the minimum that I would accept, and even if it was Y <S> I would try to find a position paying more". <S> That is in no way disrespectful. <S> Even if they think it is disrespectful, offering you less than you are worth is much much more disrespectful, and playing mind games to make you accept a lower offer is extremly disrespectful. <S> If they tell you that based on this they don't want to interview you, I'd say "I wish you all the luck with your search for an employee. <S> If you find that your numbers are too low, you know how to contact me".
| This is business, and when it comes to how much you're worth you should never feel bad about asserting your worth. It's not disrespectful, it's business.
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What does a job reference check/back ground check actually entail? I was fired from my last job for gross misconduct due to a breach of confidentiality. When i apply for jobs in the future, what exactly happens when my new employer does a reference check on my past jobs? Will it be a basic check (position check, length of service (date check), salary check) or will it be an in depth check into the fine details as to why I was dismissed ? <Q> It is reasonably common for a background check to ask something <S> like "Is user10433947 eligible to be rehired?" <S> as a catch-all question to determine what sort of terms you left under. <S> Presumably, if the background check company asks and the company you worked for is willing to give out that information, they'll answer "no" and the background check will raise a concern. <S> It's unlikely that they're going to get into the fine details of what caused you to be ineligible to be rehired with the HR person that they call. <S> If your prior manager is one of your references, though, I'd expect a more detailed question to at least be asked. <S> In some locations and industries, there are enough people that have crossed paths with each other through their careers that hiring managers can do a very informal background check by calling up a buddy that happens to work at the company you came from to get some background. <S> That's likely to provide more details (assuming the friend knows them of course). <A> Breaches of confidentiality can go both ways. <S> Companies are limited in what they can disclose to an individual doing a background check on a perspective employee. <S> This kind of information is on a company database and there are laws that protect employee privacy. <S> A reason for dismissal is a internal corporate matter and would require your written consent for disclosure. <S> If a company were to do so they would be opening themselves up to potential litigation for damaging a persons reputation by breach of confidentiality. <S> They are basically limited to your job title, length of service, and maybe a very general discription of your position. <S> On the other hand if you committed a criminal offense on the job and law enforcement and the court system were involved then it is public record <S> and then you are screwed. <A> Many employers don't disclose much information beyond title and employment dates in response to background checks. <S> (In the US anyway.) <S> If your breach was deliberate and resulted in some serious damage to somebody, that may be different. <S> So you have a couple of choices. <S> look for a new job without disclosing your mistake up front. <S> If somebody asks about it, be ready to explain why it won't happen again. <S> disclose it up front and tell people you're hoping hoping for another chance.
| It depends on the company asking for the background check, the company doing the background check, and the company you worked for.
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How can I exempt myself from political conversations during work? I've tried searching around on the site for this, but because "politics" can mean inner-workplace politics and not strictly national politics, the search has been difficult. I have a new boss who recently started gathering all the engineers together for a kind of informal hangout time on Wednesdays. We each discuss work goals, but then it opens up into chill/fun time. In the first meeting, the new boss has voiced some extremely divisive political ideas about race, gender, crime, etc. It is obvious that his self flagellation is meant to make him appear more virtuous and humble...but it is offensive on a number of levels to myself and another team member. Due to the geographical location of my job, there is a very strong political orthodoxy and at least half the team agreed with him and continued the discussion in the direction it was started. I know that I cannot legally be fired for my differing political opinions, but I do suspect that voicing these opinions could result in some negative consequences in terms of review, salary, promotion, etc. I would prefer to just not bring these kinds of issues into our discussions at work. Because I have been with the company for a few years now, I suspect that I could talk to either HR or with the new boss directly to ask that we avoid talking about political issues involving race, gender, etc. However, after seeing what happened to James Damore , I am very worried about being fired (I have a child to support) for my lack of adherence to the local political culture. Unfortunately, this scenario doesn't allow me to "tune out" or "skip" the meeting because it is mandatory and does start on a work-related note. Is there any safe way to ask that we no longer discuss politics in scheduled meetings? *Note: The reason I did not quote any statements from my new boss is because I do not want to invoke anyone's own bias, I just want to preserve civility and de-politicize the meetings if possible. <Q> Document the political discussion in a diary <S> so you have evidence on what's being said and when Check your employee manual. <S> Chances are there is policy that restricts political discussion in the work place. <S> Most US companies do have these, and for good reasons. <S> If there is a policy, you can VERY carefully approach HR. <S> Something like "Hi, I have observed this behavior and I was wondering whether it's in line with policy XYZ. <S> I think the policy is really helpful to avoid potential controversial discussion that are not related to work. <S> Can you give some guidance on how to behave in these situations?". <S> Be prepared to get a very evasive answer. <S> That's ok. <S> If HR takes action, they will do so behind closed doors, and you will never know about it other than the political talk stops all of a sudden. <S> If there is no official policy, things are more tricky. <S> You can still approach HR but have to be even more careful. <S> Something like "I have observed regular political discussions that are not related to work and can be quite controversial. <S> Can you give some guidance and what you feel is the appropriate behavior in these situation?" <S> The key here is to not blame or complain (yet). <S> In most US companies, this is not acceptable behavior and HR will take care of it. <S> Ideally that happens very discreetly and also in a way the no one loses face or gets overly upset about it. <S> "Asking for guidance" is a useful strategy. <S> That's one of the very few things you can safely go to HR with. <S> It's their job to interpret policy and define which behaviors are right or wrong. <A> I would begin by talking directly to your boss, and only bring in HR if that does not work and you still want to pursue the matter. <S> Whether or not one agrees with what happened to James Damore, he expressed a substantive opinion. <S> The strategy you used in writing your question of not expressing any political opinions is a good one. <S> Present your request to your boss in terms of not discussing politics, without agreeing or disagreeing with his expressed opinions. <S> You can present it in terms both of the risk of political discussion making people feel uncomfortable and of time management. <S> Meetings distract engineers from engineering, and should be kept to what is essential. <A> You say this is part of an official meeting that starts work related and then dives off into fun stuff. <S> As soon as the fun stuff starts, I would simply ask whether the official meeting is over. <S> You can state that you don't consider it work time and would rather leave early <S> OR you can claim that you have something to finish up before the work day ends. <S> The last option of course might be limited by how close everyone knows what you are working on - but you could obviously just leave some loose thread to finish off in preparation in case people know what you work on closely. <S> In any case, don't make it about the particular politics, but about work vs. leisure time. <S> You risk with this tactic to seem not as willing to engage with your team in private time, which might limit your options to do so in the future, but it's less confrontational than to directly address your boss about his political view or make it clear that those are the problem if you feel that would lead to repercussions. <A> You don't have to divulge your political views and you don't have to comment on every topic. <S> So you can either keep "controversial" comments to yourself or dive right in. <S> Keep also in mind: <S> Sadly nowadays there are way to many things called offensive that really aren't. <S> Regardless , during discussions comment on subjects you're comfortable commenting on, well knowing <S> it won't be an issue for your boss and if you sense your position is opposite to what your boss had, just keep quiet. <S> If you're being asked directly try to deflect, change the subject or say you don't have a position, not enough information or don't want to discuss that topic. <S> If you dive in , always remain civil, respectful and rational but defend your position to the best of your knowledge. <S> At least that fact should gain you points even if they're not sharing your opinion. <S> If you have die hard followers opposite to your opinion it most likely will impact your personal and work relation to them. <S> Others talked about involving HR, so I won't add to that.
| My suggestion is, stay away from political topics as much as possible. Depending on the answer you can then either try to refocus on the work related aspects until everything that needed to be said is said or make it clear that you don't want to stay for the informal non-work part. In an objective discourse there should be very few things off limits because they are truly offensive.
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What should I do If I was told by email that I would receive the offer letter within 2-3 working days but it has been 5 days since then? I was offered a job in a big company in the UAE but I am in Pakistan. I was hired and was told by the manager that my documents have been forwarded to HR and I will receive the OFFER LETTER within 2-3 days, plus I should proceed with the paperwork but it's been 5 days since the mail and I haven't received any job offer letter from them via email? What should I do? Should I mail them to confirm the status etc? What should I do? <Q> You should contact them via email first confirming that you have the job. <S> Then if you still get no response call them up, don't let them avoid you. <S> As they do have to confirm. <A> What should I do? <S> Should I mail them to confirm the status etc? <S> What should I do? <S> I would make an all out effort to contact them to confirm if they are still interested. <S> On your side, do nothing to prepare for a new job. <A> Coming from the perspective of someone who has worked on offer letters it is likely that there is a delay in getting it prepared. <S> There could be several reason for this. <S> Maybe the person in charge of writing the letter is sick or out on leave. <S> So it may take a little longer to get it done with a backup or they may be waiting on that person to return. <S> It could be that there is some red tape that HR is preventing them from getting it out until some requirement is met. <S> Or they may have forgot as they are already reviewing other perspective employees for other positions and have just not had the time to finish the offer letter. <S> In any case If you were told 2 to 3 days I would email them by 5 to 7 business days (not including weekends or holidays) and or call them. <S> Just a friendly "Hi there. <S> I am just checking in on the offer letter. <S> Wanted to make sure you were not missing anything from me as it has been nearly a week since our last correspondence. <S> " Not in those exact words but you get the general idea.
| Yes definitely email them and reach out to them. You should wait at most 7 days before inquiring about the offer letter. Do NOT put in your notice or prepare anything yet and DO continue applying to other jobs.
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How to answer clients / supervisors when they ask "Are there any other errors?" In a scenario where it's near impossible / too difficult for me to guarantee that there will be no errors, how do I answer that question without making my clients/supervisors anxious? <Q> You find errors by testing. <S> (Errors may be bugs, in software. <S> Defects, or other labels, as appropriate, in other settings). <S> You test by measuring fitness against requirements. <S> You answer the question "are there errors?" <S> based on results of testing against known requirements: It's equivalent to saying, "Does the work product do what we asked of it?" <S> I point that out, because it's a flat question at first <S> (are there unresolved failed tests) but has an implication (did we define the requirements well enough to know what the end product is supposed to be). <S> The conclusion is, in order to answer the question, you need to know if you and the person(s) asking it agree on the requirements, first of all, and then you need to understand if your testing was thorough enough to inspire confidence. <S> Some equivalent "well, when I press this button, this is what happens, which matches what you asked for." <S> This lets you demonstrate that you know the functional purpose for your work, and by repeating it out loud, it gives the other party a chance to reflect on how your work was defined. <A> Based on the level of testing that has been done, you should have a general idea. <S> If it was tested thoroughly, you can tell them something like: <S> While it is impossible to say there are no errors, I am confident in the testing that was done. <S> At this point in time, I have no reason to believe there are any more errors. <S> On the flip side, if there was not enough testing done, you can't really feel confident at all and you should be honest about that and tell them. <A> From my experience, you could say something like <S> We have tested the software, fixed the bugs we found and we think we have a very stable program. <S> Anyway, it's important to let know that there always be bug chances, and that is not possible to reproduce EVERY production situation, BUT immediately after that to ensure that you will be available to fix them if the occur, and that those bugs should not make the software unusable to them. <S> So, you can add something like <S> There's no way we can cover every possible situation that can happen in production, but we are sure that any bug won't stop you from working with the software. <S> Also, if you have any problem you can report it, and we will try to find a solution and fix it as soon as possible. <S> You can count on us for that. <S> So, with something like this, you make them feel that even if a bug appear they have someone to help them. <S> Even if later you can't help them, the important thing here is to give them that feeling.
| You can never guarantee that there will be no errors. Personally, when answering questions like this, I tie the answer back to the requirements where possible.
