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I’m resigning from my job in the middle of a large time sensitive project. How much time should I give? The reason I’m resigning essentially comes down to the fact that I’m moving across the country in less than two months, and also that the nature of the position has changed significantly in the year I’ve had the job. When I first started working here, it was a 3 month contract for an excel job designed to be on the level of L1 helpdesk, with average L1 helpdesk pay for our area. The project deadlines kept being extended and are currently extended indefinitely. My responsibilities have increased significantly but I’m still on an L1 salary (this is non-negotiable, I’ve checked). I’ve also been postponing my cross country move for a year now, figured I’d wait until the project is over but now it’s starting to look like it’s going to be another few months. We’re deploying tens of thousands of computers across the state. My job in all of this is easy enough so that I think anyone could do it, but it’s time sensitive so I’m not sure if they could hire someone else in the time period necessary to get it done (mid-summer is our deadline). What’s an appropriate amount of time to give my resignation? Should 3.5 weeks be enough? Does that chance if we’re in the middle of a project? <Q> While it seems kinder to give more notice where you can, unless you are fine with them giving you their minimum notice at the moment you give them yours, you put yourself at risk of them firing you early for one reason or another, even if that seems unlikely right now. <S> It is the employer's responsibility to ensure the employee's minimum notice is adequate, and it is essentially their problem if it is not. <A> There are a few ways to answer this question - if you have a contract or job offer letter from when you started the job, look at that to see if a notice period is specified. <S> If not, the "typical" notice will depend a bit on your culture/location/career. <S> For instance, in most IT positions in the US (which is what your situation seems to be), 2 weeks is considered fairly normal. <S> In some other career paths, it might be 4 weeks or something else. <S> Generally, it's expected that people leaving a job will stick to these norms and not make exceptions because of a "long project. <S> " In other words, if you have a 2 week notice specified in your contract, and you quit, your employer isn't going to be upset that you didn't give 2 months notice. <S> They signed the contract which specified the 2 week notice, so that's what they're agreeing to. <S> The project is your employer's responsibility after all, you have no obligation to account for it when making your own personal plans, outside of anything agreed to in a contract. <A> It sounds like you're hanging on on behalf of the company, and wouldn't mind if they did let you go right now. <S> Given that, I'd let them know immediately. <S> It might mean that they let you go early, but you apparently don't have a problem with that, or would even welcome it. <S> It gives them that much more time to find someone to replace you as well. <S> Now, if you only cared about yourself in this case, then yes, you should decide when your optimal time to leave is, and then give whatever the minimum contractually required and/or <S> socially acceptable notice is before that (two weeks, for the "reasonably professional" default for most of the US). <S> It sounds like you actually care about the company you're leaving, though, and the job isn't all that great. <S> Given that, the moral high ground and emotional benefits <S> thereof are probably worth it for you... and if they start treating you poorly between now and your departure date, to the point where you don't want to hang around, you can give your two week's notice then... or just decide to quit on the spot. <S> You are in an at-will state, after all. <S> If they're going to punish you for doing them a favor, that's on them. <A> 2 weeks is standard. <S> More is always appreciated. <S> FWIW: <S> If they increased your responsibilities and didn't increase your pay, they knew the risk they were taking.
| Unfortunately the general answer is to give the notice you are required to give in your contract.
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Should I email a prospective employer regarding my written performance in an online test? Today I took a timed online test for a company I want to work for. It consisted mostly of technical questions, as well as some interview-style written questions (“why do you want to work for us?”, “what are your biggest strengths/weaknesses?” etc.) towards the end. I believe I did well on the technical side of the test, but I do not write well under pressure; running out of time, I rushed my answers to the written questions, and they ended up not effectively conveying what I wanted to say. I was considering emailing the employer explaining that I do not feel my answers to those questions accurately reflect my thoughts. My question is – should I? Would it do more harm than good? I don’t want them to think I have poor communication skills based on my test answers, but nor do I want to seem to be scrabbling to save face – or, worse, attempting to “cheat” the test by elaborating on my answers in the email. Edit: The job is a specific entry-level role, the test is part of the next stage in the recruitment process after the initial application and is not available to the general public, and I have been in email contact with a recruitment coordinator since my initial application. <Q> A timed application is timed for a reason. <S> Not necessarily a good reason. <S> But if they wanted to give you unlimited time so that you could formulate your thoughts with maximum clarity, they would have done so. <S> They didn't. <S> They were instead looking for what you could do in the time allotted, just like all other applicants. <S> At best, they wanted to see what you could do within that amount of time, or possibly how you handle deadlines on these sorts of tasks-- perhaps writing under pressure <S> is part of the job. <S> Emailing an explanation/excuse for what you imagine to have been a poor performance might send good signals: <S> JeffM understands his limitations, and is aware of the quality of his output and seeks to correct/improve where necessary. <S> That's great! <S> It might send bad signals: <S> JeffM performs poorly under time pressure and then is panicky afterwards. <S> We can't have that when deadlines are approaching! <S> It might send no information at all: <S> This email is from a recent applicant, and the subject line says "explanation of application issues". <S> I'm not going to read it. <S> Leave it be. <A> Today I took a timed online test for a company I want to work for. <S> I believe I did well on the technical side of the test, but I do not write well under pressure; running out of time, I rushed my answers to the written questions, and they ended up not effectively conveying what I wanted to say. <S> That happens. <S> It probably wasn't an accident that the test was timed. <S> Almost everyone can write better given an unlimited period of time. <S> My question is – should I? <S> No. <S> Certainly you aren't the only one who didn't do as well on the test as you would have preferred. <S> If they wanted everyone to follow up via email, they would have clear instructions to that effect. <S> Would it do more harm than good? <S> It almost certainly wouldn't make any positive difference. <S> You would fall into the bucket with all the many other "why I didn't do as well on your test as I think I can do in real life" folks. <S> Leave it alone. <S> Hope for the best while you continue your job search. <A> If you don’t want them to think you have poor communication skills, then I would not make sure they know you have poor communication skills. <S> Which is what you will do if you send them an email specifically pointing out your poor communication skills. <S> You have no idea how seriously they take this test. <S> They may take answers to the technical questions seriously but it's very likely that they rarely get any interesting answers to the other questions, so the only thing that matters is if you wrote anything at all. <S> Think about who reads these things. <S> I mean, how many times can you read some BS <S> like "My biggest weakness is that I'm too dedicated to my work" before you discount the question entirely? <S> Do not send an email.
| I doubt it would harm you to reach out, but I don't see how it could do much good for you either.
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Annoying/Pushy Co-worker making remarks on my productivity I have this overachieving coworker and we have the same job functions. My production rate is good, always meet deadlines/goals, and my reviews are always excellent. This person constantly messages me asking what I am doing at different times of the day or complaining that my rates are slow or my work not as good as theirs. I have brought it up to another person at work to have another point of view who suggested it was inappropriate to be on my back all the time, criticizing or being pushy about my work. Would appreciate any suggestions as what to with my situation. <Q> Would appreciate any suggestions as what to with my situation. <S> Given that this person is not your boss, and that your reviews are already excellent and satisfactory, I say that you can safely ignore the provocations and pushy remarks from this coworker. <S> Joe suggested in comments that you could block this person if the remarks and messages are too insistent. <S> This could help stop the messages, but one downside is that this person will not be able to reach out to you the moment they actually have a work-related topic to discuss. <S> If these remarks and messages ever start to affect your productivity, consider documenting them and bringing this up to your boss and telling them that it is harming your productivity. <A> Though it sounds as though you are confident you are in good standing, check in with your manager if you have any doubt. <S> Upon further prodding from your coworker, invite them to take up your perceived slipshod work with your manager. <S> "I'm sorry you feel that way. <S> It is within your rights to address this with [manager name]. <S> Good day." <A> I personally wouldn't ignore them. <S> You have to work with this person, you need to resolve this issue. <S> First off, it does pay to be super-sure this person was not asked to supervise you in some way. <S> Maybe you are already sure? <S> All good. <S> If not, just have a quiet word with you manager, and seek clarification. <S> Ensure that you keep any task tracking software up to date if it exists, and calmly direct them to that if they want to know what's going on. <S> If you don't have task tracking software, consider speaking to your manager to organise a daily or weekly standup, so the whole team is aware of what everyone is working on. <S> Or you can listen to them. <S> It's really up to you, but through your communications, make it clear that you will consider what they are saying, and you are not following orders (though I would not use that language). <S> If they ever question your competency or performance you must shut it down. <S> It is a form of bullying and harassment trying to belittle someone. <S> Do not JADE (Justify, Argue, Defend, or Explain) yourself or your performance. <S> If it continues, you should raise this issue with you manager. <S> It is perfectly acceptable for your manager to raise issues with your competency or performance, as they are able to offer solutions and put in place procedures to help you. <S> But it is absolutely pointless coming from a peer if it's unsolicited and unwanted. <S> My last point is that you shouldn't view this person as an overachiever. <S> They are a coworker, and there is more to achieving than meeting deadlines. <S> It also includes being able to work with others, and being sensitive and supportive to the needs of those around you.
| If they offer unsolicited advise about how to proceed with a task, you can simply thank them, but say that you are not interested in advise at this stage. Let them know that it is inappropriate, and invite them to take it up with your manager if they have legitimate concerns. Keep on with your good work and meeting your deadlines and you will be fine.
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Made mistake leaving company and wish to return. Will taking a job with competitor whilst I wait for next opening reflect negatively? Without going into too many details, I left company A due to bullying and harassment issues. I decided to try something different with company B. However this didn't work out as well as I hoped and I missed the job I had with company A. Again without too many details, the person is question has now left Company A. I've spoken to company A and they are more than willing to have me back, but the next opportunity with them (due to the nature of the business) is not for 7-8 months. In the mean time a competitor to Company A (we will call them Company C if this isn't getting confusing) are looking for people with near enough exactly the same job as Company A. However Company C is a newer company, and so the job isn't as 'professional' and things aren't done in as such a smooth or slick way as Company A. I could start the job at Company C near enough straight away and it would last about 6 months (these are contract type jobs). Given my intent to return to Company A would taking a job at C negatively impact this? UPDATE:My decision has been made for me, as after an interview with Company C, I was not successful. Thanks for everyones replies. <Q> So should I take the job at Company C, and see how it goes, then when it finishes go back to Company A? <S> If the field is very compelling such that you really want to get back into it, then Company C (or some other competitor in this field) may be the right choice. <S> Never go back to a company that permitted bullying and harassment issues severe enough that you felt the need to quit. <S> In this case, don't go back to Company A. <A> We don't give personal career advice, so instead I'm just going to give you some points to think about. <S> It's up to you to weigh them. <S> The bullying you experienced may not have been just about one person. <S> Sometimes an organization is complicit, or at least willfully ignorant. <S> Have a talk with company A about your experience there, and ask what they have done to fix the situation, and what will be different if you go back. <S> Have that conversation now. <S> In the big scheme of things, six or seven months is not that long. <S> It's usually worth waiting that long for a job if its the one you really want. <S> That may be a small or large effect. <S> Getting a job with company C when your intention is to leave after six months is not treating Company C very well. <S> You will be making it harder for you to get a job there in the future if you ever want one. <S> It also makes you look like a job-hopper, which will negatively impact your employability elsewhere. <A> I would not got back to company A. <S> It should never have escalated to the point where one of the employees left because of a management issue. <S> Personally, if you like the type of work and are fine working contracting jobs, I would take job 6. <S> These 6 months you will not only have a stable income, you will also have time to reflect upon your time with company A. <S> And they, maybe you don't even want to leave company C.
| Getting a job with Company C will have a negative effect on your employment prospects at Company A. If you were harassed, bullied, incited, etc ... and therefore have left the company, that probably means that the management at Company A didn't step in in a timely fashion.
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When to inform my manager that I want to leave in one year from now? I have been working in this company for the past 3 years. This is my first job, I started it as an intern while I was studying for faculty. I was then hired as Software Junior, and this year I was promoted to Software Engineer. I like the team and what I am working on, but I don't like the town. I want to move back to my hometown, that I prefer and where my friends and family are. I've decided the best time to do so is next year. We are 3 people (including the manager) in the team, working on a huge project. Should I inform my manager of the leaving as soon as possible or only once I found another job and have a contract with the other company? <Q> Rule of thumb: Only inform (give notice) after you have secured another contract. <S> Not before that. <S> Plans change (in a matter of days or weeks), and a year ahead is too much. <S> There's nothing "good" you can achieve by disclosing your plans ahead of time. <S> Any good organization MUST have a backup contingency plan and that is considered in the "official notice period". <S> You'll not be doing any "favor" to the organization by proving them with the information that you are planning to leave. <S> Remember <S> one (hard) truth: <S> You don't have friends in the workplace, only people who are friendly. <A> Typically, the best policy is to make your future plans (move, new job, whatever) and get everything finalized, then tell your employer. <S> In other words, wait until you have your living situation and your job in your new city all taken care of - in writing. <S> The limiting factor on this in the very short term is ensuring you respect the notice period in your contract, if there is one, or the cultural/industry norms. <S> For instance, in my culture and industry, it's typical to give 2 weeks notice. <S> The danger in letting your employer know any earlier than that is, they may "write you off" as expendable. <S> If you are planning a move to another city, and a new job, it may take a while before everything clicks and you find a new job, etc. <S> If you tell your employer ahead of time, and they decide to replace you immediately (on their timeline, instead of yours) - you could be put in a very bad spot if your plans change - you have trouble finding a new job, your lease on your new apartment gets pushed back, whatever. <S> Otherwise, wait until your typical notice period. <A> The time to notify your manager is after you have signed a written offer from a new company. <S> The notice period you give will depend on your current contract. <S> Even though you are thinking about what you will be doing in a year, there is no guarantee that everything will go according to your plans. <S> Do not tell your manager until you officially have a new job.
| If you already have a new job (in writing - a contract or signed offer letter), you know where you're going to live, and all the details are final, and you don't mind the chance that you'll become unemployed at some point in the next year - you can go ahead and tell your employer.