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My colleagues earn 1.5 times more money than I. How do I increase my salary? A year ago I got relocated to the UK from the Netherlands and continued in the same company(in one of the big 4). As I was happy to have a job in my host country I accepted the salary of 38.500. Which was below the range for my grade. I know since a couple of months now that I am being underpaid. Since then, I have talked to HR and talked to people in the firm and the only thing they did is putting me back on the grade and increased my salary to 40.000. Since then I have been talking to colleagues and they have said they were on 55.000/60.000. Some of these people even have less experience than I. Now, I am currently on maternity leave and once I get back I would like to have fair pay as compared to my colleagues, but I do not know how to approach it. Any ideas? <Q> No company will give someone a ~50% raise even if they've earned it. <S> It's stupid as if they hired someone else <S> the company would pay them the going rate, but won't raise your salary appropriately. <S> This is simply a fact of working in an office. <S> Your best bet is to stay on Maternity Leave and begin job searching once you are able. <S> Once you get a job with a better salary, simply quite the other job while on maternity leave. <A> To go from 40.000 to 60.000 is a +50% increase on your salary. <S> Even though you may be being underpaid <S> it is highly unlikely a company is going to increase your pay by that much unless you're extremely valuable <S> (and I mean extremely). <S> Your colleagues may have less experience but may do the job better? <S> Are you certain you are better at the job than them? <S> One thing to mention: I would use your maternity leave as time to look for a new job. <S> If your skills and experience are up to the pay grade you're expecting then you'll have no issue negotiating this elsewhere. <S> Approach: To approach this I recommend talking to your employer and asking for a meeting to talk about a raise. <S> Gather hard evidence on why you think you're being underpaid and mentioning <S> colleagues pay (do not say who or be exact). <S> Suggest a number that you'd be happy with and negotiate from there. <S> You must have evidence on why you think you're being underpaid and why they should pay you more in comparison to your colleague. <A> There are good answers here, but they all neglect the fact that OP works for a Big4. <S> Big4 in Europe tend to be very hierarchical and have very clear salary ranges for grades, especially the more junior ones. <S> Salary negotiation is only possible to a very limited degree. <S> These are huge companies and if you google it, you are bound to find the current ranges. <S> If you don't - or if you do and discover you are paid less than you should -, I would start going to the HR and clarifying that. <S> Maybe your grade is lower than your colleagues although you have more experience? <S> Don't refer to your coworkers' salaries at all. <S> Just inquire about your grade, promotion opportunities and salary ranges. <S> If this doesn't work, you shouldn't have problems switching from one Big4 to another. <S> Plenty of my friends have done that and sometimes got a 50% rise in the process. <A> The usual solution in this case is to look for a job elsewhere. <S> Assuming your legal status in the UK allows this(the BRexit may make a search more complicated for a non-brit). <S> Even if you don't intend to leave your current company, this is a step that will give you a clue about your value on the market. <S> You might learn that you are underpaid compared to the maket ...or not. <S> It's a key feature in any negociation to come. <S> Your colleauge's pay are not really relevant in the situation. <S> What is relevant is how much you can hope on the local market. <S> That being said, the odds for your current company to make a counter-offer are low. <S> Not negligible, it's been seen, but it's rather uncommon. <S> Especially with a 50% increase asked. <S> Of course, all this is not possible while you're on maternity leave. <S> You need this event to be part of your past to be in position of strength to negotiate, be it with your current company, or with others. <A> Moving on is the easiest option. <S> When you are looking for a new job refrain from saying what your current salary is (most recruiters try to preasure you <S> but you don' t have to provide this information and <S> if they push on, them maybe that is a sign ... do you want to work there?), you can answer with your expected salary. <S> (There are some really good books and other resources on negotiation techniques, check them out) <S> Also worth talking to a solicitor on the legality of you <S> salary being so much lower than your collegues. <S> Many solicitors provide free legal aid in potential discrimination cases, at least as a consult. <S> Big corps know what is legal, it is only suitable for you to know that as well.
| In order to get the raise you want, you will have to get a new job It's unlikely you're going to get the raise you want.
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Should I return my bonus after resigning? Situation: Awaiting final offer from another job before I hand in my resignation to my current job. I just received a bonus from my boss (to be paid tomorrow). Dilemma: Should I give the bonus back once I hand in my resignation? Reasoning: I've read a lot of the posts here already, and it seems like a very common occurrence where there are a few resignations after bonuses are handed out. A lot of the comments reassure the OP because they say " it's not the boss's own money, so don't sweat it ". But I work for a very small consulting firm (about 5 employees), so I know this money is most definitely coming out of our director's own pocket (it could've been funded through our project charges, but not too sure). The boss has been very good to me and I feel somewhat guilty to be taking the bonus and then immediately leaving. I'm resigning because I want to pursue other opportunities. <Q> No, you should not. <S> A bonus is for past work. <S> You've done that work, and you've earned the bonus. <S> And think of it this way, would you have felt guilty if you left six months after getting a bonus? <S> Three months? <S> A month? <S> Two weeks? <S> A week? <S> Would there ever be a day you felt guilty if you resigned that day, but not if you resigned the day after? <A> You need to check what your contract says, or what the paperwork coming with the bonus says. <S> If the bonus says it will be paid if you are still employed say on the 31st of December <S> , you keep it if you are still employed on that day. <S> If it says “if you are employed and no notice is given”, you have to repay it if you have given notice. <S> If you give 14 days notice, you are still employed for 14 days. <S> And while there may be a legal obligation to repay the bonus, there is no ethical obligation. <S> The bonus is to reward you for good work done. <A> It is probably okay to keep the money. <S> However, given your recent edit that this is a five person company, I'd offer to give it back. <S> Not because you owe it back (bonuses are generally for past work), but because the bridge is worth more if it hasn't been partially burned. <S> Now you don't say this, but if this bonus is an expected part of your pay don't offer it back. <A> I did something similar once. <S> Working for a VERY small company and got a bonus right before deciding to leave. <S> When explaining my resignation, I offered to return the bonus. <S> The boss emphatically insisted that I keep the bonus anyway. <S> The general consensus on this site tends to lean towards the employee protecting themselves from the employer, due to large numbers of shady employers tricking their workers. <S> HOWEVER, every work situation is different, and I've been lucky to work for mostly really great companies. <S> Trust your instinct on this. <S> If you feel the company needs the bonus money more than you, or that the bonus is implied to be an incentive to stay, then return it. <S> The folks here saying "Bonuses are for past work!" are flat out wrong. <S> Only YOU know the context of the bonus as its being given to you. <S> I would speak to your boss and indicate that you at least are having doubts about keeping the bonus. <S> From the phrasing of your question, it sounds like you've had a good work environment so far, and I suspect the boss will let you keep the bonus anyway. <A> Definitely not. <S> In fact, if you leave your company today and they give a bonus after 3-4 months for this year, you are eligible to get it whenever they pay out. <S> It is reward for your hard work. <A> A bonus is given when the value of your work for the company, has been greater than the value of your compensation by the company, during the period of the work. <S> This means that the company deemed that it owed you money/under-compensated your work. <S> Your boss expected to get X work/quality out of you for an assignment and thus valued your contribution to the project as Z$ (your salary). <S> You did X+Y, the bonus is <S> the unaccounted Y converted to $. <S> The fact that your boss/company is likable, is part of the benefits of working for them, and is factored in your salary, and your acceptance of the position (if they were horrible, you would either ask for more or not work there). <S> If you feel bad that they are paying you out of their own money, and you are not providing enough return of investment, think of two things: <S> You already provided more value than they expected <S> This is the cost of doing business or realizing/implementing ideas. <S> On average some ventures will generate more value (like added loyalty due to bonuses), some less. <S> It's something accounted for by businesses. <S> Finally, when you give a bonus to someone, you generally accept the risk that they will leave the next day, and cannot expect to get that money back if they do. <S> As a result, you only hand them that bonus, if that risk is acceptable, meaning that this amount of money is not too significant to the company (it can be risked without going under). <S> This money is yours, and you cannot "return" it. <S> If you want, you can gift it to them.
| It’s always easier to keep a bonus than to force the company to give it to you, so it’s preferable not to give notice before the bonus is in your pocket.
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Employment gap due to sick family member A recent graduate I know has not been working for 1.5 years after graduating with a graduate degree in Engineering due to taking care of ill family member/parent. In the time of unemployment, they did projects using latest tools/programs to stay relevant and "train" themselves, which is what they would be doing at the job. They are in a highly in demand field in engineering with many opportunities right now and a graduate degree from a top 10 school. Now they are ready to look for employment in industry. How should they bring up this employment gap ? Through reference letter ? On resume ? Won't HR just throw it out right away ? Any advice, tips or recommendations on how to get through HR ? What to do in interview to address it ? Thank you. <Q> Before I switched field of work, I did some volunteering activity in the new field I was going to work, and just put that in my resume. <S> I happened to meet my future employer right during this volunteering activity. <S> If the question comes to explain the gap in work, they can simply give the honest explanation along the line " <S> I could not work because I had to take care of an ill family member, however I managed to keep myself up-to-date by doing these projects..." <A> How should they bring up this employment gap ? <S> Through reference letter ? <S> On resume ? <S> Write a good cover letter, mentioning the reason for the employment gap. <S> Google search leads to quite good ones. <S> Modify it as per the needs. <S> In the CV, mention the time period when these projects where implemented and brief overview of them. <S> Let the recruiters see that though it is a gap, the candidate was not living under the rocks. <S> Won't HR just throw it out right away ? <S> Most of the companies are quite accommodating in this aspect. <S> It is a big world out there. <S> There is always one company that suits your skill set, employment gap inclusive. <S> If they chose to throw it away, don't worry. <S> They have their own criteria. <S> Nothing to resent about it. <S> Any advice, tips or recommendations on how to get through HR ? <S> What to do in interview to address it ? <S> Be upfront about it; do not over explain yourself. <S> Wrap it up in 2-3 sentences at the max. <S> Send a point across to them that the gap is merely a number and it is the technical skills that needs to be emphasized on. <S> And mention the reason as personal in the cover letter/resume. <S> If they ask, you can choose to specify the actual reason. <S> But, saying personal reasons should send across the point. <A> If the candidate has relevant skills and a personality that fits the company culture, a gap in employment should not matter. <S> Don't make excuses about your past . <S> Everyone has a couple of skeletons in the closet. <S> The purpose of a resume is to present your skills and ambitions to a prospective employer. <S> Don't draw unneeded attention to non-merits. <S> Some HR people will fuzz about a gap in activity, but it is their job to do a diligence check. <S> What employers would be more concerned about is if this is going to be a problem in the future <S> (e.g. did the family member that was being cared for recover, or die, or do they still need help?). <S> Personal reasons (or more specifically family matters ) is a legitimate explanation. <S> It could even be given a positive spin - that the candidate needed to get the family situation resolved first, so they could really focus on their career next.
| They might have been unemployed, but can still make visible in their resume the projects they worked on, if it is relevant to their application.