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How do I tell my boss that I'm quitting soon, especially given that a colleague just left this week I was offered a much better job position at another company and I accepted it. This doesn't imply a problem per se , but my current company is rather small and another worker, who was on the same team as me, left his position this week. This situation would leave the company and the projects we work on with serious delays as my boss will have to try to replace our positions. How do I tell him that I'm planning to leave when my co-worker has also left recently? According to my contract, I am allowed to leave in 15 days. EDIT: Thank you for your answers. I know that I have the right to quit if I notify on time. As @PagMax said, my question is about how to do that in a friendly manner, but I have a few more ideas now after reading your answers. <Q> Your employment is not dependent on others' employment (or resignation). <S> Period. <S> If you chose to leave, you are free to, provided you fulfill the requirements as mentioned in the contract regarding the exit process. <S> If the organization has a backup plan, they will work according to that. <S> If they don't have one: not your problem. <S> If they feel they cannot let you go ( yet ), they will ask you for a negotiation. <S> However, if you're determined to leave, you are free to. <S> Book a meeting room, send a meeting invite and have the discussion <S> - there's no way or reason to try to "sugarcoat" it. <A> While others are addressing the right point that it is not your problem, I think your original question is not addressed: <S> How do I tell him that I plan to leave although my co-worker left recently? <S> Say something like this (with your own variation!) <S> Hey boss, something has changed on my personal front and I would have to seek career outside this company. <S> I know colleague Joe left earlier this week <S> and I am sorry if this would put your projects on an extremely tight schedule. <S> I hope it works out well for all of us. <S> Then offer him how you can pitch-in to make transition smoother. <S> While showing your concern for your current company is "not your problem" if you are leaving, it is a great gesture to ensure you leave on good terms. <A> Welcome to the Workplace. <S> It's not your problem or fault that someone else has left the company. <S> If you made a decision and you are sure about that, you need to talk to your manager and say you'll leave.15-10 days is a good time for them to know so they can organize things better. <S> I know the situation is not the best, and you may feel guilty, but this is normal, these things happens and a company must be prepared. <A> I hope you know the difference between "quitting", "leaving" and "giving notice". <S> If you are in the USA, you are expected to give two weeks notice, in the EU usually more. <S> So if you want to stop working at this place 15 days from now, you should go to your boss now and tell him "Sorry boss, but I want to leave, and my last day will be the 5th of April" (typing this March 20th). <S> And then you give him the same in writing. <A> I would say exactly what top answers are stating here, until I actually entered into this situation myself. <S> To someone not in this situation it looks like a simple decision between our interest's vs company interests. <S> However this gets complicated when one of following is true, You care about your future relationship with your manager, in case you want to come back to company, so don't want to burn any bridges. <S> You care about company too <S> e.g. if it's organization making world a better place e.g. police department or a hospital or so. <S> It's really easy to decide to go 100% in favour of your own interests if you don't care about company e.g. manager <S> had been unfair to you, so giving them standard notice sounds like the best. <S> I think at end your own interests always wins because you don't know how your manager or company will respond to your (good and not so good news). <S> By good news I meant you give them more then standard notice and not so good for which you are leaving after a period. <S> I think you could frame it in this way... <S> I love (choose correct word as how strong you feel) working at place X with person1, person2 and maybe person3 or a group, however I was approched for postion Y by a recruitment agent or whatever the situation was, which I believe is in my best interests. <S> I wish I could had stayed more <S> but I made a very difficult decision to grap the opportunity I am getting, hence I will be leaving on date ABC... <A> All of this depends on you and your morals. <S> You are working for money, you have family to feed, you have bills to pay, you can't work for free just because there's a need for you in the company or because the boss is a nice person. <S> You are free to quit whenever you want and no one has the right to object as long as your contract allows it <S> and you have secured another position (quitting before finding another job may easily backfire against you) <S> I mean it's their company, they should know how to manage it and how to deal with situation like these even if everyone quit at the same time. <S> Wish you good luck <A> Be open about things. <S> Tell them your plans and tell them your concerns. <S> Try to work with them to provide the best solution for your current employer to continue their product and make sure you keep your own interest in mind. <S> You already accepted that other job, which means you didn’t leave a lot of options open. <S> Suggest you’re willing to help, to train someone to that will take over your job, and then make the move. <S> No need to burn bridges. <S> Treat other how you want to be treated if you where in their shoes.
| Also, see if your contract say something about how much time you have to give notice in order to quit. Tell him in a face-to-face discussion. So, don't think too much about it, the company will sure try to recruit others to replace you, many people are looking for jobs, so instead of choosing one candidate, they'll simply choose two,
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Should I assume I have passed probation? My probationary period passed three days ago, I have not been told if I passed it, and I have my evaluation early next week. Should I assume that I have passed probation? <Q> Check your contract. <S> As a fellow Canadian, usually when I've seen probation contracts, the probation period is set by a specified number of days, not by an evaluation procedure. <S> If that's what your contract looks like, then congratulations, you passed! <S> I have never had a formal meeting in any job to discuss passing probation; I have only had such a meeting when I failed it. <S> If you are confused, you should ask your manager, but your manager will probably think you're being silly (not in a bad way, just in a "isn't it obvious?" way). <A> I have not been told if i passed it and have my evaluation early next week <S> should I assume that i have passed probation? <S> No. <S> Your evaluation will tell you whether you have passed probation or not. <S> Be patient. <A> Judging by the fact that you haven't been let go, I'd say you pretty much have <S> but I'd wait for an official word from your manager or someone higher up. <S> Usually you should be invited to a meeting to discuss your performance. <A> No you should not assume that you have passed probation. <S> You will likely be informed of the results of your probationary period during your evaluation. <A> In some places, you will likely need some confirmation that your probation period has been completed, in others it is the law that after a set number of days your probation has been completed by default. <S> In the latter case, you would now be a permanent employee and the termination process can become quite different. <S> If the company wanted to let you go but missed the deadline, too bad for them, they need to comply with the laws that apply to an employee who is not on probation. <S> This doesn't mean that they can't make your work life difficult, but the legal situation changes. <S> In most cases, it is clear long before the end of a probation period whether a person is a good fit to the position/company. <S> Sometimes companies try to exploit the probationary period as a short-term employment position by terminating on, or just before, the last day, because the requirements and remuneration are different (more favourable to the company) than employing a contractor. <S> In the former case, it would be usual to have the meeting/conversation some days prior to the end of the probation period, otherwise it is possibly "within some reasonable period of time" , and then your best option is probably to say something like, <S> *"hey boss, my probation was up last week," either before or at the evaluation meeting. <A> Talk to your manager, mention that the period ended, and ask if you need to fill out any paperwork, or if there is an official review involved. <A> I can't see why they would have that conversation with you now . <S> They're doing an evaluation next week, and that is the ideal place for that conversation. <S> I would expect them to tell you then. <S> In the meantime, bring your A-game.
| It depends where you are and the applicable laws, as well as what may (or not) be stated in your employment contract. Never make any assumptions.
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How politely decline positive feedback? I have always felt uncomfortable and awkward when even minor compliments/praise is given, whether at work or in my personal life. My manager always is making comments such as "Good work!" or "A special thanks to [me]" in emails. I get incredibly uncomfortable when people say such things to me and don't know how to respond. I would prefer to tell him I would rather he just not mention such things and only provide feedback when negative or constructive. How do I politely decline the positive feedback? <Q> Do NOT turn back positive feedback. <S> Just deal with it. <S> This is mostly from experience, but the idea of working is that someone pays you for your work and that they trust you to complete the work done. <S> When you show a lack of confidence, it affects how people perceive you and your work. <S> Generally it's seen as a lack of self-esteem . <S> I won't go that far in your case, but understand that that is the perception and professionals want to be confident in you. <S> But if you can't demonstrate confidence in yourself, then how can they feel they can place their confidence in you. <S> I'm not saying any of this is the case internally for you. <S> But you're just going to have to accept it. <S> It's normal, it's healthy and overall <S> it's good for your career too. <S> Keep that in mind. <S> UPDATE: <S> Op commented bellow confirming the point on self esteem. <S> I would suggest maybe seeking some therapy or trying internally to push back against that negative talk. <S> The world is trying to push you down, the world is trying to beat you. <S> Don't contribute to that. <S> You are your own best advocate. <S> You're working hard and you're crushing it. <S> :) <S> You ARE awesome and acknowledge that, because the world won't always give you that credit and you need to be on YOUR side. <S> Because no one else is... <S> well, except for maybe us plebs at Stack :) <A> If you must, talk to your manager <S> This is a facet of your relationship with your manager, so you need to address it with him. <S> Arrange a meeting or ask to talk privately for a minute, and explain. <S> It is possible that he is making efforts to boost your self esteem if he perceives that you might need it. <S> But this isn't usual Managers who praise their team members rather than taking the glory themselves <S> are good managers , so understand that this is something good managers are supposed to do. <S> Don't set that up to be a problem, resolve it instead. <S> Note that while people often pay compliments socially in order to achieve some ulterior purpose, in a working context your manager may be simply acknowledging your work and ensuring that others respect you for it. <S> For some people this is a new experience. <A> I can understand the fact that it makes you uncomfortable. <S> I have a habit of pointing out negative things when given praise. <S> I have to consciously stop myself and just accept the "good job". <S> Learn to say "thank you" and move on. <S> The fact that you're receiving positive feedback is a good thing as well as the fact that your manager recognizes it.
| If you have issues with receiving compliments, I can only suggest you try to resolve them - the greater your competence, the more likely you are to receive acknowledgements of that. Seriously, it's very, very bad to turn it down.
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How to showcase private work in portfolio? As a software engineering student having secured my first internship, I'm trying to be a little more ambitious in applying for my second one. As such, it's a given that I present some of my code I've worked on on my Github profile. However, I've spent nearly all of my coding time working on my startup (of which I own and am the sole developer of), which is a web application in the private sector. While I'd love to show it off, a demo of the app is not something I'd like to be public. How can I position this to both show off the app/code to potential employers and increase my candidacy? <Q> Even if you own the code, not your client, and no signed NDA you should still seek their permission to show it to others. <S> Especially if there is sensitive data. <S> Nevertheless passion and business acumen are very desirable and rare traits. <S> I would advise you on emphasising this, that you are a go getter, and how you have gone about achieving a successful paid app/product. <S> You can talk about the product in a general sense, how you handle feature requests, draw architectural diagrams, and how you deliver tested updates, etc. <S> This shows you can be trusted to manage a professional project. <S> In your app you will have some sort of framework, UX, State management, advanced CSS, etc. <S> All of these features can be prototyped into smaller demos. <S> Therefor you can quickly build up a nice portfolio of smaller and well executed pieces of work with technologies you already know well. <S> This shows you can technically execute a project. <A> If you wish to show a demo of the app, but you don't want it to become public domain. <S> I would advise you to create a private portfolio showcasing your web application that is either not searchable from the outside, requires a password to enter or simply offline only. <S> Anything showcases doesn't have to be complete as long as you can talk about why you choose this design, how you plan to implement and as many interviewers will ask... <S> any problems you have come across with implementation of the solution. <A> You can not because that code does not belong to you (unless it's an open source project <S> then you gotta fork it) <S> In this case you need to describe your tasks in your cv/resume and do a description of what your work did inside the application <S> but you cannot disclouse that code to others you might get in big time trouble. <S> It is important to show your skills with a github account <S> but you need to work in your own projects, though you don't need whole projects to showcase your skills right now since you're at entry level you can just make small snippets or exercises that accomplish certain features
| You can pick and choose code samples, features, screenshots or a simple business proposal document showcasing the problems your trying to solve and how you plan to solve it that you can take to the interview or attach to a CV. You can also ask potential employers to sign an NDA to cover yourself and give reviewers read only access to a private repository.