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Can a company fine you if you don't accept their offer after looking at the contract? Say you've been given a verbal offer, and the company takes a few days to draw up the contract. When receiving the contract, you decide not to accept the offer. Can the company demand to be recompensated for the work they did? <Q> The only sort of "company" I've ever heard of which does this sort of thing is slimy "recruiters". <S> Typically there is no job <S> , never was a job, and their business model is to pretend to work for you looking for a job while actually only billing you. <S> This kind of behavior is part of a con game. <S> "We have a job for you... <S> but you need to pay us for services rendered... <S> oops, the client went with someone else. <S> Don't worry, we have this other great job lined up, just give us some more money". <A> TL;DR: <S> No. <S> IANAL. <S> A fine is an mount of money you are ordered by the court to pay or face legal penalty. <S> You must pay fines, must in the RFC 2119 sense. <S> A company is not a court of law, therefore a company cannot issue fines. <S> The worst any company can do (that is any company) is send you a mean letter that says pay us or else . <S> Even if you get to the or else part and get the repo man at your door, you can just refuse to open the door. <S> Unless ordered to do so by a court of law. <S> See, here comes <S> must again. <S> The company can demand anything they want. <S> Here I recommend Philip Kendall's approach (from a comment): <S> They can demand that you stand on your head and sing "Humpty Dumpty". <S> You can treat that request with similar contempt. <S> Companies do not send fines. <S> Companies send mean letters. <S> Companies send invoices. <S> Depending on your prior agreements with them, some should make you worry, others are useful when you have run out of toilet paper. <S> A company can enter into contract with you that you will either accept the employment contract (that you haven't seen yet) or agree to pay them money. <S> I can't think of a scenario where agreeing to such a prenup would be to your advantage, or that it would happen without you realizing. <S> I also believe that signing such a prenup would weaken the actual employment contract, since it can be argued that you didn't enter into it freely, but under the fear of monetary penalty. <A> Can the company demand to be recompensated for the work they did? <S> No. <S> Unless you have a contractual agreement (either verbal or signed) before hand that if you do not accept the offer, that they have to be compensated for their efforts. <S> If no such agreement exists, then legally they cannot get anything from you. <S> My advice: do not sign or acknowledge anything. <S> Simply ignore them as they may try to trap you by you replying or signing something that says you promise to pay them back. <A> A company that would expend a large sum of money getting ready for a new employee before getting a signed contract is not acting in their own best interest. <S> If that written contract contains even one item not mentioned in the verbal offer, then it is a different offer and you would be expected to reevaluate your enthusiasm for that position. <S> This would also mean that they would have had to tell you in the verbal offer if you accept this verbal offer <S> then you are responsible for pre-employment expenses to include A,B and C. <S> That being said, if they want to pressure you to pay for these expenses they can always try. <S> Maybe they get some people in your situation to agree to join the company when threatened this way, but it is likely that the employee will be looking to get out of the job as soon as they can.
| A company cannot fine you.
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How do I generate work if there is no work coming? I am a software developer and I am in a team full of business analysts. Before we were 3 developers but now I am just the only one. My situation right now is a bit idle. I am just doing support work and maintaining the existing systems which is not too hard. I am concerned that when it comes to report my contribution to the company, my report will not be too impressive. My supervisor does not also know what to do with me. There are no projects being requested to be delivered by me. I know there are business processes in our company that I can automate but we just do not have them on our radar, or we are not on the radar of the teams that can potentially ask us for help. Right now, what I can do is suggest little apps that people can use to make their lives easier. But other than that, I have not much to do. <Q> First off, I would like to commend you for looking for more work. <S> Lots of people in your situation sit around and do nothing. <S> I am also software developer, here is what I do during slow time: <S> Write/update system documentation Automate tasks <S> Most of these tasks are never complete. <S> Even if documentation or handoff material exists, it can always be enhanced. <S> If they say there is nothing, point out that you are not idle and working on X task until something comes in. <A> Basically, you have three options <S> Use that free time you have to do something else. <S> You could take some courses to improve your knowledge, for example. <S> However, that option doesn't seem to fit with what you want, so, let's go ahead with the other two: "Sell projects" : <S> In some way, you have to "sell" ideas to the company so they get interested in something <S> and they could lend that work to you. <S> I think that that shows that is a good time to leave. <S> This isn't bad at all, and also, you have a great advantage, <S> that is that you already have a job! <S> and that's the best time to look for another job. <S> You can even combine 1-3 and 2-3. <S> As a final advice, don't let that situation to continue for long. <S> It burns one's mind and kill all your motivation and productivity. <A> You study. <S> Your field is highly competitive and new stuff is happening everyday. <S> Take your machine learning and statistics skills to the next level. <S> Work on your programming. <S> Build more detailed models. <S> Build your own projects that interest you. <S> You need to push yourself here. <S> Don't get caught up in laziness. <S> Use this respite to grow. <A> If you're keeping the current systems working then you have nothing to worry about with regards to your contribution. <S> Your management team will likely have very little idea of how easy it is, since it would appear nigh on impossible to them to maintain. <S> I agree with the other answers suggestions that you could use the time to study. <S> Another constructive use of your time would be to propose a few R&D projects . <S> Some of these may amount to nothing more than some interesting research in to a new framework/tool. <S> But how I'd sell it is that you will create demos from the projects that may have real world applications within your company, or even better products that your company could potentially sell. <A> How long will you be supporting & maintaining the existing systems? <S> I would find out & see what their planned life-cycles are <S> (make them if they don't exist), put them on a calendar and then work out an upgrade path - you don't want to find out that you have critical applications running on an old version of windows 2003, or that they are running on a server for which you can no longer obtain parts, or that they are written in COBOL - then let management prioritize upgrades / overhauls & work on that <A> Besides the things the other people suggested:In my opinion you should first try to get the supervisor on your side. <S> If he/she currently has no projects for you but sees your interest and effort for (e.g.) ideas to improve the productivity, you might receive better support in future. <S> Even (if you want that) a position with more responsibility might be available as you manage to do your job so efficiently that there is spare time... <S> The managers in the organization I work for would love to have employees like that - and your supervisor might think the same. <A> Sit down with the business analysts and find out what they need. <S> Observe them as they go through their daily tasks and see what can be optimized. <S> This may turn into new work directly, and if it doesn't, time spent understanding your company's primary processes is still valuable because it will help you build programs that do what the company needs, rather than just what they ask for.
| You seem to be a proactive person and to have many ideas, so, you could use your time to work on them, maybe preparing some documentation explaining how would that improve the processes, and how could you achieve it. Also, continue to follow up with your supervisor to see if there is anything they expect you be doing. Look for another job : Sadly, sometimes there's nothing else to do and you find yourself in that kind of situations with zero interest of the company to change that. Write utility programs Create training/handoff material Analyze the current system to look for efficiencies Attempt to "pay off" some technical debt
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Is a three hour in house interview that mostly covers work history standard? Yesterday, I had an in-house interview with two engineers and then later the owner of the company. It lasted three hours. Not sure what to make of a three hour interview about just work history and aspirations. Is that standard? <Q> There is no standard. <S> Some focus on personal interviews, some on your on-paper qualifications, some focus on standardized tests. <S> Also, companies tend to invest more time into hiring decisions when it's about a more important position. <S> You wouldn't spend as much time on picking a janitor as you would on picking a branch manager. <S> So depending on the job and the company, job interviews can take anywhere between a few minutes to several hours. <S> But when an interview takes longer, that's usually a good sign. <S> It means everyone is interested in you. <S> When they would have found some reason to not hire you early, they would have cut the interview short and gotten back to their actual work, not needlessly waste your and their time by extending the interview. <A> At my current job, the interview was rather long. <S> I spent 30 minutes with the recruiter, then 30 minutes with the manager I would report to, then just over an hour with the team i would be joining, then a little more than an hour with the IT directory (above the manager). <S> Then 10-15 minutes with team and manager. <S> Then we all went out to lunch. <S> We only spoke of personal interests during lunch. <S> Then back to the office where i spent another 30 minutes or so with the manager. <A> Your (pre-edit) question was, Is that standard? <S> It's hard to answer what is standard for interviews because policies will vary from position to position and industry to industry. <A> I don't think there is a standard. <S> Shortest interview <S> I had didn't even last 10 minutes <S> (I did get the job), longest I had was 7 hours: twelve 30-minute interviews with peers, followed by a one hour interview by the manager. <S> And I've had everything in between as well. <S> At my current job, if you get to the stage of face to face interviews (we start off with phone interviews and coding tests), the candidate starts off with 30 minutes with a recruiter (mostly about the process of hiring/relocation), then has 2 one hour interviews with 2 peers (so 4 peers in total), followed by a 30 minute interview from someone from management. <S> And then they see the recruiter again. <S> From my (limited) experience, both as a candidate, an interviewer, and from talking about others about hiring processes, I'd say that 3 hours is far from unusual.
| Different companies have different hiring practices. That said, a 3-hour interview is certainly not unusual for many positions, and the structure you experienced (team technical interview, followed by a one on one interview with a leader) is pretty standard for a longer interview.
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Can I rescind my agreement to have a recruiter represent me? I have been submitted for a position with a recruiter and didn't realize that I could choose any recruiter to represent me. I also found out that someone was submitted for the same position with a different recruiter that is offering significantly more money and benefits then my recruiter is offering me. I'm not being offered any kind of benefits at all. Do I have any recourse if I'm chosen for the position? I would like more money and benefits as I'm very qualified for the position and just interviewed today. <Q> Keep in mind: <S> Recruiters don't offer anything , they negotiate on your behalf and on your behest unless you want to negotiate with the prospective employer yourself. <S> So, if you want more benefits or more money TELL the recruiter <S> that's what you want <S> and they'll reiterate it to the company offering the job. <A> You could also accept the offer at the lower salary, then negotiate for a raise a few months in. <S> If recruiters' commission in your locale is based on a percentage of the total compensation package, this will leave the recruiter with a sub-optimal outcome now. <S> It might be therefore advisable to work with your recruiter regarding the compensation you feel is reasonable vs. his feeling about it - both are bound to win if you receive a higher offer. <S> But still another consideration to keep in mind is that the recruiter might want to "sell" you at a lower price to increase the chances of you getting the offer, as opposed to someone else with the same qualifications but requesting a higher comp package - because a low offer is better than no offer, for both of you. <A> If you have signed a contract with the recruiter, you should start there to identify options and procedures for terminating the agreement. <S> For this particular job, you may not have any options. <S> Third party recruiters often have contracts with employers which state that any candidates they provide can only be hired through that recruiter. <S> This is to protect the recruiters interests. <S> Recruiter's offers are not cast in stone, if you don't like what you are being offered for a specific job, then you should be working with the recruiter to get a better offer. <S> If the recruiter isn't working to get you a better offer, then you should consider moving on with respect to future opportunities.
| If you have a contract with the recruiter you need to end that according to the conditions set in it.
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Is it ok to expect to be included in hardware/ software decisions? I will be starting a new job soon. I would prefer to be included in the decisions concerning the laptop I will get, especially given that the main software I will be using differs a bit in the Windows and Mac versions. Also, the language of the system plays a role for me since, for example, I know Excel commands in English and having to translate them into the vernacular will drive me mad if the Office is installed in the vernacular (VLOOKUP in French, anybody?). Is it ok to inquire about this before starting and to try to influence what I get or will it sound arrogant/ out of place? I want to avoid IT colleagues' preparing my laptop twice. We agreed when my first day is and are not in contact right now with the company. <Q> From the hardware perspective, many companies have a standard machine configuration for all users to facilitate the support processes. <S> Some may have Windows and Mac choices, others not. <S> Unless there is a very strong reason, you probably will have to comply with those options. <S> If you work in a multi-language environment, you may have more leeway in requesting the install language for the OS. <S> You should reach out to your future manager and express your concerns/desires so they can be accounted for. <A> Most companies (all?) usually have a standard set up that everybody gets. <S> This makes it easier for IT support. <S> I would just wait for the first day. <S> Then when you have specific requirements, ask the IT department. <A> If you main issue is localization, be assured that there's always possibilities to change the locale of your computer. <S> Or the general setup of Microsoft Office Suite. <S> You might want to avoid having this discussion with your future employer, as you might appear "picky" which would make for a bad first impression. <S> Most of the time, companies have some standard IT setup from which you cannot derogate unless really good reason. <S> In my opinion, function names on a software is not a valid one.
| In the end, you will have to work within the decisions they make and you should not expect to have a large part in the decision beyond providing your information.