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Is it my job as manager to resolve a conflict between two of my direct reports? If as a manager you had a situation of conflict/friction between some team members, setting aside their responsibility to collaborate in improving the situation, do you also look deep into the root cause, hearing each person story and asking other members as well to really understand what's going on? Or as long as the team members find a way to work around the friction that's adequate? <Q> As a manager, you are essentially responsible for your employee's performance - or, at least, keeping them positioned to perform well (the actual performance is up to the employee). <S> When there is conflict that is severe enough that it's affecting performance, that becomes part of your responsibility , the same as any other issue impacting performance - poor equipment, unrealistic deadlines, unclear requirements, etc. <S> That said, there is a fine line between taking responsibility for the conflict yourself, versus coaching employees such that they're able to fix the conflict or perform despite the conflict. <S> In some cases, conflict will be up to you to resolve, or at least mediate: <S> employee A wants to use tool X, but employee B wants to use tool Y. <S> It's appropriate for you, as a manager, to help resolve situations like that, and ultimately have the final vote in which tool is used. <S> The issue may present as a "personality conflict" where two team members are simply not getting along, the fact that it's due to tool selection may not be apparent unless you spend some time understanding context. <S> In other cases, there may be conflicts that are best handled by an EAP, HR, or other entity - personal, non-work related problems, prejudice, etc. <S> The important thing though is that you won't know unless you do at least some level of investigation : in other words, you shouldn't necessarily assume that you need to investigate every issue to <S> it's very root cause, but it's equally as poor an approach to not investigate any issues and assume that speaking sternly at employees will lead to them resolving things on their own without any outside help. <A> Absolutely not, if an issue like this becomes more than <S> petty and work priorities are being threatened, I sternly warn both individually, trying as much as I can to stay out of the details. <S> This usually fixes the problem as they know my next step will be to HR, and when HR gets a hold of something like this, it usually doesn't go well for either of them. <A> I honestly don't care about causes, actions are what matters. <S> Besides, You never get the real truth <S> We're not psychotherapists and we're not trained to be, and thus unqualified to even attempt to get into "root causes", if there even is such a thing. <S> Personally I think it's just a fancy way of saying "excuses". <S> Either people behave themselves or they don't. <S> If you can't get along with your coworkers, you don't belong at that job. <S> A manager is not a father-confessor, a psychotherapist, a high school principal, or a cop. <S> It's not a manager's job to try to plumb the depths of why johnny is insecure and how it goes all the way back to an incident with his puppy back in fifth grade. <S> Now, if a person is having obvious problems, I would direct them to get help, but it's way above my paygrade to try to do it myself. <A> I’m going to take a slightly different direction while agreeing with @dwizum. <S> Your specific question asked “as a manager”. <S> Approving timesheets and PTO, assigning tasks and being a conduit between resources is management. <S> For some roles that’s <S> all that’s needed or maybe all that you want to be. <S> But if you want to lead, not just manage, then you need to be willing to dig deeper. <S> In order to lead, you need to demonstrate interest in them and investment in the common goal you want them to buy into. <S> Forwarding the issue to HR is within your scope, but does little to show you’re personally committed to their success.
| I treat my people like adults and let them settle things. Now, if actions are out of line, it's time to step in, other than that, no.
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How to deal with mandatory unpaid lunch break? This is a question about a job in the United States. It's a sales position in a small company where a person has to work alone in a small office. The work is for 9 hours a day where you can't leave the office to have your lunch. In other words, you need to have your lunch at the office during office hour. The worker only gets paid for 8 hours a day, without any overtime. It's a 4-day-a-week job. With 2 people changing daily shifts & sometimes overlapping. When the worker approached the representative of the employer regarding the possibility to be paid for the lunch hour, he was told that he can close the office to have his lunch break. The issue with that is that the business is not advertised as having lunch breaks, so if he closes the office he runs into trouble with customers (and delivery people, i.e. FedEx, UPS, etc) who complain that the office was closed when they were not aware of it (i.e. the sign does not mention lunch breaks.) So my question, is it worth for the worker to pursue being paid for the lunch hour in that situation? <Q> When the worker approached the representative of the employer regarding the possibility to be paid for the lunch hour, he was told that he can close the office to have his lunch break <S> OK, so the employer made it clear, they are OK with having the business closed for a "reasonable amount of time for lunch break" but they are not willing to pay extra. <S> It's less likely that any repeat attempt is going to prove any more successful. <S> The issue with that is that the business is not advertised as having lunch breaks, so if he closes the office he runs into trouble with customers (and delivery people, i.e. FedEx, UPS, etc) who complain that the office was closed when they were not aware of it <S> (i.e. the sign does not mention lunch breaks.) <S> Make sure to put up a sign mentioning "Lunch break is from 12:30 to 13:30" and let the others deal with it. <A> In the United States, for a meal break to be considered non-compensable time, the worker has to be fully relieved of his/her work duties: Bona fide meal periods are not worktime. <S> Bona fide meal periods do not include coffee breaks or time for snacks. <S> These are rest periods. <S> The employee must be completely relieved from duty for the purposes of eating regular meals. <S> Ordinarily 30 minutes or more is long enough for a bona fide meal period. <S> A shorter period may be long enough under special conditions. <S> The employee is not relieved if he is required to perform any duties, whether active or inactive, while eating. <S> For example, an office employee who is required to eat at his desk or a factory worker who is required to be at his machine is working while eating. <S> (emphasis added) <S> Electronic Code of Federal Regulations - Rest and Meal Periods <S> The examples given specifically include your scenario, being required to remain in the office and perform duties while eating. <S> In such a case, as the time is not your own, the law says your employer must pay for your break. <A> When the worker approached the representative of the employer regarding the possibility to be paid for the lunch hour, he was told that he can close the office to have his lunch break. <S> The issue with that is that the business is not advertised as having lunch breaks, so if he closes the office he runs into trouble with customers (and delivery people, i.e. FedEx, UPS, etc) <S> That's not really your concern. <S> You were told you could close the office for lunch. <S> It's up to the company to determine how to deal with customers, deliveries, etc. <S> If it were me, I'd close the office and inform my manager that I was doing so as I was directed.
| He got a direction (and approval) from the management to close the office for lunch and as long as that is adhered to, there's not much else to worry about.
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How do I tell my boss I need to devote more time to school? I have been working as a software engineering intern for the last 8 months or so. My job started in the summer, then continued into the semester. My employer's plan is to employ me part-time as an intern throughout the remainder of my degree, then offer a full-time position once I have graduated. The last 2 semesters have been less than amazing. I enjoy my job, and I find the work to be very satisfying, but trying to balance work, classes, and homework has become a very big issue. I'm currently taking a standard course load (16 credit hours) of mostly upper-division courses, and then working around 20 hours a week (which is the amount of time my boss expects interns to work). Unfortunately, to get everything to fit into my schedule (which is unavoidably tightened by my living situation), I've had to schedule most of my classes back-to-back, without allowing me to take a break for lunch. Then I find myself up until 2-3 in the morning working on homework. I was able to pull off last semester well enough, but this semester has proven to be extremely difficult, and it just got way worse. My midterm grades this semester did not meet my expectations for my own performance, and one of my professors just informed us that one of my courses would require around an extra 6 hours of expected out-of-class work. At work, I've felt like my performance has been relatively good, given the somewhat limited hours I'm working. That said, I have had to take a few days off of work to attend to life, school, and student organization obligations (I hold a position in the department's student organization). I feel like my boss has been fairly pleased with my actual work output, but I have also observed that he's not particularly pleased with how many hours I'm actually working. Additionally, I have no guarantee that he's actually satisfied with my performance, as I have had no performance evaluations. When I'm needing to take a day off, he always asks if there's a day I can come in early to make up for lost time. The answer is almost always "no" since I go from class directly to work. I've come to the conclusion that I will need to cut out a full day of work so I can focus on improving my grades, making room for out-of-class course obligations, attending student organization meetings, and just generally tending to my physical and mental health so I don't get [even further] burned out. How can I tell my boss that I need to cut a full day from my schedule when I'm already backed against a wall with hours? EDIT: I should clarify on the student organization commitments, as I think I made that seem more invasive in my original question than it actually is. To be clear, those meetings are very few and far between. Thus far, this semester, I've only had two total meetings regarding the student organization. The meetings have been mandatory (budget meetings with the university staff, I'm the treasurer of the organization). My involvement with the organization this year is a little unavoidable at this point, as the organization is extremely small, and I'm the only eligible person to do the job. Apologies if I made it sound like the meetings are more invasive than they actually are-- those meetings were just on my mind at the time. Additionally, the question of credit and payment has been raised. I am getting paid hourly for my work, but I am no longer getting university credits for my job (I was during the summer, but not afterward). That said, the employment is dependent on me remaining in school. Cutting back on coursework is entirely out of the question. I appreciate the input received thus far, and I look forward to hearing more. <Q> You clearly need more time for your education and your homework. <S> From your question I get the impression that you're afraid your boss is going to get upset because he "expects" you to work 20 hours a week. <S> I think you should look at it from a different angle. <S> He will just be grateful for mentioning that you want to focus a little more on your education. <S> After all, he wants you to succeed, doesn't he? <S> After you complete your education you will be more valuable to your boss. <S> What if you fail your education? <A> Ask him. <S> Why not? <S> You are a student above everything else. <S> If internship is part of your curriculum, it should be treated as part of your study not as employment . <S> I am doing graduation project at the moment in a company, full time. <S> However, I do have to finish other subjects, and I made this clear to the manager. <S> It is an internship, and the company should treat you as a student, not as an employee. <S> Even more: If your boss wants to employ you afterwards, he should be interested in your academic success. <S> Just ask for it and explain why you need the time off, I am sure he will give it to you. <S> Edit: If this internship is not a part of your study, then you should reconsider the approach, because expectations of you are completely different. <S> If you work there independently from school, it might be a bit more difficult to find solid arguments for dropping hours, yet the previous point still stands: If your employer wants you, he will give you time off to get your degree <A> Conservatively, what is the maximum number of hours you can devote to work? <S> It is ok if the answer to this is zero. <S> In addition, what is the minimum number of hours <S> you can afford to work? <S> Hopefully zero <S> but it is important to consider this. <S> Once you have figured out the maximum/minimum number of hours you should speak to your boss. <S> You could open the conversation by saying that you want to negotiate a plan for the future. <S> Briefly explain your difficulties and that you would like to work for him when you graduate (if true). <S> State that you think it would be a good idea to stop working for him for the remainder of the term. <S> If pressed then offer your maximum number of hours or, if suitable, a week or two of work to tidy things up. <S> Reaffirm that you would like to work for him afterwards and ask how this will work. <S> Some points to consider: <S> The company is trialling you but you are also trialling the company. <S> If they don't care about you enough to let you get your degree then are they going to be a good choice in the long term? <S> Unless you live in a wonderful country you will have paid a lot to take the degree (even if this is in the form of a loan). <S> Retaking the degree is probably not an option. <S> There is no guarantee that your boss will employ you long term (years). <S> It seems likely that they will <S> but you can't know for sure.
| Just talk to your boss, ask if you can work fewer hours.
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Recover from management getting the impression that I'm haughty I work for a company that makes a software product. This is my first real job. I started out on a team with a bit of a bad rep in the rest of the company. At first, I thought it was because of the, as the CEO calls it, island-mentality this team has. Turns out, the team was rather toxic and contributed heavily to my anxiety disorder. In hindsight, there were red flags from the beginning, including my colleague explaining to me basic concepts like SQL select statements. I was a bit of a special case when I got hired by this company. I was the second person ever to be hired while still in university. I was the first female developer ever hired (not that strange, considering this company mainly hires from the only local university and there were no females in that program for a long time). I was the only person ever to start as a "trainee" instead of just a "developer". My contract was temporary. I can only guess as to the reasons why, I just know that this was decided by my manager. A few months short of a year in, after impressing the whole company with some work I did, my manager asked the CEO to promote me. I got a promotion to "developer" with a 30% pay raise, to the salary mentioned in the handbook as the starting salary for the "developer" role and the end date on my contract got removed (vast contract in Netherlands). Not long after, I got assigned a personal project. The description of this project was 1 sentence long. It seemed exciting and challenging when I started it. I started gathering requirements, mapping out data (there were over 500 tables with some having over 400 fields), figuring out how APIs that I needed to use worked and documenting that (they had no documentation) and other steps needed to just figure out what to do. I reported my progress to my (non-technical) manager every week. Not long after, about two months after I got my promotion, I wrote the question linked above. At that time, I got a performance review too, during which the CEO told me he got the impression that I got haughty and my performance dropped since I got promoted. My manager said that was because I wasn't progressing as fast as expected on my project. My manager actually had no idea on the size of the project, it was my colleague who said how long it should take. The CEO offered to transfer me to a different team working with newer technologies, hoping that would spark my interest again. I accepted, wanting to get away from that team badly. I had no clue where that all came from. Now I realise a few things, working for this new team. Team managers are supposed to provide requirements documents. The priority on my project had increased and upper management wasasking my manager questions about it. I got in trouble for not having written any code yet, even thoughthat made complete sense. Seems like I took the fall for someone else's mistakes. I've been on this new team for a few months now. My new manager is very happy with me, my anxiety is recovering, HR is aware of my colleague's behaviour towards me. It's going a lot better. I am now wondering what to do with upper management thinking I'm haughty. I think the CEO may have realised to some extend what was going on (there are just 2 levels of management, so the CEO is my manager's manager and the company is small, about 60 people) and attempted to save me. He replaced me by a socially much stronger person, who took on my project and defended the code I ended up writing to the manager and the CEO. TL;DR: Management seems to have gotten the impression that I'm haughty when I didn't do as much work as expected, when instead I was suffering from a toxic team and my work got underestimated. How can I stop this impression from coming to haunt me later? I plan to stay with this company for a long time. <Q> The best way to fix a bad reputation is to put your nose down and do your work, and do it well. <S> In time it will fix itself. <A> I'll agree with @Keith's answer. <S> Do the work, do it well, get along with your new team, and it will fix itself. <S> I'll go beyond that, though. <S> You're fresh out of school. <S> People expect that new students may have some difficulty settling in to their new roles. <S> If anything, demonstrating that you can be a solid worker for the new team, and not overly egotistical lets your leadership pat itself on the back for having helped develop you as an employee. <S> If you want to push things a bit further, and you're concerned for some reason that the CEO hasn't noticed that you've improved, thank him for giving you the transfer the next time you happen to see him. <S> Don't imply anything bad about your old team (Really. <S> Don't.) <S> but say something like you feel like you fit in <S> really well with your new team, really like your new boss, <S> are feeling a lot more productive where you are... something like that. <S> Pick something you can say honestly. <S> After all, you do appreciate having been transferred. <S> Just present it as being good things about where you ended up, and how well you're fitting there, rather than bad things about where you left. <S> It's not necessary. <S> I'd lay odds that the CEO already knows. <S> Still, expressing appreciation to your superiors when they do things that merit appreciation is almost never a bad idea. <A> I wouldn't worry about it. <S> He's the CEO. <S> He could have you out the door in a snap of his fingers if he wanted to. <S> Instead, he found you a new team to work with, and clearly things are going better now. <S> If he was interested enough to help you improve your situation, he'll surely follow up with your boss to see how things are going now.
| So focus on doing great work and keeping your boss happy with your work, and the CEO will find out and realize you're a great employee who was just stuck in a bad situation earlier. Don't give anyone a reason to say anything bad about you.
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I didn't get as much bonus as Manager promised: I think he lied to me Some months ago my previous manager left and now I report to someone else who is in another country. Two months ago I had the opportunity of meeting him in person, we had a meeting and he promised me the full bonus as he said he couldn't evaluate my objectives, he didn't even go through them. This week I received a letter from HR confirming I will receive the half bonus. I approached him and he said he doesn't remember what he said, he blamed someone else, and said he is going to check. I feel he is fooling me and buying time, I feel betrayed because I left the meeting trusting his words but he did something behind my back. Do I have some rights? Can I report him or something like that? <Q> Here's the thing about a bonus: <S> A bonus is a bonus . <S> Bonuses are not guaranteed, that's why it's a bonus given based on various factors and not a salary written into your contract. <S> Your manager doesn't have to honour anything about a bonus, unless it is written down in a formal way and approved by the payroll department. <S> Do not judge your personal finances on the assumption of getting a bonus, and do not judge your current employment based on the theoretical size of a future bonus that might never materialize. <S> As to whether or not you think your manager lied to you, you have 2 choices: 1) <S> Your manager is a liar. <S> In which case, you can't trust him for anything; once a liar, then there is always the suspicion of lying about anything, so you can't fully trust a liar. <S> But you need to be able to trust your manager to work in the best interest of their team, to make sure your tasks are prioritized and scoped correctly so you can do your work. <S> If you can't trust your manager, time to find a new manager, via internal or external transfer. <S> 2) <S> In which case, give him the benefit of the doubt. <S> You can be upset with him because maybe you think he broke his promise, but you should assume it wasn't a targeted attack against you. <S> As above, your bonus is not a promise, and <S> any promise of a bonus is only as good as the paper it's printed on; if it's not printed on paper then it's not any good. <S> I think you've learned that lesson. <A> People lie. <S> Mangers lie. <S> You need to accept that. <S> Anyway: <S> You actually have no idea what has happened in two months. <S> The companies profits could have dropped. <S> His boss could have spoken to him and asked him to cut bonuses. <S> He could have legitimately forgot. <S> He could have redone his maths and realized it isn't possible. <S> There are a heap of reasons why it's not as bad as you think. <S> Reporting on your manager should only ever be done if you have a serious grievance. <S> A lot of the time it's a career ending move for the employee. <S> Especially if it's your word against his. <S> In any case, he can simply say he changed his mind. <S> He is entitled to do that. <S> Two months ago, your expectations were inflated, now reality has struck. <S> You are really no worse off than you were then. <S> You should put your head down and work hard and make it impossible for him to avoid giving you a full bonus next time around. <A> If you have no written proof it's your word against his. <S> I would advise against reporting him. <S> Since it's a first offence I would advise you to give him the benefit of the doubt and leave him time to clarify the situation. <S> However in the future always have promises of bonuses, raises, etc.. written down in an email or a signed paper. <A> It sounds like you should give it a few days to figure out what's going on. <S> But beyond that- <S> how important are you to the organization? <S> If I thought I deserved a promised bonus <S> and they didn't, I'd offer to resign and let them find a better fit if I wasn't worthy of the bonus. <S> Of course when you play hardball you have to accept the possibility that they let you follow through with it.
| Your manager is not a liar.
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My co-workers do not invite me regulary to coffee, after the work After work, my co-workers usually go to grab a coffee or some drinks. They all go together, and I was invited only a couple of times. I have been employed there for a couple of months now. I would like to have a good relationship with them, so what can I do to be included more often? A couple of times I went with them and it was really awkward. I didn’t really know what to talk about with them or how to join in on the conversation, so it would be less awkward. Personally, I am reserved, self-conscious, and socially awkward, so sometimes I don’t know what to say. What can I do, and how must I behave to make them accept me more in their social circle? <Q> Have you tried asking? <S> Next time you hear them talking about going for coffee or drinks, just try asking "Do you mind if I join you?" <S> In most cases, once you've been invited a couple of times, people just assume you know that you're welcome and stop actively inviting you. <S> If you're quiet and introverted you may be feeling awkwardness that the group itself doesn't notice. <S> Unless you specifically aggravated someone in your last trips, they probably have just grown accustomed to you being around and aren't making a concerted effort any longer. <S> If you express interest in going, they'll know you really do want to go and aren't just being nice because they asked. <S> Show an interest in being included <S> and they will likely show an interest in including you. <A> Perhaps read "How to win Friends and Influence People". <S> Its a pretty solid book on how to be a bit more out going, and how to get around the "i dont know what to talk about" mindset. <A> You can deliberately practice improving talking with anyone. <S> As has been said, just ask. <S> Mostly avoid work topics so you can branch out. <S> Avoid politics. <S> Consider sports, movies, weather. <S> Practice active listening. <S> You can read about that think of it as a social skill. <S> https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_listening Practice smiling in the mirror. <S> Don't be shy about it. <S> Relax. <S> Don't be anxious. <S> Don't fill up your head with too many things. <S> Keep your conversational gambits simple and think later about what goes well and where to improve.
| They may be just as worried as you are about not imposing, and they don't want to put you in an awkward place between seeming rude for turning down an invitation and forcing you to go on an outing after work. Think of things to say in advance.
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Helping a junior who creates a context before asking for help My junior colleagues know that I have expertise in certain areas and can help them whenever needed. In fact, there were cases where I was proactive and helped them resolve issues in those areas. There is this one junior with whom I have had good conversations in the office. Yet, when it comes to ask for help, s/he uses a roundabout way to seek help from me. It usually starts with talking about an irrelevant topic with me, or shouting at the top of their voice airing their problem among others. In first case, I felt like the junior was trying to butter me when it was not needed at all. Given the rapport we have had, I felt this was absolutely unnecessary. In the second case, s/he talks aloud so that I can hear them and then they would approach me for help. We sit at neighboring bays. I feel that creating these kind of contexts is not really important. I am ready to help them even if they approach me directly. I do not want to respond to such buttering or shouting aloud persons. I want to make them clear that if they need any help from me, they can approach me directly. How should I approach this issue? <Q> I think is about the relationship between the two of you. <S> Some people tends to be shy or something like that during the first day, some others can't ask directly for help. <S> I know a few cases like these : the person is in need of help, and they try to make it clear that they need help simply because they can't ask. <S> That's their nature. <S> I remember during an internship, I talked to few people who didn't even work in the same department, but then others have started conversations with me <S> , we've had coffee sometimes and we've got to know each other better, after that whenever I needed help <S> I would always go directly ask a person that can help without any problem. <S> I don't know exactly, but I'm just giving you some idea to break the ice. <S> The closer you get to someone the more you'll feel free to ask them about anything. <S> Just keep in mind one thing : During work hours you're his senior and not his friend, you can be friendly with each other but at work <S> , everyone have a position to maintain in from of others. <A> She probably feels inadequate and doesn't want to be seen as a person that can't do her job. <S> So she won't come directly for help. <S> I'm getting back into the IT world after being out for 7-8 years. <S> I am frequently having to go to another team member (almost daily) with some questions. <S> It is a little bit humbling, as I was a team leader before leaving IT years ago. <S> I can see how she may feel self-conscious. <A> You say that between this person and you there is a good relationship and rapport , as you know each other. <S> You also say that you would wish this person would be more clear and to-the-point when asking you for help. <S> Given these facts I suggest a direct approach, something like: <S> Hello [name] <S> , how have you been? <S> You know... <S> I've been feeling that lately you sometimes get a bit shy or hesitant when reaching to me for assistance. <S> I want to reassure you that you can count on me for help whenever you want, and I will gladly provide it. <S> There is no need to hesitate or feel shy... <S> in fact, I prefer if you were more direct from now on. <S> That way, I can better understand what you mean, so we can reach a solution together in the least time possible. <S> This way you are reiterating your willingness to help, but at the same time politely and clearly asking this person to be more to-the-point when asking.
| To make her feel comfortable, go out of your way to compliment her on what she does right, explain that we all need help in some areas, and reiterate that you are always willing to help. Try to get closer to your junior, have launch together sometime, go out sometime as just friends and not the Junior/Senior relationship.
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What to do if I am feeling useless at work? Context: I had was on a 4 month school internship in a software development company. After these 4 months, I stayed at the company as we discussed it before the internship. It's been 2 months since working there as a non-intern. Just a few days ago I was legally hired there as an actual employee (so, for the 2 months I was working with no contract whatsoever). Also, I should mention I already have a huge experience with all the technologies that the company uses as I have had a part-time job for the past 3 years in a different company, so I see myself as a pretty skilled developer. The current situation: for the past 2-3 months my work has been very boring. I don't get a lot of stuff to do. Usually my tasks are "go research (something)" or "check out (something) and see how our company could use it", so it's a pretty boring work, and does not involve programming at all. I don't get any big programming tasks either, maybe just a few fixes on existing projects. Sometimes I don't have anything to do at all, so when I ask for a task to the boss, he says he needs to think of something I could do and gets back to me after a few hours with something boring or not related to programming again. I asked for the reason why I don't get many tasks to do, the answer wasn't very clear but I understood that the company has other issues to think about that are not related to programming and there is generally nothing to do, which I don't think is true as there are other developers at the company who always seem busy working and discussing the programming stuff. The company is a small one with just 8-10 employees. Question: what should I do in this situation? I want to work, have new challenges, and be busy at work, but I am not given the opportunity. It makes no sense to me that they would hire me and keep paying me salaries, but don't really make me do anything <Q> Question: <S> what should I do in this situation? <S> I want to work, have new challenges, and be busy at work, but <S> I am not given the opportunity. <S> It makes no sense to me that they would hire me and keep paying me salaries, but don't really make me do anything <S> Be calm, be patient, and be consistent. <S> Allow your work to speak for itself with solid quality, great consistency, and always on time. <S> This will allow you to be recognized for your work-ethic and ability. <S> Also, go above and beyond. <S> It sounds like you feel a little guilty about them paying you for your lack of work. <S> Do you see opportunities within the scope of your job functions to create new code? <S> Could you create code that aggregates the data you're "looking up" and "researching?" <S> What about offering your own input? <S> This is non-threatening, gives the boss some time to review at his discretion, and opens up possibilities for work you could do. <A> R&D: Research & Development. <S> Sometimes you research . <S> Sometimes you develop . <S> Ask your manager whats going on and what projects are on the horizon so you can better focus your research. <S> If he mumbles or avoids you look for another job. <A> My first thought on reading your question is to prototype! <S> MacItaly's answer is good, I would just add in building simple examples of how the technologies that you are researching can fit (or not) with your company's technology stack.
| Maybe an email to the boss with ideas you could implement for the company.
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What should you do if you miss a job interview (deliberately)? It is a very irresponsible question. I had a Java interview scheduled today. I went near the office location and on the way I realized that I was not ready for the interview. The last year at my current job has been a very draining experience due to which I have been unable to polish my skills (no excuses) - which is one of the reasons I was looking for another job in the first place. On my way to the interview I realized I had not brushed up on my skills for a long time. Previously I have been very good at giving interviews, but this time it occurred to me that it would be a disaster so I just went back home without giving the interview. Is there anything I should do in order to avoid being blacklisted (if possible)? <Q> I personally would place a phone call or email to let them know that something came up that you weren't able to make it, and that you had decided to stay where you are rather than seek a new position. <A> Admit it: You're never going to be as "ready" as you want to be, there'll be always room for improvement. <S> What you did is wrong on multiple fronts, but I'm not going to start criticizing you as you clearly see you're the one with the faults. <S> You need to do two things: <S> As of now, for the "damage control", you can call them (or email, but call is preferred) and inform that something unavoidable came up and you were not able to make it to the interview. <S> Also tell them you realized that you were not fully prepared to handle the interview and so to save everyone any further trouble, you did not finally show up. <S> Apologize for the time which is wasted because of you. <S> Then politely ask for a rescheduling ( <S> though it is unlikely you'll get one) and leave it to them. <S> For future: to ensure this does not happen again, make sure you have your self-confidence boosted before you plan to appear for an(other) interview. <S> That said, remember, it's better to appear and fail than having a no-show. <S> The first approach will At most cost you the time and effort to have the interview <S> You'll gain invaluable experience and confidence. <S> The second one will Cost you your "reputation" and "trustworthiness". <S> (very hard to regain) <S> You will gain nothing. <A> It would seem polite to contact the company and apologize for the no-show. <S> Unfortunately, you won't be able to give the interviewers back the time that they wasted waiting for you to turn up. <S> All you can do is be honest with them. <A> Very few people are ready for an interview. <S> Just don't waste their time going to interviews for jobs you never intend to accept. <S> The worst thing that can happen to you is that you get rejected. <S> And rejected you will be, over and over again. <S> This happens to everyone and is something you should consider a part of a learning process. <S> Don't take it personal, but instead learn something from each one. <S> So to answer your question; Don't focus on one company. <S> Even if you screw up the interview you can always apply at a later stage. <S> You should also apologize to the company you left hanging. <S> Not because you want to save the situation but because it's the right thing to do. <A> Personally when it comes to technical interview <S> I always like to attend them, even when I know my chances are low. <S> Showing up and doing those is a good thing and can provide valuable information: <S> Highlight your current skills in a pseudo-real-life situation so that you know what to improve. <S> This may be a good opportunity to learn something new of gain new insight if the interview is with people Practice those skills and see if you are a proper fit for them ( you are also evaluating how they evaluate you and what they are looking for in a candidate) With some luck and a good attitude and a desire to learn and improve, you may be the best candidate they interview even if you think you did poorly. <S> If you missed, try to contact them, apologize, then try to reschedule a new one if they are still interested. <S> Otherwise everyone is at a loss. <S> I hope this helps.
| It's ok to say that you don't feel that you were fully prepared for the interview and admit that it might have been better to contact them as soon as you decided not to progress further. Thank them for the time, apologize for not being there when you said you would. Never back out because you don't consider yourself prepared well enough. As with everything, practice makes perfect, and that includes job interviews.