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Being asked to install corporate software on personal phone I am a software engineer. My company is switching their VPN setup to a new provider that uses a two-factor authentication system. Part of this new setup involves a mobile app -- I have been asked by my corporate IT department to install this app on my personal cell phone for when I use the VPN. The VPN is required for all remote work; I cannot access anything related to my company without first connecting to the VPN unless I am physically at the office. I do not want to install anything related to my company on my personal cell phone. I don't even have a corporate email client installed. How do I communicate to management that I do not feel comfortable with -- or am willing to -- install corporate software on my personal phone? What alternative solutions can I offer, and how should I go about approaching management or the IT Security team about this? Some additional information: The reason I avoid having anything work-related on my phone is because I work in healthcare in the US. Everything I do is very strictly controlled by HIPAA and HITECH, with severe penalties. I've never accessed anything work related from a personal device and don't want to start doing so now. I use the VPN to work remotely (I'm allowed to work from home within reason.) I am willing to give up this privilege. I also use the VPN when I'm called after hours. We have an on-call rota; if called, we have 30 minutes to respond to the emergency. Unfortunately I live more than 30 minutes from the office, so the VPN is necessary for me to respond to these situations. The current version of the VPN, which does not include the two-factor authentication, is being phased out so staying on the older application isn't an option. I told my manager that I did not want to install any work/corporate software on my personal cell phone. He brushed me off. (Me: "Hello manager. I'm being transitioned to the new VPN, but it looks like it requires some software be installed on my phone. I do not wish to install this VPN software on my personal phone." / Him: "Yeah, I thought it looked like a pain.") This question is somewhat related, but specific to Germany and being asked to actually use the personal device for work. For two-factor authentication, the way it works is that when you sign in, the mobile app receives a counter sign and its proximity to the laptop (or other primary sign-in device) will unlock access to the VPN. <Q> I've always simply asked for either a company phone or a second auth token generator when such requirements came up, simply ignoring the option to use a private phone. <S> With regards to my employer that private phone simply is not an option available. <S> IT guy: <S> You need to install that authenticator app on your phone for VPN to work. <S> Me: <S> I don't have a company phone. <S> Where do I request one? <S> Or can you provide me with a dedicated token generator? <S> That so far always did the trick for them to get the hint that private phone is not an option. <S> In OP's case that's basically the same strategy as the manager "applied" played back at him, simply ignoring unreasonable demands - just that you offer alternatives. <S> To his defence, he might not have gotten that you have a fundamental objection to install the software on your private phone but rather considered it ugly like he stated. <S> You could also argue that you share it with your girlfriend and friends. <S> Also note that many companies have explicit policies that forbid usage of private phones/laptops for company business <S> , you might look your contract / company policy up and point to it, should it contain such a paragraph. <S> In general: Try not to even given them the idea that you have or could use your personal phone. <S> In principle you could not even have a (suitable) smart phone, so they need to have other options. <A> I don't have a smartphone or tablet, so I'm in such a situation once in a while. <S> When that happens I install an Android emulator on my laptop, so that I can install the apps they require. <S> This has always worked for me. <A> Ask if your workplace provides a keychain token. <S> Sometimes you have to order one and you simply register it with the two factor authenticator. <S> You can attach it to your keychain or backpack. <S> However it is not unreasonable in my opinion to install a simple token software on your phone. <S> My previous work place sent a text message and I do not find it very invasive. <S> Now having to gain access from personal devices, that is different but it doesn't sound like that is being asked here. <A> As an aside to the above excellent answers it looks like you can now ask the employer if they will reimburse you for your personal phone expenses. <S> After all, if you'll be expected to do work with it then they should bear at least part of the expense. <S> If they say no, problem solved. <A> I find myself in a similar situation, but the client is in the financial industry. <S> I did some research on the app (RSA SecureID), <S> the token that the IT department sent, and a few other things. <S> I found that the app was a only a number/password generator, and the IT department had no other control, nor could pull any data, etc. <S> It was therefore only generating a second password. <S> Depending on the app, you might find something similar. <S> If you have a similar app, then I think it's extremely unlikely that this will cause you to run afoul of anything HIPAA related, since the app is just generating a time based number/password. <S> If the app has any more functions though, I probably would refuse and ask for a hardware widget. <A> If you don’t want to rock the boat at all, you can get an older used phone on eBay quite cheaply. <S> This is probably not the best solution, but the easiest one.
| If someone really pushes you, you can also argue about security issues: You don't consider your private phone a secure environment, so you put all kinds of apps on it, which would render the security aspect void, as it might easily be hacked or getting lost.
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Is it unethical to surf the web if I am idle? I recently joined a new company. The problem is that they have a release coming up this month end and don't have the time to loop me into the work-flow. I have asked for work to get to know the code base better and have done it and have a fair idea of what I will be doing. Now, in my idle time (till 31st I'm guessing), I am free of any tasks. So, I tend to surf the web on my mobile. While I don't thing anyone minds, and yes it might not give the best impression; what I wonder is if it is considered unethical? @gnat: The question is not a duplicate. Unlike the aforementioned question / topic, I have tried to talk to my colleagues about it. They indicated that I should wait till the release. I already have a project assigned, the code for which I have gone through. I can't comment on the get to know your colleagues part simply because social interaction doesn't come exactly naturally to me. In my defense I have tried to befriend people who sit around me, but its a steep slope..... <Q> I understand boredom, and I surf a lot, all year round, just to give me a break from coding & clear my head. <S> However, I don't do it surreptitiously on my 'phone. <S> I surf openly on my desktop PC, where anyone passing can see. <S> I also make sure that everything I am looking at is, in some way, work related. <S> If I am looking at Stack Overflow, I could be looking for something to help me solve a problem. <S> Otherwise, I look for tools to improve my productivity (a bonus if they will also help my hobby projects - wink ;-) <S> You could also brush up on your programming language. <S> That's not much use when I am coding in C, but C++ is always evolving. <S> Still, there are lots of tips & tricks for C, and every other language. <S> You can also ask your teammates what they recommend you research. <S> If you already have access to the code, then give it a thorough review. <S> Running DoxyGen over the codebase is always the first thing that I do. <S> It gives a great amount of information, even when there are no Doxygen comments. <S> Have a look at the unit tests. <S> Are they complete? <S> If the code produces debug logs, one of the first things that I do is to code a tool to convert the debug trace to message sequence charts. <S> Find something job-related to keep you busy, and let everyone see you doing it, rather than having them thing you are sending a week on FaceTweet or even pr0n on your 'phone. <S> Do it publicly, and make a good impression before you even start. <A> There is always something more useful to do than just killing time on company dime. <S> It will reflect much better on your WORK ETHIC ! <S> Pick one or more of the following list and <S> ask your supervisor if it is OK to do that while you wait for assignments. <S> familiarize yourself with the company workflow using intranet pages or other documents <S> they may have offer beta testing for the current project or simply play with the software as a user would extend your knowledge regarding the coding environment in use browse through code or documentation (project bible?) <S> of the current project do online tutorials of code snippets directly related to the companys portfolio or future projects you might be assigned to offer to do some sandbox work on an unfinished R&D project or pipeline tool that is on low priority offer general R&D for future projects ...get creative and extend this list to your liking... <S> ONLY if all of these alternatives are not approved ask if you can or if they flat out tell you to just surf the web should you do that! <A> what I wonder is if it is considered unethical? <S> To be honest I find other answers a bit unbelievable. <S> In a given 8 hours work day, a typical programmer probably spends 3-4 hours doing useful work. <S> It's the nature of the beast, so to speak. <S> On average, a programmer writes maybe 20-100 lines of code per day and the rest is spent doing non-programming things. <S> The way people make it out here is that in a given work day, they spend the entire day attempting to find or do something for the company. <S> In my own personal experience, this ends up being rather annoying to your coworkers and boss(es). <S> And it becomes rather mentally taxing to you as you're constantly trying to find "something" but not really anything useful for the company. <S> Are you prepared if an emergency is coming in both physically and mentally to perform the work 100%? <S> If not, then you need to step back and take it easy. <S> In my opinion, if you cannot refactor code, work on bugs, or go to a meeting to get future requirements, then you should spend the day doing what you can to prepare for the next task. <S> It's more benefiting to the company that you are mentally prepared for the next task and not exhausted by tiring yourself out with useless stuff.
| Just try to anticipate the job you will do soon, and read up on as much as you can about it.
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Boss thinks less of me because I smoke There is a break room where all employees have their lunch/break. It has a smoking area. I am a smoker and I usually take my smoking breaks in that place. My boss's boss, call him BigBoss, is an old man. He is a very nice person. We usually have small chats here and there whenever we cross paths around the department. So he remembers my face very well. He is always in the common area at lunch time. He once saw me coming back in from my smoking break, so he stopped me and spent around 3 mins telling me how bad smoking is, and that he lost lovely people because of it (cancer) and that he was a smoker and quit, and that it feels much better not to smoke. After that 3 mins conversation, he saw me again coming back from the smoking area. This time, another employee was with me who does not usually smokes unless I am around. BigBoss stopped us, and told my coworker about how bad smoking is. Since then, I did not go to that smoking area especially on the lunch time in hope that I stop giving a bad impression. But, I noticed that he ignores me now. Especially that he saw me smoking after he lectured me about it. Now, whenever we cross paths, he does not open chats anymore. Can I tell/show him that I "quit" smoking without actually quitting? I just no longer do it around here and I want my clean face back. <Q> You can't and you shouldn't. <S> Unless you actually quit, you can only hide it for so long. <S> Intentionally misleading you boss's boss is a bad idea. <S> When (not if) <S> you get found out, you will look even worse than you do now. <S> In his mind, you will now be a smoker and a liar. <S> While he shouldn't treat you differently for being a smoker, he would certainly be within his rights to treat you differently because you are a liar. <S> If your management chain can not trust you, you have a very limited future. <A> You're going to find it hard to fool him. <S> Smokers usually don't notice, but nonsmokers can, and ex-smokers are likely to be even more sensitive. <S> If you're willing to seriously try to quit, you could probably ask him for some advice, and that should get him liking you again. <S> Your boss's boss is likely to pick up on it, having been through it himself. <S> Don't try to pretend you've quit or are trying. <S> It's likely not to work, and then you're a dishonest smoker. <A> Don't hide it, as it is very obvious to anyone who has either smoked, or lived with smokers. <S> The smell can never be hidden completely. <S> There are other signs such as the smoker's cough and the deepening of the voice that happens over time, the affects on the skin, including the lines that form around the mouth as a result of the act of taking a drag. <S> We can all see them and those of us who have lost people to smoking do carry a bit of anger with us. <S> He probably does care about you, and if he is indeed nice, it likely hurts him a bit. <S> Again, those of us who have lived with and lost people can spot smokers easily. <S> Don't hide it. <S> Now, should you need help quitting, you may mention that to him. <S> I'm sure he'd be relieved to hear that. <S> But, only do that if you really are quitting. <S> Good luck
| It's usually possible to tell if someone smokes by the way they smell. Don't hide what you do, or he will find out and he will feel like you're deceiving him. Don't do this unless you're going to give it a real try.