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Coworker read a private chat of me complaining about her. What do I do? I had left a private chat open at my computer complaining about a coworker of mine and she read it. I had complained that she told another department some incorrect information. She confronted me and told me that I should talk to my manager if I thought someone was giving out incorrect information. What should I do? Should I talk with my manager about this and if so what should I say? <Q> I wouldn't act on this. <S> This is fairly minor and not something worth bothering management with. <S> Next time, don't leave your chat open when you've been complaining about someone. <S> Or better yet, don't complain about a coworker somewhere that leaves a paper trail. <A> Your colleague was correct in asking you to take it to her manager, although it would've been better to pretend she never saw it. <S> But that's done now. <S> It's generally a good idea to never write something that you wouldn't want the other person to read. <S> Not only does it save you from situations like this, which are vanishingly rare, but it forces you to think the situation through and come up with a better course of action. <A> What should you do? <S> If what she told the other department was not related to you or your work then you need to just mind your own business and stop spreading gossip. <S> If it was related to you or your work, then you can speak with her and let her know why the information was incorrect. <A> You might invite her to a lunch/coffee and apologize to her for complaining about her in the chat and try to be friend with her. <S> Lots of friendships start at such point. <S> Next time, when you had such problems, you may try to speak to the person, rather than to take it to any third person, including managers. <A> While it is stupid to leave your works computer unlocked with your private chat on display for everyone to read, that doesn't give anyone the right to actually read it. <S> So your colleague is very much in the wrong here. <S> You can tell her that. <S> Whatever complaint she has, her reading your private chat (during her own worktime, when she should be doing her work anyway) is the worse thing, <S> so you can tell her that straight away and don't accept her complaint at all. <S> If she wants to go further with her complaint, you deny everything and ask her for evidence. <S> Since you are not going to show your private chats to anyone, she has no evidence. <S> Note that I'm talking about private chats. <S> Anything that she can read from her facebook account because you posted on facebook is not private. <S> In the UK, people have been fired for posting on facebook where anyone could read it.
| Nobody should ever read what's on your screen, because that could be highly confidential information - for example highly confidential information about a customer that nobody other than you should read. There's no point in bringing this up to your manager, unless your coworker decided to talk to them first.
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How to deal with unfocused colleagues A close friend of mine has twice expressed frustration in working on teams that are not focused. She has already switched teams once but again finds herself in a situation where she wants to switch teams again. The reason she considers them unfocused is because they "laugh and joke a lot during meetings", which the manager is fine with, along with a few unknown other reasons as to why they "don't take their work seriously". The thing is, this opinion is entirely new to me and directly contrasts with my own personal opinion which is - life is short, enjoy work, have a laugh, and as long as the work gets done then there aren't any problems. Even if delivery is a little behind, it's better that than an unhappy team who eventually leaves. My question revolves around some form of solution to the situation. I am concerned that she will keep jumping teams and ruining a potentially good thing. Is this an entirely opinion-based problem or is this something that needs to be solved on a team level? My opinion on this is that if the manager is fine with it, she should learn to be also. Is it realistic to expect more focus from the rest of the team? Basically - what can I do to help her help herself? <Q> Briefly: Is this an entirely opinion-based problem <S> Yes or is this something that needs to be solved on a team level <S> Also yes. <S> Unless you're in a very privileged position, you don't get to pick your team. <S> The days of teams being cherry picked for a shopping list of so-called "desirable" personality traits are thankfully long gone, and it is accepted that different personalities make teams. <S> So with regards to your friend's problem and referencing my responses at the top of the answer: <S> Yes, this is an opinion based problem. <S> There will be people who drift through their career seemingly doing very little work and always having a laugh and at the other extreme there will be work horses who work long hours and chat and socialise very little. <S> Your friend is of the opinion that a team members should behave in a certain way which is perfectly understandable, but the KPI of any team is not necessarily behaviour, but results . <S> Clearly the manager is not of the view that a close knit team having a laugh is affecting output otherwise something would be done about it. <S> If the team isn't performing then <S> yes, something should absolutely be done at the managerial level, but this is a call for the manager. <S> It is human nature to want team members to behave like us and hold the same values but it is somewhat naive IMHO to expect this to be the case in every team you come across. <A> Regarding your friend's situation, I started off in the a similar state where I wanted more efficiency from the team and less joking around. <S> But as I got older, moved around companies and ended up in a cut-throat unicorn-wannabe startup, I realized the errors of my ways. <S> At the startup, I outputted work at my maximum efficiency, but the more I outputted the more the startup wanted out of me. <S> I didn't get to enjoy a lot of the socializing aspects of the startup, because I was too busy outputting a ton of work. <S> I ended up gaining a ton of weight, burning out and being generally miserable. <S> I switched companies, but I also switch mentalities. <S> It's okay to take the time to make jokes and go out to lunch with people, it makes work much less stressful and more fun. <S> At the end of the day, maximizing each individual's output isn't the most important thing, because you don't want to burn out your workers. <S> As long as we get the job done, sacrificing some time to add a few jokes in a meeting or ask how everyone's weekend was is worth it. <A> It sounds like she may need to fashion herself into a champion of cultural change. <S> Ordinarily, this is something you hope the leadership does, but there's nothing to stop anyone from trying. <S> She just needs to inspire the team with a compelling vision; such as, emphasizing how much better off everyone could be if they could grow the company or finish project "X". <S> Or about the impact they could make on the world if they could scale faster. <S> (I know nothing about the actual organization or product, so just throwing out examples.) <S> It can help to understand each team member's individual motivations. <S> She could have a chat with each of them individually and ask them questions like: what do you really love about working here? <S> What do you especially dislike? <S> What kind of work really gets you excited about coming to work? <S> Describe your ideal day. <S> etc. <S> Then she could identify the changes some aspects of the current culture which is holding them back--such as unfocused, inefficient meetings, lack of prepared agendas for meetings, lack of a "scribe" or note-taker who documents important decisions for the team, and anything else. <S> Increase it by 30% to account for benefits. <S> Then she could present solutions, such as circulating an agenda before meetings so people can prepare, starting a timer (google TimeTimer), standing meetings, assigning a scribe, etc. <S> Or better: call a design thinking session so that everyone has some buy-in (see Google's "Sprint" book). <S> Or should could present such a plan to her boss. <S> As a boss myself I love it when people bring me solutions (not just problems). <S> Turning around a toxic company culture is hard work, but it's not impossible.
| She could point out the high-cost of meetings: make a gustimate average of everyone's hourly wage and multiply it by the meeting time to show just how expensive a meeting can be.
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How to say to my boss that our new sysadmin is a disaster at work? I really hate to judge people, but the new sysadmin that was hired by the company that I work is really bad at work. When my boss hired him, he already knew that this new guy didn't know too much about AWS. His first task was really simple, which is he just needs to read the documentation about the AWS and learn how it works. When he received his first real task that was to config a server to send email, he spent 2 days in this task and couldn't get it complete. After that, he was assigned to map all resources from our AWS account. But, instead of asking the people of the company who was responsible for each instance, he just starts to shut down instances! This was tremendously irresponsible. And again, when he received a job to set up an EC2 instance and integrate with an RDS resource he spent 2 days again and couldn't get the work done until 3 developers help him with the task. As I said, I didn't want to judge him, but, in my humble opinion, there is no condition that our company could stand with this sysadmin. How I could say this to my boss? <Q> If "he should have asked" then "he probably didn't ask because it clearly was expected of him to figure things out on his own". <S> If you like him personally, I would suggest you in a one-on-one ask him how you can help him getting a better grasp of these things instead of just letting him dig his hole deeper. <A> These are very visible failures. <S> There is no way your managers are not seeing them. <S> Let them assess the situation and make the decision. <S> They are very unlikely to appreciate you explaining the obvious or interjecting your own interpretations and assessments. <S> There is also the possibility that the hiring manager saw something of potential in this under-qualified sysadmin. <S> That's their prerogative. <S> Your job in this situation is: Survive. <S> Don't let these failures bring you down. <S> Assist. <S> Show you can be useful helping this new worker get up to speed. <S> That's it. <S> Leave the managing to the managers. <A> You need to view this entirely through the lens of your own work If it doesn't impact your work at all, leave it alone. <S> If it DOES impact your work, approach the guy directly, describe to him exactly (and factually) what happened and what the impact was. <S> Don't blame, don't judge, don't complain, but state clearly what needs to happen in the future so that you can do your work. <S> Offer to help if that's reasonable and applicable. <S> If that doesn't work, approach your own manager. <S> "hey, boss I'm falling behind on project XYZ since our AWS instance was down for two days last week. <S> I really need this up and running, can you you help make this happen? <S> " <S> Again, don't judge, don't blame, <S> don't complain, just stick with what's blocking you and that you need help getting the block removed. <S> That's a manager's job! <S> This is fairly prescriptive approach, but there is a lot of reasoning behind it. <S> It's not your job to assess and deal with performance issues. <S> In order to do this, you need to have full visibility to all what's happening, which you typically don't have, so your conclusions are likely to be wrong or incomplete. <S> That's a manager's job. <S> There is nothing wrong with helping out and supporting, but too many people trying to do the same job gets messy really quickly. <S> I don't think the "radical candor" approach applies here. <S> I have seen Kim Scott speaking and this approach is primarily designed as a management tool and <S> it's less useful in peer to peer interactions. <S> Focusing on the actual (measurable) effects on your work, takes the whole emotional & blaming aspect out of the discussion. <S> It also allows to define and track and "objective" metric on whether things are improving or not. <S> You give management the tools and information that they need to deal with the problem (which they have to) but keep your own involvement to a minimum, focusing only the data-based constructive part of it. <A> As a quite fresh sysadmin, I feel like I have to say my 2 cents. <S> It might be possible your company is asking him too much regarding his experience/knowledge. <S> Is he new in the field? <S> Does he have a mentor? <S> I've been in situation where I know I have taken much more time than a "regular" sysadmin because I was learning. <S> I might have done mistakes , but I had people I could talk to about it. <S> If that person just got in that job with barely no explanation, then I would understand her first couple of months are going roughly. <S> Assist them. <S> Bringing them down won't help you :) <S> PS: if that person has 25 years experience, then that might not be the reason. <S> No matter what, don't be the guy who is like "buh boss <S> he's reaaaally bad". <A> One point I want to stick on in this: he already knew that this new guy didn't know too much about AWS <S> This is important, in my view. <S> Very broadly speaking, if you hire someone where it is up front clear that they're not comfortable with what they're doing then <S> you're going to have growing pains. <S> Is that to say everything going on <S> is purely because he's not familiar with the tech? <S> I'm not sure. <S> But what is clear, is it seems that someone has been hired to do a job that they aren't prepared for or maybe not qualified to do? <S> But they might have some tangential skill that links to the job? <S> So pile on these variables: <S> New tech, new people, new company, new polices, new environment, new processes, new clients, new deadlines. <S> It makes sense to me why tasks cannot be delivered on time. <S> the System Administrator is learning as he goes. <S> SIDE NOTE, <S> JUST OPINION: <S> ... and in some ways we can't judge that too hard. <S> Companies work with the resources they have available to them. <S> Sometimes it means hiring someone who is willing to do the job rather than not hiring. <S> It's not ideal, but all I can say is there will be growing pains.
| For a new hire being assigned to work with an unknown technology, I think that you - that is your company, your boss and you as well - are overestimating what can reasonably be expected to be picked up by a new hire in a very short time, and that you should have helped him more. Share my doubts, ask advises.
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How to diplomatically reject an offer from second company? Some time ago I applied for internship to two companies (let name them X and Y) which create project in field I especially interested in. In both of them I passed all recruitment stages so I was just waiting for offer (I hoped). Company X responded me and give me an opportunity to work with them. Company Y told that they will call within an week (but I am not sure if their decision will be positive for me). Currently I am convinced that I want to take opportunity in company X, but I don't want to burn bridges with Y because within year I want to try to get a job in company Y. How can I (eventually) diplomatically reject an offer from company Y and express willingness to cooperate in the future? Why I want to (eventually) reject offer from Y:I am currently 1'st year computer science student. Company X offered me a internship for summer for full time and next 3 month (during my second year) job with 1/2 time. Company Y want to full time summer and [3/4 to 1]* full time on my second year. I know how challenging my studies are, so I don't want to get such big part in second year. In third year I will be able to do this (because there is less work from faculty) so I want to delay company Y to the third year. <Q> Rejecting an offer shouldn't be a big deal. <S> It's not like high school. <S> ;) Professionals maintain good relationships with former employees and rejected candidates all the time. <S> So if you get an offer from Y after you accepted from X, simply let them know what happened and how you feel. <S> Thank you so much for the offer. <S> As much as I'd like to join your team, unfortunately, I won't be able to accept at this time as I've accepted an offer from another organization. <S> I hope there will be another opportunity to join your team in the future. <S> I'll contact you again when my assign here is done. <S> Question: If you really want to get a job <S> a Company Y within a year, why don't you want to get started working with them right away? <A> Company X responded me and give me an opportunity to work with them. <S> Company Y told that they will call within an week (but I am not sure if their decision will be positive for me). <S> As I read it, company X extended you an offer, company Y is yet to do. <S> In this situation, I think it is best to wait for company Y to get back (since the expected turn around time is relatively shorter). <S> In case, the response from company Y is negative, you don't need to make a choice. <S> Go with company X. <S> In that case, however, you need to inform company X about the decision. <S> There's no need to be worried about the choice-making, in general, just inform them in an official and polite way, saying something like: <S> "Hello, I thank you for extending the offer however at this point of time, I would not be able to accept the offer. <S> I would like to know about any openings in future which is suitable for me. <S> Thank you." <A> I just want to add something to Max Hodges' answer : you can inform company Y of your decision before they come back to you. <S> While job hunting, if you're in the running for one or more jobs elsewhere when you accept an offer at a company, it's always appreciated to notify the other companies that you're no longer in the running <S> and they don't waste anymore time considering you for the job. <S> I think this applies to internships too. <S> Of course, only tell them when you've already accepted company X's offer and your internship is secure. <A> Openness is your friend here. <S> If a company wants you, then they will be flexible. <S> I would wait for Company Y's response, and if positive, then ask them if it would be possible to have less hours this time. <S> Here is an example email to Company Y <S> (if they give you an offer): Thank you very much for your generous offer. <S> Unfortunately, I expect my work load this semester to be very high, so I do not think it would be possible for me to fulfill the obligations of both my coursework and the internship. <S> If it would be possible to reduce the internship to XXX hours, then I would enthusiastically accept the offer. <S> Working at YYY would be a dream job for me, but upon reflection, I think that I could only ... after my 3rd year (which I would very much like to do). <S> From your edit, it isn't clear to me exactly what the issue is (hence a little bit of ambiguity above), but I would let the company know. <S> They may be flexible. <S> And in any case, it will certainly come across better than just rejecting an offer. <S> Edit: <S> I think it would be prudent to inform company X that you want some time to make a decision. <S> Or at the very least, ask how much time you may have to make a decision.
| In case you get a positive response, given that you expect to work with them in future, I'd suggest to go with the offer from company Y.
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Should this issue be directed to HR? Staff are always eating residents leftover food I work in Long Term Care and one of the policy is that staff cannot eat remaining food from the residents' meals (the food that has not been served). It goes in the garbage at the end of the day. Some staff argue that they would rather throw it away than eat it. I work as a server and some staff in other departments don't bring their own food and are always asking us once all residents have been served. But some of us have to follow the rules because we can lose our jobs for giving them food even though it's going in the garbage. There are some staff that works overnight shifts at other homes and directly come to our work. They don't have time to go home to prepare breakfast and lunch. So this puts me in an awkward position. I feel bad that they are starving. But at the same time, If I give them I risk my job. Then there are some who just don't bring their own food and are always asking. As a matter of fact, another staff member was reported by a family member for giving CNA's food and she was given a written warning. How would you address this issue? <Q> I work in Long term care and one of the policy is staff cannot eatremaining food from the residents meals. <S> ( the food that has not beingserved). <S> It goes in the garbage at the end of the day. <S> another staff member was reported by a family member for giving CNA'sfood and she was given a written warning. <S> How would you address thisissue? <S> You aren't supposed to give the food away. <S> And you have learned that you could get a written warning for doing so. <S> It could even end up costing you your job. <S> So don't give the food away. <S> Put it in the garbage at the end of the day as you are directed. <S> Either continue to say "No" when asked for food and remind them of the rules, or bring it to your manager's attention. <S> Ask something like "How should I handle it when others ask for leftover food?" <S> The policy seems silly to me and I might be tempted to ask my manager why we had such a policy. <S> I do understand that not having such a policy could encourage having folks intentionally withhold clients' food so as to have more leftovers. <S> Perhaps there are other reasons. <S> It wouldn't be worth risking my job to intentionally violate the policy no matter how I felt. <S> Note: I just noticed that you wrote in another question that you were to be questioned by HR about hiding food to take home later. <S> In that question, you indicated that you ate the food at your workstation, and that you felt the policy was unclear. <S> So are you trying to get other people in trouble? <S> Or are you still unclear on the policy? <S> If the former, let it go. <S> If the latter, talk with HR until you understand the policy correctly. <S> You don't want to get fired over this. <A> There's no point having rules which are not known, not followed or unfairly enforced. <S> Currently most staff don't follow the rule, either because they don't know it <S> or they think it's fine to ignore it. <S> This means that so far HR doesn't communicate properly about it. <S> They should make sure that all staff know the rule, what they risk if they don't follow it, and preferably explain why the rule is in place (it's always easier to accept a rule when we can understand it). <S> Once everybody is made aware of the rule and the consequences of not following it, it will be much easier for you to answer your colleagues. <S> It's even likely that they will stop asking you. <A> I’ve been in similar situations where my coworkers have tried to coerce me into breaking a rule (and this especially applies to rules that I personally think are dumb and pointless) and my standard response is: “Sorry, but I’m a rule follower. <S> It’s just not worth it for me to break the rules even if I don’t agree with them. <S> I’ve seen the consequences and it’s just not worth it to me. <S> I’d rather keep my job.” <S> They’ll probably move on and try and find someone who will break the rules. <S> Most people will understand and the ones that don’t probably won’t be around for long. <S> To answer the title of your question: no, this is not something you should go to hr about. <S> You should follow the rules if you don’t want to suffer the consequences and mind your own business if others are breaking the rules and it’s not really hurting anyone. <S> Also note that this rule probably exists because at some point someone took advantage of being able to eat leftover meals and now no one is allowed to.
| I'd suggest that you talk to HR and ask them to raise awareness about the rule to the whole staff.
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Co-worker/friend asking for a code review I have a co-worker who I got to know through a mutual friend before we started working for the same company, although he s been working in the company for a year more than me, he was kinda relaxed and didn't take much responsibility and doesn't have a good reputation among his seniors,I recently joined and worked hard to understand the product better from a technical standpoint and have a better hand at it now. My colleague recently started developing a feature for the product and is almost set to completion, he now asks me to review his code before going through the formal code-review process, I can see a lot of flaws in his code already and I want him to learn, at the same time I strongly feel that I want to review his code formally just so that people know that I have helped him in coming up with a better code than what he already has, another reason is because I want him to work hard and not have everything spoon-fed to him. Am I being too selfish here? How should I react to this ? <Q> I can see a lot of flaws in his code already <S> and I want him to learn, at the same time I strongly feel that I want to review his code formally just so that people know that I have helped him in coming up with a better code than what he already has, another reason is because I want him to work hard and not have everything spoon-fed to him. <S> OK, there's a lot going on in that statement. <S> Let me break it apart. <S> I can see a lot of flaws in his code already <S> and I want him to learn <S> Are these flaws quantifiable, meaning would any other developer also see them as flaws, or is this your opinion? <S> Are you being subjective or are you being objective in your analysis? <S> at the same time I strongly feel that I want to review his code formally just so that people know that I have helped him in coming up with a better code than what he already has <S> Is your goal to help your friend or is your goal to get some kind of credit for yourself for helping your friend? <S> What's your true motivation? <S> another reason is because I want him to work hard and not have everything spoon-fed to him <S> That's a bit condescending. <S> How do you know that this person doesn't work hard? <S> Are you the arbiter of who works hard and who doesn't? <S> Do you make the determination of what level of effort constitutes hard work? <S> Is asking you to review his code analogous to being spoon-fed? <S> Is he asking you to review it or to correct it? <S> Is he asking you to do his work and research for him? <S> If not, then he's not being spoon-fed. <A> If your colleague/friend just wants some pointers on how to improve his code, than yes you're being too uptight. <S> If he wants you to rewrite his code, than you can take the decision you want. <S> Code review <S> I would just do it. <S> Write an email or do a commit where you add comments where he can fix/improve his code. <S> If what he wants is you rewriting his code and <S> you don't want to, you can always suggest this. <S> Say you don't have time to make the fixes/improvements yourself, but that you can take a bit of time to help him out like this. <S> Code rewrite <S> If I understand correctly, you'd be willing to rewrite his code if you get some credit. <S> I understand that, although I would less worry about this, but wouldn't want helping someone misrepresent themselves (like letting them take credit for work they didn't do). <S> Anyway, here it's totally up to you (as long as you have the time to rewrite his code and do the tasks that were assigned to you by your boss). <S> If your company uses git, it will be automatically obvious who did what, so I wouldn't worry too much about the credit issue. <S> In any case, I would advise against rewriting his code for him. <A> It all pivots around the question if your friend has the professional authority to ask you for this. <S> If not (which i have the impression of) then it is a personal favor, i.e. off the clock, and off the record. <S> Do not let the work assigned to you by your boss rest because of this task.
| If your friend seems to want to learn and be a better developer, I would help him by giving him advice, maybe some code snippets. Credit for reviewing code is really not much to fuss about, and you'd be a good colleague and a good friend.
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how do I tell my boss about my availability if I don't have a work schedule yet from my other job? I work two jobs, one is an unpaid internship and the other is paid. Both jobs are fairly new and I haven't received my work schedule yet for the paid job. My boss for the internship is asking when i'm available but I don't know how to answer since I still haven't received a work schedule from the other one. I am currently a university student and I'm employed as a store front employee to earn some money. The internship is related to my career path and what I look forward to doing in the future. It's to provide me with experience for future work positions. p.s. nothing in any of my contracts states I cannot work two jobs <Q> My boss for the internship is asking when i'm available <S> but I don't know how to answer since I still haven't received a work schedule from the other one. <S> Just be up front about it. <S> Something like "Boss <S> , I don't know my availability quite yet. <S> I haven't received my work schedule from my paid job. <S> Once I get that, I'll let you know right away." <A> Your situation is never fun. <S> If two companies, or two projects, want to control your work hours then you have to do a lot of work to manage the situation. <S> The best thing is when both have some flexibility during the setting up of the work schedule, but then never deviate from the negotiated schedule. <S> You need to decide if this can't work which job you will pick. <S> You have to decide how much you can push one to decide on your schedule quickly, or which can be pushed to accept the leftovers. <S> This is true even if both allow the other employment. <S> They can allow it but then not believe they have to cooperate. <S> They can say yes you can have that part time job or internship, but you still have to be here 9-5. <S> Sometimes the internship is the most important one. <S> If you must complete the internship to graduate, then those hours are the most important. <S> Sometimes the full time job will win. <S> Sometimes doing both is impossible. <S> I had a family member who one summer had to drop their summer job because the academic internship required too many hours when matched against a job who had no consistent schedule. <S> The next year, the internship was flexible and they were able to do both. <A> Let one of them know that you have another paid job because you need the money, and let the other one know that if it would be possible, you'd like to be informed a little bit earlier about your schedules. <A> "nothing in any of my contracts states I cannot work two jobs" <S> That is not enough. <S> There are rules and regulations in the company which you have to comply with. <S> There are also national laws. <S> Your best course of action is to let both your employers know about your double employment. <S> If possible, get updates of the contracts, specifying explicitly that another job at another company is allowed. <S> Otherwise, you may end up with accusations of conflicts of interests, espionage and God knows what else. <S> Play it safe, and there should be no real problems for you. <S> Some food for thought: assume that now everything plays out nice, everybody is happy. <S> However, there is no guarantee that future will not bring changes. <S> What if both jobs will require you at the same time? <S> Which will you choose? <S> If the employers know about your situation from the beginning, they might be more sympathetic in the future, when some conflicts may appear. <S> NOTE: <S> either of the companies (or both) may refuse to allow you to have 2 (or more) jobs. <S> In that case, you need to be prepared to give up one of them - think in advance about your priorities.
| As long as both of the contracts you have doesn't limit you to that single employment, perhaps the best route would be to just inform both employers of the others existence.