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Importance of SO id and github id on CV One of the companies I was applying for had a mandatory github id and SO id fields to be filled. It was an online registration form. I am not comfortable sharing my online ids(tech or non-tech) to any company and I felt like I got rejected just like that. The company is super cool one; would have had a great experience even if I had attended atleast one tech round. I am still wondering why is it that the companies, these days, are asking for a mandatory SO id? I could have asked silliest questions on SO and I am not really comfortable for my future recruiter/colleagues to know that silly side of me. Or it could be any other reason. Did the recruitment world change so much that my online tech footprint is needed for my tech assessment? What makes such companies mandate it? <Q> I'm not sure that you would find a company with such rigid requirements to be "a super cool one" to work for once you got there. <S> While I believe a strong GitHub presence and a solid SO ranking are both strong points for a candidate, I can't imagine a scenario where I would mandate both from all candidates. <S> There are other ways to demonstrate your prowess that should be just as acceptable. <S> You have to ask yourself, if they are this rigid in hiring, what will happen when you propose doping something in a different way from the norm. <S> Doesn't sound like an open-minded bunch. <A> What makes such companies mandate it? <S> It cuts down on the number of applicants or if it doesn't, it is an easy way to limit which applicants are considered . <S> That's the same reason some companies require a four-year degree in a related field. <S> SO and Git are both arguably work related things, and I would provide them. <S> I wouldn't provide something like Facebook, Google+, Instagram, etc. <S> But I'm technical - if the position is a PR or social media position, I'd expect you would provide things which are social. <A> Just put in a bunch of X's. <S> Recruiters often set fields as mandatory without thinking too deeply about it. <S> If they are interested, they will get back to you - it's not a dealbreaker. <S> Makes sense. <S> With SO, it's a bit more complex. <S> One thing that an SO account can attest is strong communication skills , but it can also be compromising for the individual. <S> Not only can it expose posts of personal nature, but an employer could find your level of participation on such a site problematic. <S> Most managers don't mind employees making use of online resources and communities (it saves effort for senior team members to have someone else solve problems for free!), but OTOH they don't want their own employees possibly spending hours every day researching other peoples problems and writing long, well thought-out answers. <S> Likewise, they don't want employees sinking lots of time into dead-end, extremely niched hobby projects (which is, frankly, what most code on GitHub is). <S> There's also the possibility that a company wants employees to use their (semi-)private "social media" to help build their brand, e.g. my employer routinely suggest we share "interesting" posts from the company blog on LinkedIn ("and write a short comment, just a couple words, so it scores higher in rankings"). <S> However, only if it is actually a marketing position they advertise, can they expect a candidate to have a strong online presence. <A> I am still wondering why is it that the companies, these days, are asking for a mandatory SO id? <S> Because companies are fooled by buzzwords and stupid trends like "hiring a rock star". <S> It is important to show your code, but a SO account seems absurd. <S> A repo is important, especially if you're mid to senior level, but if they insist on that I suggest you move on. <S> Your value isn't measured by online activity, and if they can't see that I don't think their company is actually a "super cool one". <S> On a side note this is one of the minor reasons why SO is such a toxic place. <S> People are (rightly) desperate for those points so they get hired, they promote that companies ask for a SO account and be part of the hiring process <A> Here's the problem with online accounts: you can easily link anyone's account as your own. <S> In my opinion, this is a sign that they are lazy. <S> They want a certain candidate and rather than reading resumes (assuming they get 100s or 1000s) <S> they rather a computer do a pre-screening by being able to seperate accounts that provide this right out through their questionnaire. <S> With that said, I don't think it is common at all. <S> I seen polar opposites where a hiring manager dislikes people who go on SO to answer questions as they see it as a way for people to simply "copy and paste" without understanding what they're doing. <S> Just as opposite, I don't see how helping people would be beneficial. <S> Maybe they're looking for people who mentor others. <S> If you have a high ranking SO <S> and/or GitHub accounts, I say provide it to them especially if you been active in any particular group. <S> So long as you didn't ask or provide questionable, not safe for work material, I don't see how it would impact you negatively. <S> Anyone on GitHub or SO would certainly know the type of person who would go on there. <A> It's just one company, not a trend, some parts of the World (most of it) haven't heard of github or Stack Overflow... <S> I found SO by accident and only heard of github through it and only have a vagueish idea of what it's about. <S> So like any other requirements, they're company specific, perhaps even specific to the individual who wrote it up.
| They're missing out on potential candidates that might be better, or maybe they don't want to provide such information. In the case of GitHub, it's probably so they easily can find code samples.
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How do I tell my boss I want to start applying to other places? I joined a start up very early ( a month old) and have done everything from setting it up with Google, to product management, inventory management, understanding the technology, solving pricing matrices, and much much more (e-mail marketing, advertisements, etc.). I originally joined as a part time intern and was told I'd go full time after I finished school. After finishing school I was told that "There's not enough work for you to do at the company to become a full time employee." I'm still working my intern hours (20 hours a week) and need to start finding a full time position. The problem is is that my boss and the culture is awesome. I can work from home some days, and my boss is really positive. I don't want to leave this company but I can't afford to stay for much longer. <Q> When the time comes give your boss notice. <S> If you still feel very strongly that you wish to stay there negotiate then. <S> Tell your boss how much you want to stay. <S> If they can keep you they will and if not then not. <A> You should never tell them that you are looking for another job. <S> What you should do is to talk to him and tell him that you love that place and you really want to be there, but you need to work more hours and to earn more money. <S> If they really want you, they will try to get you that position. <S> Sadly, sometimes it's not possible, and you will have to leave, but if you stated that before is a plus for you in the future when maybe they open up a position that fit your needs. <S> As a last advice, if you find another job and after that they offer you something better (a counter-offer), do not accept, because that means they were lying to you. <A> You have two options. <S> Either find a full time position and give up this great job. <S> or Find another part time job to supplement your income. <S> I've often held down more than one job. <S> One strategy is to have them totally different, a physical type job and one which involves more brain work. <S> This works well for some people. <S> If you think about going this route because you want to see the end product of all your work or just enjoy the challenges, then ask the boss how many hours he can guarantee you and get contracted. <S> Then start looking for a supplementary job.
| Don't tell your boss anything. Look for a new job that will provide the income you need.
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How can I keep a job search from being discovered by current employer? I am looking for either a more senior or similar role in a bigger company.All our competitors would be happy to have me. Some of our biggest customers also approached me. And some of our partners, including one of the biggest companies on the planet, are also interested in both my technical expertise and business network. I don't want to lose my job if I am not 100% happier with the next one. This might take multiple conversations over the next few months, until I get the right environment and opportunity. It's a small world, and it's very likely that any competitor, customer or partner will be in contact with a manager or colleague at my current company at some point.My expectation is that the hiring manager will eventually check internally "hey, did your department work with this company in the past? Do you know this guy?" .What level of confidentiality should I expect in my job search? Or, should I expect that once I start interviewing, my employer will know? <Q> If it's a small market, they can't afford to lose good candidates either. <S> I've taken opportunistic interviews (not determined to leave <S> but it was a good opportunity) and haven't had problems if I mention to my primary contact that I'd like to keep this quiet. <S> On the hiring side, I've helped interview candidates who were doing the same thing <S> and we've been careful; if somebody is currently employed and hasn't said the job hunt isn't a secret, then it's not in the interviewing company's best interest to do something that will irritate the candidate. <S> Until then, unless the people you're talking to have a bad reputation in this regard, you should be pretty safe if you just tell them your concerns. <S> My experience is in the US tech sector. <A> You do it on the assumption that anyone could know. <S> I'm in a small country, I've had a former employer informed immediately on the phone by a receptionist as soon as I walked in the door for the interview. <S> You have no idea <S> what professional or personal connections someone has, so play it safe and assume nothing is private. <A> News getting back to your employer is always a risk when searching for a new position but I wouldn't expect it. <A> Do be aware that your call with a recruitment agent isn't the same as a call with your lawyer. <S> A minute after you tell a recruitment agent that you're looking, they may turn straight around and contact your boss, especially if they already have a relationship with that company. <S> Their approach may be oblique and simply intended to set the stage " <S> So, are you guys looking at the moment? <S> Oh, ok. <S> Give me a call if you suddenly find that you are" <S> Slightly more sly <S> " I hear you're about to lose a programmer. <S> No, I can't say who, but how about I send you some CVs to look at? " <S> or downright blunt <S> " I hear that Monoandale is leaving you. <S> I've attached ten CVs to the email <S> I just sent you " <S> By the same token the manager that you just sent your CV to could easily be (golf partners / Rotarians / Chamber of Commerce) buddies with your current manager who may then mention you by name over dinner. <S> If you're looking locally, there's a very real chance you'll come across a local link of some description. <S> You might just as easily be seen in the lobby by someone you used to work with at your old company. <S> You may be seen in your nicest business suit on your "day off" by an employee who's genuinely on annual leave. <S> That never looks good. <S> Even if you tell them not to take a reference, the company may simply screw up and take one anyway. <S> Think about how many mistakes <S> you made in the last quarter and assume that whoever runs HR at that company makes the same number. <S> Source <S> : I've seen all of these happen IRL. <S> It doesn't end well for the candidate.
| I have had great results with just mentioning to the hiring manager that I would prefer they keep things discrete. If an application progresses to the point where the company wants to make an offer, then there will need to be a conversation about checking references.
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What is the concrete minimum measure of Microsoft Word as skill on resume? It's common to see Microsoft Word to be listed on job postings. This type of skill seems somewhat arbitrary and broad, and depends on industry - expectations from graphic designer would be different from a journalist. However, job postings never mention concrete expectations. Hence I want to know what would be the minimum level where you can confidently put such skill on resume. I find it questionable and uncomfortable to put MS Word on resume, especially if most of the time your experience is via college and high school papers, where most of the time Times New Roman, 12 points, double spaced format is used. With programming languages, I can at least provide a portfolio of my work ( on github or elsewhere) to backup my claim.While I know there exists certification for MS Office , and that certainly backs up the claim that you have MS Word as skill, the certification costs and may be somewhat superfluous for someone going into IT or engineering, where technical certification is more valuable. In short, what is the concrete minimum level at which I can put on my resume "Yes, I have MS Word as skill" ? <Q> Most job postings that ask for this skill fall into the category <S> You need to use company templates to write MS Word documents and print them or save them in a partcular place. <S> We don't want to pay for a beginner's training course, but we don't want anyone to use Comic Sans in official documents either. <S> If very special features are commonly used in the company, you can usually find a colleague who can explain it to you or find an instruction online. <S> Asking for "Microsoft Excel" on the other hand, is even more ambuguous because it doesn't have a set of default features everyone uses. <A> As a sometime hiring manager, if I see MS Word listed as a skill I expect it to mean good knowledge of VBA, customising Word for particular integrations and workflows such as report generation, deploying updates/patches to it across an enterprise, and so on. <S> Word as a user is a common enough skill that I would not consider worth mentioning. <S> Especially if the CV I was reading was sent as a Word document and was nicely formatted anyway! <A> There is no official number for this. <S> If a company specifically asks for MS Word experience you "probably" should put it in. <S> If they don't, it won't hurt mentioning it as an IT skill, potentially elaborating with "extensive experience", "standard knowledge", "scripting / macro guru" etc.
| If you know how to format a text with fonts and headlines, how to use the header and footer, how to add pictures and maybe even cross-references and special characters, you can rightly claim to have the skill "Microsoft Word".
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How to react to companies which don't reimburse candidates' travel cost to interviews ("Vorstellungsgespräch")? I want to ask your opinions about one issue, especially Germans since the topic is about the German job market. A company invites to a face to face interview after an application in Germany. I need 4-5 hours by train to go there. They clarify in their email that they will not reimburse the travel cost for me. Is it normal? Because from my perspective, it is creating a negative impression from the beginning. What do you think? <Q> If it's a 4-5 journey by train, the tickets will cost you something about 300 EUR. <S> (Less if you buy in advance the kind of ticket you can't return. <S> But then you can't return the tickets and I've already had companies cancelling the day before the interview, so this doesn't sound like a viable option). <S> I would thank them for the information and write that in this case I need to withdraw my application. <S> Unless you have so much money / the job is so important to you that 300 EUR doesn't make you any difference. <S> But honestly, in that case, I would invest in some better clothes/ changes in the look (dentist services, hairdresser...) or books/ resources/ courses to prepare, not a job interview at a company that doesn't respect candidates. <S> I had a situation like that in summer. <S> It was a global leader, a huge company. <S> They invited me and I was completely shocked to discover they don't cover train costs. <S> After my withdrawal, they suggested a skype interview. <S> We had it on the day I was to come to their headquarters. <S> It resulted that the new employee was to report to two people who worked part-time (they had a shared position). <S> The interview was with just one person, the other had a vacation and didn't even know about my existence. <S> They also wanted to pay me much less than my salary expectations. <S> Had I gone there <S> I would have wasted 300 EUR and a day of PTO for a pointless interview. <A> No. <S> In Germany the travel costs are normally supposed to be carried by the employer, and AFAIU <S> mandatory unless explicitly excluded. <A> Accept their invitation only if you want to work as „Billig Arbeitskraft“ and you want job in any case else you have choice to deny it respectfully. <S> Remember companies wants to make profit, and that's why they need people. <S> Their need is more than you. <S> Its just situation makes them at upper side. <S> Apart from this: In Germany, there are really great companies, and nice people with them you will enjoy to work for long period. <S> You got good and bad people everywhere.
| I would probably remove a company not willing to do so from my list.
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How to justify changing job after 1.5 month? I have recently joined a new company in Estonia which is active in software development, and i have worked there for 1.5 month. I am in a trial period currently (which is 4 month). I regret about my decision to join this company. The supervisor does not communicate clearly, and then criticizes with bad tone. As a result, I wish to leave the company, as soon as possible, since I am sure the problem is not fixabl. I have read this , and i know, i should talk positively about my previous company. Also, I read this question , which advises to be honest with the next employer, and not hide previous experiences. I would like to not hide it, but i am wondering how to justify it for the next employer? And probably, my current employer will not give me a positive recommendation. One option would be: When i joined my current company, it was my best option, but right now, i feel your company can be a better option for me, because the type of product which you develop is more suit to me. How convincing is it? What are the other options to explain it? <Q> It's still within probation, so it simply wasn't a good fit. <S> An interview process doesn't always work out perfectly - your new employer will be aware of that. <S> I would suggest to prepare questions to ask your future manager during the next interview to avoid this happening again. <S> This also shows you've learned from this experience, are interested in having a better result this time, and in general, questions are good to have ready in interviews. <S> You could, for example, describe one of the situations you found yourself in at this job, and ask your manager how s/he would handle it. <S> Good luck finding a better job :) <A> There is a reason you are changing your job. <S> That's the justification. <S> Build up a list of the things that you shouldn't have had to endure, and then rewrite them again and again until you have the most polite (and forgiving) delivery of the incidents. <S> Then seriously consider throwing them all away by replacing them with a summary. <S> How you present this justification is important. <S> I joined my current company, it was my best option, but right now, i feel your company can be a better option for me, because the type of product which you develop is more suit to me <S> This is a horrible presentation of your justification to leave, it makes you seem fickle. <S> You don't mention the real reasons, instead you said "I changed my mind". <S> If asked, repling with I will be leaving my current company because my manager attempts to motivate through insults and threats. <S> I could stay there, but many others have left <S> and I believe that at my current company, I have no upward or lateral path out of his team, as he doesn't recognize people for positive accomplishments. <S> If you don't mind, I'd prefer focusing on the good <S> I can offer you company, and I'd rather not talk about my current manager further. <S> And then never say another bad word about your employer. <S> Focus on the good you can do (and be recognized for) elsewhere. <S> If pressed, you have the memory of the events to fall back on, remembered in a way that doesn't paint you as a vindictive employee. <A> When i joined my current company, it was my best option, but right now, i feel your company can be a better option for me, because the type of product which you develop is more suit to me. <S> I would advice you not to say this. <S> It's a sentence without sustenance and which you can use for any company you're interviewing. <S> It does hint thought that you'd flee a company as soon as you get a better offer. <S> Just tell them that you were in the probation period, and that it was not working out. <S> When probed, you may state a few things when it comes to you, but you should not put your previous company in a bad light -- a job interview is about you and the company you're interviewing with, it's not about your previous company. <S> If pressed, say that you are a professional, and that you're not here to hang out the dirty laundry of another company.
| Admit your shortcomings where they were applicable, and your realization that your efforts to repair them were not noticed.
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How to deal with dishonest boss and colleagues Characters: Me - senior year college student. Back-end and infrastructure dev.. Boss X - junior year (different) college student Colleague Y - junior year college student (same school as I, we meet around campus from time to time). Joined same period as I did. Jack of front-end & back-end, master of none. Colleague Z - sophomore college student (different school from all above). Joined end of September. Skilled front-end dev. Story: All of us were working as part time dev engineers (except X, who did sales) in a previous company. X has his dreams of starting up a company and I had my health issues from this company so we quit around the same time together. Just before I quit in mid July, X asked me to join his team, so I did along with Y. Since the company just started, X promised to pay us when the company is on the right track. But until then, he's in our debt. We worked on the project until X called it off in August when he and his marketing guy decided the market has no need for this product. All I thought was once X took some time to redo market research and getting VCs, we'd be back working. Later on yesterday (Christmas eve) I noticed some activity in Slack and saw them having an online meeting via appearin. I listened anonymously to their conversations and found out they had another project at nearly 40% complete, all without me. I also heard Z saying "Alright let's get back to work, for the sake of XXX hourly wage". This got me very furious with X and Y for going behind me. But especially furious with X for not upholding his moral obligation to give me a call given that I worked for him til August and also did another small job of setting up a pre-register page for his new product idea around September. As for Y, he works as a free lance at other places too. Recently Y is worrying about his annual earning surpassing the 1.3 mil Yen limit (300K+ yen tax once over it) yet never gave me a single word about the new project. To be clear, I have nothing in this new product yet I still have access to team Slack, all Bitbucket source code, and Firebase access. Also, none of us ever signed an NDA. Questions: 1) I admit the product itself is nothing new and isn't going to be some killer app but I find it being a good technical challenge and I would really like to try it out. Assuming they let me "back" in, what kind of mindset do you think I should approach this situation as well as X with considering they already betrayed me once? 2) I confronted X and confirmed there's no funds so no hourly wage can be paid. Yet X promised Y and Z a (somewhat big) amount payment for a complete, initial version of the product. X claims he gave the job to Y because "we only have sufficient fund for one back-end dev, and he happened to be nearby when I had the thought". How should I treat Y from now knowing that he knew there's only one position available, and not informing me about it when he's worrying about earning too much (tax considerations) while I'm worrying about not having any job? His sense of lack of noblesse oblige is what's ticking me off. Thanks! <Q> Here's what it looks like to me: "Boss" X started a startup, with no money, and without a clue, but at least a dream. <S> You all worked for him for free, or for a promise, which means you didn't have much of a clue either. <S> I recommend that you finish your studies, then find a job at some place that has money to pay its employees. <S> You will not get any money from X, because he will never make any. <A> You need to grow up and move on. <S> X doesn't owe you a single thing, and neither do Y or Z. <S> If you want, tell them you still have access to slack and source control, but you need to learn to leave a job behind you. <S> There's also no point in burning bridges behind you - who knows if you might end up working with them again some time in the future. <A> These are not you colleagues. <S> These are a set of loose collaborators on half-related projects <S> They included you to work on the second project, but then excluded you. <S> As to their motivation I do not speculate My boss is - by definition - somebody who pays me money for my work. <S> The guy is not your boss. <S> I have seen such behavior in my time in Japan (and also elsewhere, but not that pronounced) - investing any more time and thought about this is probably going nowhere, unless you think that the IP itself in the project is valuable - in that case you may have a bargaining chip. <A> It's hard news if you "own" your code. <S> I would like to offer you a solution, reevaluate the way you "own" your code, making it not about who wrote it, but about who has legal ownership. <S> Your Boss, X, tried to get his company / project off the ground with you and failed. <S> He didn't give up on his dream, and has decided to try again. <S> He isn't interested in trying again the exact same way; because, that way failed. <S> He's going to try again a different way, and this time the difference is in his staff. <S> It sucks to be the one out-of-the-group, but coming to him with feelings of exclusion will only cement your position as being outside. <S> If you really want in this game, and from you statements "It's not a revolutionary product" that seems doubtful, you need to approach him from a position of enthusiasm. <S> I'd think long and hard before even approaching him about it. <S> If you find you are not keen on doing it, it's OK to tell your boss you know about it, and you wish him well; as long as you do so carefully to not accidentally include yourself in a similar way as last time. <A> 1) Is project <S> A the same as B? <S> true <S> X's obligation to pay you for work on Project A might be extended if B succeeds <S> false X has no obligation to let you work on B, nor inform you (same for Y and Z) 2) Exists a written contract about compensation for work on project A? <S> true <S> Should the company succeed or if 1) is true you may have a way to fight for compensation (depending on the contracts wording) <S> false you'll have a very difficult position to have payment enforced. <S> 3) Exists a written contract about working for the company of X? <S> true <S> Should the company succeed you may have a way to fight for compensation (depending on the contracts wording) <S> false you'll have a very difficult position to have payment enforced. <S> SUGGESTION: <S> Chalk it up as lessons learned and stop hovering(arguably sneaking and spying) in the background at a company that apparently doesn't want you anymore. <S> Time for greener pastures.
| The best thing is to stop worrying about this and find other projects - and ask the guy for compensation the next time he asks you to do something, and never do anything for which there is no clear and agreed contract. Don't let the natural feelings of exclusion motivate you to be part of something you're not really keen on doing.