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Internal promotion or external job offer? I have been working for my current company for seven years now, I have moved up in responsibility but taken very little salary increases when I have done so. Mainly to get experience. Other than inflation payrises over the past four - five years I am still on around the same salary. I have been making it very clear to my manager that I want to move up (and would want a decent salary increase when I do). I don't want to go into too much detail here but I have been in talks with my employer about SIX different roles over the past 6 months and I either don't get the job after applying, the job falls through because the client no longer needs the role or its a sideways move. It has gotten near on ridiculous and towards the end of it all I have been having sleepless nights and crying a lot due to being messed around so much and having my hopes built up and then nothing! After all of this messing me around, I decided to finally bite the bullet and go external. Applied for a few jobs and got an interview for one that sounds pretty good (but would be a big change and slight step up). Anyway, so whilst I am going through the interview process with this external company and being ready to leave then my employer FINALLY offer me a promotion - one that is definitely solid this time and more money. They have also given me a decent bonus recently too. Now I am torn. It is like a grieved and I got myself ready and psyched up to leave and then this happens. Both jobs are similar in ways, if I stay with my current employer I get to keep all the benefits I have (knowledge of the company, job safety, great annual leave entitlement, home-based on contract) and a decent-ish salary increase but if I leave to this external I get a HUGE salary increase (much bigger than what they are offering me), still get the flexible working then a whole new company so a big change with lots to learn but maybe for the better. Expecting both offers to be at the end of the week and I am going to have to make a decision, I am finding it hard to decide. Any advice on what I can do to get to a decision? I may not even get the external job but I need to be prepared for this. By the way I am a huge empath and have severe issues with 'letting people down', so this is really hard for me. Thanks <Q> The decision is yours to make, but as an outside observer I can put some context in place that may help you. <S> 5 years down the line, if you accept an internal promotion, you will likely find yourself faced with the same difficulties in progressing both fiscally and professionally. <S> You will have the same rollercoaster ride of internal jobs that fall through, and the same emotional strains that come from it. <S> On the other hand, 5 years from now, if you go external, you will have no basis to build your expectations on. <S> You may have a dream job, that gives regular paths to move up in the company with commiserate pay increases. <S> You may be in an absolute nightmare where there is no way to move up, there are no pay increases, and the job is not what was described to you in the interview process. <S> While your present employer may make a change in how they handle internal motion, it's unlikely. <S> But an external company is an unknown until you actually work there. <S> If your job is bearable, even with the runaround on your promotion, it may be worth taking the internal posting. <A> A company that offers you the salary increase that you've deserved for a long time only when you take the steps to leave is not a company that values you or has any concern for your professional growth. <S> They've proven to you over the years that they don't value you. <S> Additionally, it sounds like there are other factors there that are making you unhappy. <S> Money will never resolve your unhappiness. <S> The decision is yours <S> but I'll say, based on my own similar experience, that your best move is probably to leave and take the new job. <A> The correct answer to this is wholly dependent upon the individual. <S> For your specific situation, it sounds like you're going to have a very hard time dealing with the emotional stress of telling your boss that you're going elsewhere. <S> At situations like this, I find it is very helpful to throw together an Excel spreadsheet and compare everything line by line with a dollar figure. <S> Salary is not the only component in consideration and should only be a single line in your comparison. <S> Other things to consider would be: Costs for healthcare between the two positions; How much time off you're being given, for your current company, you may be entitled to more PTO due to your seniority while the new one is likely to be the company's minimum; 401k contributions at your current company are likely fully vested, while the new company may not be vested or unavailable to you until you've been there for a certain amount of time; <S> Other benefits that each company offers; Cost of emotional labor associated with leaving one company and informing your boss (emotional labor is real, but very difficult to quantify. <S> This is a number you need to come up on your own, but it'll help you deal with that emotional stress in a less emotional manner). <S> If you run the numbers on this and find that the new job is only ahead by $500 or whatever, it's probably not going to be worth the hassle of changing companies, but if they're ahead by $6,000 or something that's a dollar figure you can act on. <S> Either you can ask for your current company to pay that difference with the promotion or you can bite the bullet and change companies. <A> Any advice on what I can do to get to a decision? <S> Do you really want to stay at a company that caused you "sleepless nights and crying a lot due to being messed around so much and having my hopes built up and then nothing"? <S> Do you really think everything has changed there?
| Consider factors other than just the money. For me, whenever things get to the point where I feel compelled to start interviewing elsewhere, that's a sign that it's time to move on.
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I have interview for QA position and I found a few bugs on the company's website.Should I mention them in the interview? So that's basically it, I found a few bugs on the company's website.Should I mention them or say I'll send the data via email or this will make me appear in a negative way? From my perspective(If I would be the hiring manager) I would be amazed if someone took effort to look for bugs and that would be somewhat of a plus. <Q> Hard to say. <S> They could take you for a know-it-all if you did that. <S> Honestly... <S> I've worked in QA...and I've participated in hiring and interviewing. <S> Chances are, they honestly don't really care about the company website. <S> QA typically doesn't go and proactively look for errors or bugs on the live site, and it's only creating work for them to report it. <S> Instead, their focus is on software being actively developed, BEFORE it goes live. <S> Now...if they were to point you to their site and ask..... <S> it would be awesome to be able to rattle them off immediately. <A> Yes. <S> I am a hiring manager and I do like it when candidates show initiative. <S> However it must come across as humble, not overly pedantic, and not with over confidence or in a gloating manner. <S> I have also had candidates report a bug when in fact they just disagreed with the UX. <S> Thus for each bug evaluate its severity, show why it is a bug (screenshots, etc), and then steps to reproduce. <S> This at least will show a positive attitude and gives a detailed response which helps their engineers replicate and fix said bug if needed. <A> You don't know which browsers/devices <S> it was developed for <S> , you don't know which versions of those browsers were supported at the time it was written, you don't know any of the business logic behind what was done or why. <S> Without knowing what criteria you are testing against, how do you know if the site passes or fails? <S> A QA who is going to raise issues that they consider to be bugs which are, in fact, outside their testing scope could be problematic. <S> It's a waste of your time as a QA to be testing things that are out of scope, and it's a waste of whoever's time the ticket gets assigned to who <S> (at the very least) has to point out that what you're testing is out of scope. <S> While you might view this as being pro-active, it could be a red flag that you're going to be spending your time digging into things you haven't been asked to look into, without the context you'd need to understand them, and creating unnecessary extra work for your team as a result. <S> The other issue, as the other answers have touched upon, is that you risk appearing to be negatively critiquing the work of the people who are hiring you. <S> This is definitely a double-edged sword. <S> You want to appear knowledgeable <S> but you definitely run the risk of appearing condescending. <S> I would say it's reasonable to prepare a response in case they ask you to critique their site (but temper your language so that it doesn't come across too negatively, and maybe just flag one or two issues even if you find dozens), but I probably wouldn't offer this critique unrequested.
| Many people don't really take criticism well, and if the people in the room were responsible for the work you're criticising, fair or not, that's unlikely to go down well for you. In my opinion, the main issue with raising "bugs" in this situation is that you have no idea what their testing scope for the site was.
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Am I required to give employer my bank account info? I did a one-time contract gig for a company (a few hours of work), and the company insists that I send them my direct deposit information for payment, including an authorization to make deductions from my account in the case of error. This seems excessive to me, since I don't intend to do any more work for them, and I don't want to just hand out my bank info to every person or company I do a gig for. (I do a lot of gigs.) What, if anything, would require me to comply with their request? Can I just demand a check? They have been insistent that I do it their way. <Q> Direct Deposit Reversal is a very real thing in the United States. <S> Both Federal and State laws govern direct deposit reversals, how and when a company may reverse a direct deposit, and what they can do in the event that your available funds don't cover the amount of the reversal. <S> Some states require express written consent for direct deposit reversal and some do not. <S> It is not in any way abnormal or unorthodox, and it has been around for a very long time. <S> If you're worried that they could come back in 6 months, or a year, or whenever and randomly and indiscriminately take money out of your account... they can't. <S> Anyone engaging in such activity would in fact be committing a crime... for which they would be prosecuted. <A> You're in the United States, you should heed joeqwerty's answer If you are not in the United States read on. <S> I am going to assume you're a contractor. <S> I would advise against the deduction authorisation, and instead provide an offical invoice with direct deposit information, detail of the work completed, with a date that you expect payment by. <S> You should do this for every single gig. <S> A contractor is a type of business. <S> Do you think businesses authorize each other to pull money out of each other's bank accounts? <S> Of course not. <S> They are free to be insistent, but they are obliged to comply with law. <A> Why should you give them your bank routing and account numbers? <S> So they can direct-deposit your pay. <S> Why not demand a live check as your pay? <S> Hassle. <S> You're making more work for the accounts payable person responsible for getting you paid. <S> They have to receive the live check from their payroll company, find you, and hand it to you. <S> They may have to cover the cost of express delivery and insurance for a package containing just your check. <S> Is direct deposit good for you? <S> Very likely yes. <S> The funds hit your bank account right on time (or maybe even early) and are generally available immediately: the bank trusts the payroll company so you don't have to wait for a check to clear . <S> Is it a routine request? <S> Yes. <S> In the US receiving pay by direct deposit is the norm . <S> Is it safe? <S> Yes. <S> Both your employer/customer and the payroll company have far more to lose in reputation and money than you do if they try stealing from you. <S> They aren't going to do that. <S> Police and judges take wage theft very seriously. <S> Here's something to think about: As a contractor / gig worker, it's important to be really nice to the person who processes your payments. <S> They can help you with all sorts of stuff related to billing and payments. <S> A smile can get you paid a couple of days sooner sometimes. <S> A live-check hassle is the opposite of being nice. <S> With respect, I hope you reconsider your position. <S> Direct deposit is normal and good. <S> Seriously. <A> To add to joeqwerty's excellent answer, I would advise speaking to your bank about the difference between a "withdrawal" and a "direct deposit reversal". <S> As common sense would dictate, do not give the company blanket permission to take any and all action on your bank account, for obvious reasons; no sane company would ask for this in the first place.
| You should contact your bank to find out what the governing laws are in your state and what your bank's policies are regarding direct deposit reversals. This is a very normal and standard thing. Make sure you're giving the company the right information to get the correct permissions that they need and nothing more.
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How To Handle Not Being Taken Seriously? I have been working at company X for nearly a year now in a software related role. Around 3-4 months into working at X, I began to feel the role was not as advertised and a lot of the work I have been doing from then up to now is both menial and does not resound with my skills in the slightest. When I felt I could no longer shrug these feelings off, I had a meeting with my line manager, (let's call him J) to discuss how I was feeling and what improvements could be made. A couple of months passed and I felt nothing had improved so I arranged another meeting with J to discuss the same thing to no avail. At this point, J's boss spoke to me privately ensuring that me that the work and my overall situation would be improving soon. Fast forward till a couple of weeks back from now, still nothing. At this point, I arranged a meeting with our HR department to discuss the possibility of moving departments as I was very unhappy and did not want to leave, as X was a great company. Needless to say, HR was very accommodating and I actually felt listened to for once in a while which was nice. The problem now is that I haven't heard back from them for over two weeks. I feel disappointed that I am not being taken seriously despite many meetings being arranged between quite a few different people over a 3-4 month period. I'm not quite sure what the next steps look like for me, but I want to at least try to follow up with HR. How can I do this without coming across like I'm bothering everyone with my problem? <Q> Is your company big? <S> It might be an issue with the company size as companies with sizes over 100 employees may have trouble keeping track with how employees are utilized. <S> You do not want to leave, or do you feel that you have no options leaving? <S> Working for a fabulous-sounding company does not matter if you're not growing in there in terms of skills to say the least. <S> Seriously consider leaving. <A> Time to move on. <S> You've brought this up, they told you they are gonna help you, but they didnt. <S> Repeat 3 times. <S> You now expect another result the 4th time? <S> As long as you keep putting up with this, they will too. <S> They've shown you what they think you're worth to them by not trying to at least try to accommodate your wishes (after 3! <S> converstations about it). <S> And if you indicate that you can do more than basic tasks, but they still don't try to check out the potential? <S> Not very smart IMO. <A> HR departments can be notoriously slow, especially in bigger companies, but given you've attempted to resolve this with multiple people for several months now, I'd hope they would at least try to expedite the process. <S> The key thing you will want to bear in mind when they do eventually get back to you is that you don't want more empty platitudes. <S> You can reasonably expect that they will come back to you and explain that nothing will change immediately , but at the same time don't accept vague promises that people will try to make things better in the future or that it's something they're working towards. <S> Instead, you'll ideally want to come away with some formal plan for what will change and some firm timelines for when. <S> Then you have something to hold the company accountable to if they continue to do nothing, and more importantly, you give yourself a firm cut-off point where you can say you've tried everything and enough is enough. <S> In the meantime, certainly brush up your resume and start looking at other opportunities. <S> You have to accept that there is at least the possibility that this isn't something the company can, or is willing to, change.
| Definitely do a follow up with them to find out where they are at in the process and when you can expect a response/follow-up (they really should have given you this the first time you met with them, not left the situation open-ended).
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At what point to express interest in a part-time job in a new job hunting? What to keep in mind when negotiating it? I'm currently looking for jobs and I would love for it to be a four-day affair (reduced hours, not full hours squeezed into fewer days). I value free time way more than the money I can get for it and besides I genuinely believe I can offer the company way more productivity if I have more space outside work to get involved in my own projects instead of getting burned out with the monotony of a 40h-week grind. It's worth noting that the four day thing is not a hard line on my side. I would be willing to work full time (and overtime) for the right company with the right mission etc. but otherwise I'm pretty picky. I would consider a sub-optimal opportunity if it includes a four day week. That's why currently I think a salary negotiation period might be an appropriate time to discuss this, kinda as a way to communicate "offering me more money won't make me more likely to join, but fewer hours will" . But there are other options too - maybe it's better to be completely upfront about it and risk the companies being discouraged from pursuing interviewing me, or maybe its better to be patient, establish myself at a role and then ask once I've proved myself? About me: I'm an embedded software dev with a pretty strong background but in an awkward phase of having a couple of years professional experience but not enough to consider myself a senior dev. The location is non-London UK. <Q> During the first interview, or even your application. <S> If you wait to tell your potential employer this information and then they decide that they cannot offer you a 4 day work week <S> then you have wasted both your time and the employers time. <S> Do it as soon as possible. <A> Since you mention you'll work full time for the right company, you'll have to have at least one interview to get a feeling for the company. <S> For me, I have always mentioned working 4 days in my first interview. <S> It is one of the questions I have when they ask "Do you have any questions for us?". <S> You could ask something like "Do you have any opportunities to work -amount of hours- instead of full time?". <S> I have never had a counter question of "why?" <S> and if they don't ask I would definitely not offer reasons why. <S> If you must, I would suggest you stick to you valuing your free time. <S> Do NOT suggest their hard working fulltimers are slacking off (and you could do the work in 32 hours/week) or their assignments being 'a grind'. <S> By doing this during the interview, you have the chance to clarify it's not a hard line for you, you can get a feeling if it's totally frowned upon (with no chance of getting it later), or if they're open to the idea (but maybe not now). <A> Given the weightage of this condition you hold, mention this while applying for the position itself. <S> In case the company is not is a position to offer you that - both of you will save some time. <S> In case the company is ready to accept, then only they will go ahead with further process.
| If you are willing to work full time then potentially during the negotiation phase would be a good time to point this out. You may be able to negotiate your hours for less money however if this is rejected it may put you into a weaker position for negotiating a 5 day week.