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How to follow up on late salary I am not of religion that celebrate Christmas but I was told I will be paid on Christmas Eve as other for paid a week before or Christmas but it’s passed Christmas. How do I approach it as to my boss in email? <Q> Usually you must be paid before the end of the month. <S> It is quite possible that the people who actually move the money to your account don't work between Christmas and New Year, so to comply with the laws they have to pay before Christmas. <S> But you have no legal right to that; if the money is in your account on Friday 28th they are legally fine. <A> Just ask. <S> Dear boss, I was told we were getting paid on the 24th, but I haven't been - was there an oversight, or was I mistaken? <S> Then depending on the outcome: If told you should've been paid, be relatively firm not to be kept waiting much longer for pay - sometimes companies try to pay you next month instead because emergency payroll incurs an extra cost - unless you can afford this and are happy to allow it, make it clear that you need payment earlier <S> If there's a delay, but not much of one, consider the value of being a bit flexible on this - it puts you in good stead with your boss, and basically they owe you one. <S> Don't put up with anything you can't afford to . <S> Late payment, if it comes to that, is a breach of contract (worth noting that it's not a breach of contract until you've not been paid when your contract states you should've), and whilst you should be diplomatic, you shouldn't be a pushover. <S> Another thing that can be challenged in the UK is disparity of treatment - it makes a difference that everyone else has been paid early <S> but you haven't. <S> If you haven't been paid a week after you normally would have been, I'd contact a solicitor. <A> I would ask some of the other people if they got their money to understand if it's just me. <S> I would also ask if there is a mistake or something. <S> Like " <S> Hello, mr. / mrs. X, I just checked my bank account and the salary is not there yet. <S> Can you please check on your end if there is a mistake <S> or maybe I should wait a bit more for some reason?". <S> Whatever you do - do not write heart wrenching letters or mention any kind of authorities in the first email. <S> Those are your worst options to start the conversation. <S> But do not do this is a first action. <S> Clear all other options before that.
| If you think your boss is not going to pay you - then maybe you can complain to the authorities asking them to check.
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Am I being unrealistic asking to go from working full-time to part-time? I've been working for three months in a software start-up. This is my first job after graduating university. The deal was that I would work for at least three months subject to evaluation, with the possibility of continuing if my boss liked my work. It was I who proposed this arrangement, because I wasn´t really sure if programming was "my thing", so I wanted be really sure before really commiting for a longer time. I was transparent about this and he seemed okay with it. My performance has been good (at least he hasn't said anything bad to me about it), so I can continue next year. I liked the job, so I decided to continue too. The thing is, I hadn´t taken a vacation in more than a year and I'm really burnt out, so I asked him not to work January-February(with no pay) and come back in March. Again he seemed okay with this. Clearly it wasn't the best for him, but he agreed. I want to ask one more thing: to work part-time from March onwards, with reduced pay. I want to try new things (maybe start my own business, write, etc) and I would really love to have more free time to do these things. Ideally I would work 3 or 4 days a week. Other colleagues work part-time, but it is only in a temporary way, while they complete degrees or things like that. Am I f****d for not talking these things before with my boss? Am I asking too much? Am I an entitled millenial who doesn't know how the real world works? Or is it a reasonable request? Please excuse any grammatical errors, English is not my first language. Thanks for your advice. <Q> You can always ask, just be prepared to hear no. <S> In my experience, software developers do not work part time (unless there is a reason). <S> For the most part, when someone is hiring they are looking for someone willing to work full time. <S> You could argue that a contract for X amount of hours could be considered part time, but that's about it. <S> If it continued to come up after I said no, or your productivity reduced because I said no, I would just replace you with someone willing to work full time. <S> Maybe I am just a jerk, but I think most people would do the same. <A> This depends a lot on the culture and legalities, both within the company and within your country of work. <S> In the UK, for example, you have the right to apply for flexible working, such as working from a different location, or working fewer hours for pro-rata pay, and there is a limited list of reasons that your employer can refuse for. <S> All that said, <S> it's far better to get an arrangement like this through polite requests that through statutory means - it's better for your boss to offer you an agreement to part time working than to force them into it legally. <S> I would say you should do this: <S> Ask to speak to your boss <S> Prepare a case as to why they should allow this - stay away from "I just don't wanna do this" type reasons, and lean towards reasons that sound more compelling, and maybe come up with some way in which you will give something back in return (you could take 50% time for 45% pay, for example, or you could commit to returning to take on more responsibility after a set time etc) <S> Consider why they might say no, and try to think of ways that you could mitigate this. <S> If they will have to hire someone else, you could commit to mentoring them. <S> If they say no, will you quit, look for a part time job and then quit, or stay full time? <S> You need to know in advance. <A> [...] I hadn´t taken a vacation in more than a year[...] <S> In many countries employees are by law entitled to 2-4 weeks paid holiday leave per year. <S> Am I being unrealistic asking to go from working full-time to part-time? <S> You may ask anytime to change the conditions of your employment contract as laid out within said contract. <S> It is of course within the liberty of your employer to accommodate or end the contract if no compromise can be found. <S> Am I an entitled millenial who doesn't know how the real world works? <S> That is a given if your date of birth falls within the "millenial" category (; EDIT: <S> You didn't mention that you only worked during the summer. <S> In that case you may only be entitled to a pro-rated amount of holiday or none at all. <S> I also did a quick search if employees are required to take vacation (inspired by a comment from SaggingRufus). <S> I found that employers are entitled to force their employees to take time off in Canada, and Japan is contemplating it. <S> Apparently in Germany they're even obliged as part of their duty of care to force employees to take the minimum mandatory vacation time (Landesarbeitsgericht Berlin-Brandenburg(Az. <S> : 10 Sa 86/15),LAG München <S> (Az.: 8 Sa 982/14)) <S> - I read only a summary, not the verdicts themselves.
| The employer may choose to reduce your hours as a way to help you through something (as you have seen), but generally, developer jobs are full time gigs. Definitely be prepared for the idea that they might refuse, and know what you want to do if this happens. If I were to put myself in your Boss's shoes, I would say no.
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Should I tell my boss my "real" marital status? Background : I recently moved to a new country and joined a new company. During multiple interviews with my boss, HR and others I was asked if I moved here alone or with my family. I told that for now I have moved here alone but my wife will follow me soon. The truth is, we are separated (not divorced) from last 2 years and I don't see us getting back together. Now, my boss is a family oriented man, and from time-to-time shares his family plans with me casually and asks when my wife will be here so he can invite me over for a get together. He is a really good boss, and I hate it to lie to him every time he asks about my wife. Question : How should I tell him the truth ?? Will this change his opinion about me, that I lied or hid anything from him ? <Q> if you are comfortable with it. <S> Perhaps pull him aside and say something like. <S> Im a little embarrassed to say, my wife and I are on shaky terms currently, and <S> im not sure she will be joining us. <S> Its a bit of a tender subject for me at the moment. <S> However if the invite is still open, I would be delighted to come meet your family. <S> They sound wonderful. <S> Hopefully he will appreciate you being open with him, and if you add the part about wanting to join him for dinner you gracefully shift the conversation away from your situation and into a more comfortable route. <A> You could simply say that you recently separated, sometime after your move here. <S> You might want to add that it was unrelated to your relocation. <S> Your boss will never meet your wife (and hopefully nobody who knew the two of you well) <S> so it's unlikely the actual timing of the divorce will get discovered. <S> After a couple more years it won't matter whatsoever <S> so will be a non-issue. <S> Keep in mind that the details of your personal life are nobody's business but yours. <S> Add that you prefer not to discuss this issue moving forward, and stick to it. <S> Good luck! <A> Your boss should value you for who you are at work, not for who you are at home. <S> You should just simply tell him how it is.
| If it ever gets in the open and you are pressed to come clean, say that the divorce was still raw in your mind at the time of the hiring and you said what felt comfortable at the time. Its better you are honest, because if you are not honest, for sure he got a reason to not trust you.
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What are the common employer worries/screeners when selecting remote developers? In order to increase my chances to get my ideal remote job I am trying to anticipate and solve the common concerns the employer may have. I have listed some: Is the timezone compatible? Does this person have a history of working remotely successfully?" Will be written communication or language a barrier? Which others concerns/screeners am I missing? <Q> They don't care so much about whether the timezone is "compatible" as much as, "Are you available when we need you?" <S> That is, only their convenience matters. <S> You don't need to make a big deal over it, but somewhere in there I'd mention comfort/familiarity with remote communications tools, such as slack and videoconference-based meetings. <S> The idea is that you convey your ability to communicate well from afar. <S> (I wrote a free-to-download ebook for O'Reilly about making a success of telecommuting; it goes into a whole lot of detail.) <A> That they are self motivated enough to work by themselves, with someone not watching them all the time. <S> Which has an easy solution: telling weekly what you have accomplished. <A> Do you have relevant experience of the technical area in question? <S> Is the first thing that springs to mind. <S> If the answer is "no", then I don't have a second question. <A> The show-stopper concern is the tax country. <S> For example, there's a few jobs advertising as "US/Remote", this does generally mean they will only consider hiring into their office in the US or remotely working from the US. <S> This is especially valid with the established companies. <S> Startups and smaller gigs might just hire you as a consultant, so that they don't have to deal with the taxes for you. <S> This would be a somewhat flakier job security, in my opinion. <S> It gets way easier in the EU. <S> Once they've an office in the EU, you should be okay working from anywhere else in the EU, AFAIK. <S> Another important concern you've already nailed: <S> experience working remotely. <S> This may be substituted with the proven ability of working without supervision, so at certain seniority level shouldn't be an issue. <A> This depends a lot on the job: sales and support roles are often expected to work remotely so they can be closer to the customer. <S> Lab roles that need to operate local measurement equipment simply can't work remotely. <S> So your check list should be tailored to the specific role that you are after. <S> Let's say you are a software developer. <S> You'd probably want to cover things like <S> Can you attend daily scrums? <S> What are the important meetings you would need to attend and how would this work <S> at your location How often to you want/need to travel to the mother-ship for face time and general bonding. <S> Are both parties on the same page of frequency and cost of travel. <S> What's the long term career going to look like? <S> Remote will often limit the scope of work, so is that long term sustainable for everyone? <S> Gear, support, IT etc.
| What type of telecom equipment and system will be used (zoom, skype, slack etc.) and are some purchases required to make this work well Bandwidth, security, access to tools, etc.
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Inappropriate comment made by colleague outside of work At an informal farewell for one of my colleagues, another colleague made a racist remark, perhaps under the influence of alcohol. This social function is not arranged by the company, hence its informal nature. As I understand, there is no law against hate speech in the US, where I am. However, the company has policies against discriminatory remarks like this. But given this happened outside of work, do I have grounds for speaking up and reporting this to HR? EDIT: I confronted the said colleague when he’s sober, and he ignored and turned his back on me. <Q> First off HR IS NOT YOUR FRIEND <S> If you go to HR with this one of three things will happen <S> You will damage or ruin your coworker's career <S> You will damage or ruin your career <S> You will damage or ruin both of your careers. <S> In two of the three possible outcomes, you damage your career. <S> HR would likely consider this a waste of their time as it was not a work function, did not occur on the premisis, and has nothing to do with the business. <S> Now, a bit about what HR is, and is not HR IS: There to protect the company <S> and it's interests <S> Keep the company clear of liability and issues Enforce company policy Assist employees in paperwork and <S> following policies Answer questions about policies, paperwork, and benefits <S> Handle <S> SERIOUS employee conflicts and difficulties Assist in the hiring and firing of employees <S> HR IS NOT: A place to tattle on your coworkers <S> The thought police. <S> for trivial matters for anything outside of company purview for settling minor disputes for career coaching a court of law <S> Anonymous <S> The police <S> YOUR FRIEND <S> Too many people make the assumption that they can walk into HR about any matter and have it magically settled with no consequences. <S> If you walk into HR with something, there will be a note in your file stating that you brought up the issue. <S> If this is a major issue such as harassment, theft, malfeasance, or ethics, this is a GOOD THING. <S> However, if you bring in things that will waste their time and money investigating over trivial matters or non-work related issues, this will be a blot on your record and you will be labeled a problem employee, and you may be passed over for promotions, or in the case of mass layoffs, your name will at the top of the list. <S> Going to HR on matters such as what you described where It occurred off site <S> It was not a work-related function <S> Was not in writing and there is nothing but an unsubstantiated accusation on your part. <S> Will only damage your career. <S> You do not have to associate with this employee outside of work, and freezing this person out of social events <S> is perfectly legitimate. <S> That said, you do have to be cordial and professional on the job until and unless the person does something unprofessional and actionable that can damage the company. <A> Do I have grounds for speaking up and reporting this to HR? <S> No, do not escalate this event to HR. <S> This event, like you mentioned is a purely private event between you and your soon to be former colleague. <S> While the company has a policy against demeaning speech, there is no connection to the company in the context of where this incident happened. <S> What you should do <S> You have learned about the demeanor of this person when they are under the influence of alcohol. <S> Hold yourself to the high ground and continue to interact at this event in a professional manner. <S> You may also choose to cut this person off from more drinking if you feel comfortable. <S> As the host, you are in charge of what happens and should be in control at all times. <S> Summary: <S> Remain professional, calm, and assert control to prevent the situation from escalating. <A> Don't be the one who brings work into this. <S> As such, going to HR is likely to do you more harm than good. <S> The moment you do this will be the moment you will start to see yourself being ostracised for going for the jugular as soon as your colleague revealed a bit of asshattery under the influence of alcohol. <S> For all your other colleagues know you might go after them next if they say something that could be construed as sexist/transphobic/you-get-the-idea while drunk. <S> What happened that day may not be that much of a grey-area <S> but your colleagues friends may still attribute your colleague's words to the drink talking. <S> This happened in a social setting, not a work setting, so <S> the options you'll want to be considering are social-scenario responses. <S> That means things like just not going drinking with this person or ask them to tone it down if it offends you <S> and you can't avoid social events with them.
| As this happened outside of work, this isn't really a HR issue.
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Additional role at work highly stressful - keep for growth, or drop for not a good fit? About 3 months ago, our teams restructured and I was offered the opportunity to be Scrum Master for the new team. The role pretty much meant 1) being in charge of scheduling the necessary ceremonies, 2) being default facilitator for the meetings, and 3) making sure the team upholds the promises they said they would do. There is no authority in the additional role. Wanting to improve my leadership skills, I took the role. For some context, I have been in previous teams that have had a Scrum Master, so I saw what tasks they did, but I myself have not been one yet. Since the 3 months of being Scrum Master, I have found the role to be a lot more stressful than I thought. I struggle a lot with the facilitating meeting aspect of it, and with making sure the team does what they say they do. I was given a Scrum Master book from my previous team lead, which gave practical tips and example scenarios, which I found very helpful, but it also shows the Scrum Masters being able to ask relevant and revealing questions on the spot, and impromptu speaking is not something I am good at. This also explains a bit why facilitation is difficult for me - you can't plan ahead what people will say, and you don't have time to decide what the useful questions for the team are. On the other hand, I want to be able to facilitate groups, and develop my skills, and grow as a person. I realize this position is going outside of my comfort zone, but I am not sure if it is too much out of my comfort zone and leading to burnout. I had a year-end review with my manager last week, and he noticed that I was stressed out and frustrated with the Scrum Master role. Other team members have picked up on this as well. He... suggested that if the extra role was too stressful for me, then maybe it would be better if someone else had the role, someone who has an easier time with doing the things I struggle with. This brings me to the main question: Should I continue an extra role, if it is highly stressful for me, but it is an area I want to improve in? Should I continue to get better, or stop because it isn't a good fit? <Q> You keep talking about "additional" and "extra". <S> Being a Scrum <S> Master is a job . <S> It's not something you tack on top of your actual job. <S> I mean you don't do the companies books in your lunch break or clean the floors after hours either. <S> That's jobs , not additional duties to another job. <S> No wonder you are stressed out. <S> Now, lets assume you actually had the time to properly do the Scrum Masters job <S> and you would still be stressed out. <S> Going out of one's comfort zone is great, but only to find out if you actually like <S> what's out there. <S> You never know if you don't try. <S> You said you don't. <S> It's not for you. <S> And that's fine. <S> There's no point in pushing. <S> Go back to being a developer. <S> If you want, try other things out of your comfort zone, maybe another language or another project or maybe even being PO or PM. <S> You don't seem to get more money, there is no "career path" from SM that you could not reach from developer either, so there is no gain. <S> I don't think you "grow as a person" by doing stuff that stresses you out for no gain and against better judgement. <S> You grow bitter. <S> But not better. <S> Life is too short to do stuff that stresses you out. <S> Especially if it's not necessary. <S> If you have the chance to be a happy developer, then what are you waiting for? <A> I will not advise you what to do as career advice is not part of the site guidelines, but give you my opinion about the origin of stress : <S> you try to endorse full responsibility at day one, while you have room to take the role in a lot more lean way and learn things as you practice them. <S> I struggle a lot with the facilitating meeting aspect of it <S> Great facilitators <S> I've met <S> let people speak at large and only stop them when they go offtopic. <S> There is already a lot of value in letting everyone express his or her opinion, and not necessarily in giving yours or being relevant to the topic. <S> Simply preparing a meeting purpose with a few words intro, letting everyone talk, is most if not all the job. <S> and with making sure the team does what they say they do. <S> In litterature I've read it's not really the SM job, but if it is your role anyway, the hardest part is trust. <S> Trust people do what they say they do works most of the time. <S> Some of the time only you are reported or will witness irregularities you have to investigate, but you don't have to be in everyone's back checking they are actually working. <S> People usually try their best without you to tell them to do so. <A> As a professional agile coach (and someone who has been in the agile space since 2003) I can see where your issues lie: <S> The role pretty much means being in charge of scheduling the necessary ceremonies, Nope, the team/PO own the ceremonies <S> so are responsible for scheduling them being default facilitator for the meetings, Nope, you can facilitate to help, but they should be able to function without you. <S> and making sure the team upholds the promises they said they would do Nope, the team makes a forecast of what they will do (commitment was deprecated in 2011 as it's fixed scope in fixed time) <S> You are in a very common Scrum antipattern - Scrum Mom ( see here - https://age-of-product.com/scrum-mom/ ) <S> As a Scrum Master your role is: <S> Help the team clear blockers <S> Coach <S> the team on the agreed process. <S> You have no responsibilities over whether the team deliver, you are there to help work flow, it's a people job, not involving project management or administration. <S> Your stress is because you are being asked to do things that are deliberately NOT in the Scrum Master remit. <A> There are plenty of ways to grow leadership skills, but getting stressed over the ceremonial parts of a SM role will prevent you from focusing on this, and seeing you struggling will not instil confidence in your abilities as a leader. <S> To the contrary, if you maintain an situation that others express doubt in, it can be seen as a lack of judgement. <S> That said, there's plenty of takeaway from the situation; <S> As SM, you've likely tracked tasks for all members of a team, so you know by now how work tends to get done. <S> E.g. when someone is being overambitious in estimation, which tasks normally takes an extra review to get right, how soon business can expect a feature to be delivered, when it's time to clean up tech debt to maintain progress. <S> That's hugely valuable. <S> The good news is you don't have to be a SM to make use of this knowledge. <S> In planning, the approach most often agreed upon is the one that most closely aligns with 'how things normally get done', and having focused on overall team performance, you'll be in a better position than most to assess this. <S> Before deciding to keep the role or not, I'd air my concerns to the rest of the team. <S> Maybe a compromise can be found with less ceremony and shared facilitation duty. <S> Maybe the parts that you stress about are insignificant to others, and you'll know to focus less on them. <S> Maybe others will come to understand the burden of being a SM and thus appreciate your efforts more.
| But if you don't like being SM because it does not play into your strengths, don't do it.
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How do I handle a malicious manager For some reason my manager no matter what I do finds falt. Even though I deliver projects on time, under budget or ahead of schedule. Nothing I do is right. I am constantly told how he laid off two people to save my job. He recently quit the company with little notice, so it seemed, but in truth upper management knew I am sure. The day before his announcement I had my last one on one with him. It was the most unprofessional discussion I have ever had. He was ruthless. I told him of a situation and he jumped all over me accused me of putting his organization at risk, over something really minute issue that could not even impact him. Advised I was paranoid about losing my job and bringing it up twice a month which was totally fabricated. Told me he did not even read most of my emails as they were too long. Interesting as I rarely wrote any. Really tore into me in a very hateful tone. The next morning he announced he quit the company. One of his parting words was that he would ensure to have feedback on our performance. I sent him a wish you well message and got a very short "we will be in touch" and wished me and family good news. Nothing more. My concern is how do I prevent him from taking part in any review since he resigned and based on his attitude with me. I went to HR once about him. His whole attitude towards me changed when he found out I was disabled and in a wheelchair. He is gone but I don't know what kind of damage he did to me or how I recover. . <Q> If he resigned, I doubt he will hold much sway at this point, so I don't think it will cause you trouble to have had issues with him, given he is no longer there. <S> I have heard of people threatening to say bad things when they leave. <S> I have not heard of anything like that having much of an effect. <S> They're leaving, so why would anyone act on their badmouthing? <S> If you do have issues, point out your achievements and deal with it then. <S> I would argue that any attempt to preemptively prevent issues you believe your ex-manager caused you are much more likely to backfire than to have a positive effect. <S> Doing so would definitely end you up in politics - are you sure you want to go there? <S> I would make sure to get off to a good start with the new manager. <S> Don't try to badmouth the old one, but make sure your achievements and experience are valued by the new. <S> Upper management may or may not know exactly what was going on with your previous manager - but <S> if the new one has good things to say about you, they'll get the picture. <S> Good luck! <A> To me it sounds like he was fired, and tried to blame other people for his performance problems. <S> Most likely his bosses and HR understood that his accusations are not true and he tried to deflect responsibility. <S> Ignore managers speaking threatening you them probably being kicked out of the door - they have no power any more and everybody knows that you don´t give a shit on evaluations and feedback which disgruntled employees give on the people they manage. <S> If there would have been bad feedback about you which they would have taken serious, it should have been given a long time ago - either his boss and HR didn't take him serious back then, and for sure they won't do it now, since then the manager would have given it so late that it reflects badly on his judgment anyway. <A> Obviously he was under a lot of pressure either at work or in his personal life and took it out on you, and probably others. <S> It's unlikely from what you described that it's your work that was the problem. <S> Do not worry about the review, there is nothing you can do about it, and he's left <S> , there is no reason he would be doing your review. <S> Don't make it an issue until it is one. <S> At the moment it just looks like a parting shot from a man under extreme pressure. <A> In general I wouldn't worry about it since he's gone now. <S> You should look for a new opportunity to make a good "first" impression on a) whoever you report to now (your boss's boss?) <S> and b) your new boss whenever one's put in place. <S> If there's a one-on-one where someone is talking to you more at length, especially if they ask you about the change, do feel free to say, "Well... I don't like to speak ill of anyone, but I have to say it has been difficult working for X over the last Y long. <S> I'm not sure what all was affecting him <S> but I hope he finds a role he enjoys and can excel at going forward." <S> That's diplomatic manager-speak for <S> "The guy was a psycho loser and we both know it. <S> " It'll confirm to them they did the right thing and they'll be impressed with you being able to say it in a professional manner.
| Be positive and eager in your first interactions and you'll overcome any residual doubt from reading old performance reviews/older interactions.
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