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What's the point of asking previous salary of an applicant? In India I don't know why but most of the HR person usually ask about previous pay. What's the point of asking this? This is not duplicate of How to respond to a direct ask of salary earned and expectations? as I am looking for reason on why HR would be concerned about previous salary. Is it because they wan't to hire the applicant at minimum wage possible? if that's the case then would it be fair in a company if two people who are doing the same work are paid very differently just because one person's previous salary was less? <Q> I disagree with Snow's answer, it's not a sanity check to measure you have realistic expectations <S> it's a cunning tactic of bargain that exploits introverted and low steem <S> individuals all they want is to low ball you in hopes you're being underpaid <S> and you don't realize Asking for 20% more of what you currently make gives them leverage to question your entire career <S> this puts them in psychological advantage, and I see them do this all the time with juniors and mid level <S> This is why many people refuse to talk about it none of their businessJust <S> do your market research and give them a number of what you expect as salary no need to tell them how much you currently make <A> Over and above the generic case of screening a candidate for the allocated budget for the role, this is more like part of a recruitment strategy , to choose the "least expensive" candidates, in India. <S> This is strange, but true, that many of the Indian organizations (software-oriented) has a very wide range of pay-scale for similar positions, and they want do offer the new salary based on the previous payout, plus a certain amount of hike. <S> Usually, the amount you can expect is : (previous pay + 20-30% of previous pay) <S> i.e, 20-30% increase overall. <S> Is it because they wan't to hire the applicant at minimum wage possible? <S> Yes, it's weird , but real. <A> In India I don't know why but most of the HR person usually ask about previous pay. <S> What's the point of asking this? <S> It's a lazy way of gauging the value of an applicant. <S> The thinking goes that if the previous employer only thought they were worth X, why should I pay a whole lot more than X? <S> As a hiring manager, I've had to battle with upper management on many occasions, in order to pay a new hire what they were worth, rather than just a percentage above what they received in their last job. <S> I didn't always win that battle. <S> It always seemed foolish and short-sighted to me. <S> In parts of the US, it is now against the law to ask salary history questions. <S> It has been deemed as discriminatory (particularly against women who on average make less than men for the same position). <S> Instead, many potential employers will ask what salary you are looking for. <A> It's a sanity check to make sure that your expectations are realistic and that you're a match for the role being offered. <S> The employer knows that you're not going to take a pay cut before moving to them. <S> They also know that most applications ask for 5-10% above what they're currently on. <S> If you're being paid way less than the current job has a budget for, then it's an indication you're punching too far above your weight. <S> If you're asking for far too much, then you're applying for the wrong job. <S> You could lie about it to get what you think is a good deal, but the salary will be covered with the references, so the lie will be found out. <S> So most people are truthful when answering this question.
| It's also a check on your pay grade.
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Is it appropriate ask for a raise three months after getting hired? I am a fresh graduate and I got hired for a testing position. On the job advertisement, the starting salary was 850€. Three months later the advertisement now says that the starting salary is 1000€ on the same position in the same company. I feel a little deflated, since the difference of 150€ seems too big and arbitrary. Is it appropriate to ask my boss for a raise? If so, how can I formulate this request? <Q> First thing is that you can't obviously just say : You give the other one 1000€ <S> so I want the same, maybe you both are doing the same thing, but his skills when negotiating the salary is far better than you. <S> In lots of situations, negociation skills can make difference between people because work is not 100% about what you can do, there's also the soft skills part, including communication, management, leadership, dealing with urgent situations ... <S> IF I WERE IN YOUR SHOES, and I confirm that this is only my opinion <S> , I would wait between 6 to 12 months before asking for a raise, <S> during that time I would've built some solid arguments to negociate the raise : e.g : I've been working hard during the past months and I was able to perform 20%, or don't know how much, that's why I think ... <S> The other thing I want to tell is to work on your soft skills, communication is important, words are important, knowing how to talk is important. <S> Sometimes other people are getting offers not because they're technical skills are better <S> but it's just because they knew how to convince the interviewers that they're the best candidates for the position. <S> Good luck. <A> Are you being paid what was agreed upon? <S> If so, you really have no reason to expect more. <S> You're a brand new graduate. <S> Do you know that the new hires will be brand new grads? <S> Or will they have more experience? <S> If so, why do you expect to be paid the same for less experience? <S> The same thing happened to me years ago. <S> I was in a position where the company boosted the minimum pay to a few cents per hour above my current wage. <S> But the guy who was recently hired, with 2 years less experience got a $3/hour raise out of it. <S> It didn't seem fair to be paid the same as him when I knew I was doing the job better. <S> But you can't control that. <S> You can only control the job you do. <S> Could you ask for a raise? <S> Sure. <S> Would they give it? <S> Maybe. <S> They might be planning to already. <S> Personally, I'd be happy to have the job. <A> Is it appropriate to ask my boss for a raise? <S> Sure, you can ask for a raise at any time. <S> However, you need to be prepared to justify your request. <S> The frequency of such requests outside of the annual review process needs to be carefully done. <S> If so, how can I formulate this request? <S> " Boss, I just noticed that a new hire in my role is getting paid a whole lot more. <S> Is there anyway you can adjust my salary accordingly? " <S> The rub here is that your boss may say no , so mentally be prepared for that. <A> Yes. <S> It is appropriate. <S> Bring to the meeting evidence of your accomplishments and added value over the past 3 months and cite the advertisement. <S> Be prepared to be refused though - and if that happens ask what you are lacking and what they are looking for that they feel warrants the higher salary. <A> All new hires get better deal than already acquired ones. <S> It happens on all levels. <S> There may be some market issues that prompted higher salary to attract more candidates. <S> Usually 3 months is the length of probationary period. <S> If you are due to some review with your supervisor you can try to tackle the topic. <S> If not check what your contract says about rise. <S> For example if you are eligible for one raise a year and the max raise can 10% of what you make that would be the obvious discourage for you to stay hat long in company if even after that you would get less than someone hired 4 month after you. <S> Check the advertisement if it have the same specs as your job.
| But in the situation you have outlined, you have a strong case to at least ask , based on my experience. If yes talk with your boss if your performance is lacking in something that would prohibit you from getting that "new" position with higher salary.
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Quitting my job when I have professional training soon I have been with my company for a year and I don’t really like my job anymore. I am tired of it. Problem is that 6 months ago they promised me a really good professional training of three days, and I am supposed to do it in May. I am waiting to attend it since I have waited some time for it, and I am pretty excited. I think that I deserve this professional training, but leaving my company (300+ employees) just after don’t seem really fair to them. Do you think that I should leave before? Or should I tell them now that I am not sure I will be staying very long? Like until July - September? Or shouldn’t I tell them anything, just showing my dissatisfaction on various issues with my job? This professional training is really important for me, and expensive (3000€) so If I say anything, I am scared that they could cancel my registration. What would you do if you were me? I'd like to leave on good terms. <Q> What would you do if you were me? <S> Give the required amount of notice only after you have officially landed your next job. <S> If that takes you past the professional training, so be it. <A> Only after you have a signed contract from another company, give the notice to your employer and inform that you would like to be relived of your duties on so-and-so date. <S> As for the training, the delay was caused from their side, there is nothing wrong in participating once it is offered to you. <S> This has nothing to do with your resignation "plan". <A> First, if you don't already have a written offer from another company that you have signed an accepted then it is not a good idea to quit your current job. <S> Regarding the professional training, while the training may have benefits for you, the reason that the company is paying for it is so that you can help the company. <S> Don't be surprised if they cancel based on the fact that you are leaving the company. <S> The training is primarily to help the company. <S> Also, you will need to look through your contract you see if you would be responsible for paying the expenses of the professional training should you fail to show up for any reason. <S> Some companies will require you to pay them back if they cannot get the money refunded from the training. <S> That is something to consider for the timing of your resignation.
| One thing for sure: Never tell the employer you are "planning to quit", only tell them only when "you are quitting".
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Interviewer asked about the brand of my sweater. Small talk? Or recruiter-tactics? I had an interview today at an engineering consultancy company. I was applying for a programming job. I was wearing a button shirt tucked into my jeans. Neat, but not too formal. (This type of informal clothing is very common in my field and country. Dressing up in suit and tie would seem very odd.)I also had a grey jacket with me. It was a grey, casual sporty sweater-jacket with zippers. Not a thick wintercoat or a raincoat. Because it was very hot, I had it laying next to me on the sofa, while waiting in the lounge for the interviewer to come and get me. When he arrived and invited me to follow him, I stood up, picked up my jacket, cup of water and notebook and walked towards him. At that point, he was also getting himself a cup of water from the dispenser that was available in the lounge. Now here's the thing... while his cup was filling, he looked at me and said "Oh, Is that jacket from brand... uhm... what was it again...?" (It seemed like he wanted me to help him fill in the blank)I answered "Uhm, I don't know. I don't care much about brands". (It was my SO that suggested that I bought this jacket. I'm a guy... I don't know anything about fashion, clothes or shopping...).I said "Would it be brand X?", he answered "No, not brand X. Isn't it from brand Y? I think I have the exact same one.".Then I answered that it might be possible, I just don't know. I could have checked the label ofcourse, but I thought it wasn't worth the hassle, since we were in the middle of walking to the interview room and it also didn't seem important to me. I know recruiters have a lot of special tricks up their sleeves to get to know things about their candidates. (Watching body language, the way the candidate talks about former employers/colleagues, handwriting tests, etc.)So I was wondering... Was this question something psychological? Was there a purpose? Did he expect me to answer in a particular way, to be able to judge my personality on? Or was he just making small talk? Not sure if it's related, but during the interview, my car was mentioned when he was asking about something I did recently. He asked what car I drove, and I also saw him write my answer down. I wonder... related to the jacket-question or not, why did he ask this? Was it purely out of interest? Or does this tell something about the candidate, whether he drives in a Lada or in a Lamborghini? EDIT: a lot of answers/comments focus on the word "trick" I used, and I feel like it's misinterpreted. I didn't intend it as something bad, like they would "trick me into something". I meant a "trick", as in a technique to get some information of a candidate. <Q> It's conversational. <S> Stop reading into it. <S> A company may try to probe for more information about you in an attempt to get a feel for the type of person you are, what your personality is, what your social and interpersonal skills are, but they aren't trying to trick you. <S> A trick is an attempt to get you to do or say something that is counter to your natural thoughts and actions, or it is an attempt to deceive or outwit you. <S> A company that tries to trick the person being interviewed is doing it wrong. <S> They may pose challenging questions or scenarios and they may write down your answers to innocuous questions or make note of your speaking patterns and body language, but these aren't tricks. <A> I do a lot of interviews at my job, and I will occasionally talk about things that aren't related to the job, like hobbies or video games. <S> The reason I do this is because that's a thing I would do with any old person. <S> It's a way to relieve tension a bit and break the ice, not stealthily get more information out of them. <S> We're normal people too. <S> However, I've never felt the need to write down their answers. <S> That is kind of weird. <S> But on its own, not something to worry about. <A> A few answers here are saying that you're overthinking it, but I do think this is interesting: <S> He asked what car I drove, and I also saw him write my answer down. <S> If someone is taking notes on your car, it's not an enormous leap to think that they're using "small talk" as a pretense for evaluating you based on what you wear. <S> Forbes has an article on this as well, about business leaders and dress. <S> The article is geared towards women, however there's an interesting line in here: <S> The fit is so crucial. <S> I gained a ton of confidence when I switched from Forever 21 blazers to structured J. Crew blazers. <S> A brand is explicitly mentioned here. <S> Which means it's not unreasonable to think a recruiter or anyone for that matter might be making <S> pre-judgements about you based on your clothes. <S> It's probably nothing, <S> but... I don't think you're as off base as some of the responses imply you are. <S> Perception is a big part of corporate culture, it's not a huge leap to assume what brands you wear will affect how people perceive you. <A> I had an interview today at an engineering consultancy company. <S> I think that the fact that you were interviewing at a consultancy gives it away. <S> I worked at a company where there are a lot of ex-consultants from big consulting firms like Bain, McKinsey, Accenture, etc. <S> I was one of the few that came from a pure software engineering background. <S> My co-workers would frequently ask me about the brand of my clothing <S> and I also reacted similarly that I didn't care much about brands. <S> As it turns out my co-workers gossiped behind my back about my non-brand name clothes and the fact that I wore a t-shirt to work sometimes in the summer. <S> I think the exchange with the recruiter tells you a little about the company's culture or at the very least what the recruiter values. <S> Is this a little bit of a red flag? <S> For me, yes. <S> Is it a deal breaker? <S> No. <S> It's likely that a consultant will dress better on average than an engineer would anyway.
| I would look at the people in the rest of the company and see how they are dressed.
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Is it in bad taste to ask a quitting coworker where they are going next? I work as a software engineer in an engineering company. Over the years colleagues came and went, and a few of the people I know well have left too. I am generally a curious person so when I heard that they are "pursuing a different opportunity", I asked the person (in person) where they were going next. Two out of three times this question seems to have shocked/stunned the person a bit, because they would pause and eventually reply. Are you not supposed to ask this question? I don't see why it would be a secret because I'd find out on LinkedIn in a week or two anyways. Since I know it's not health reasons, I felt it was fair to ask. Again, I knew these people well (e.g. we talk about families, plans, vacations, etc together). <Q> Asking where they are going next is usually fine. <S> However, it may depend on the context of the departure, company culture, and country. <S> If your assumption that they are going somewhere else to work is correct, asking "Where are you off to work next?" is fine. <S> If your assumption is incorret (e.g. they are actually being laid off or taking sick leave), then their shock is justified. <S> When you cannot make a safe assumption about what is next for them, ask a question that is more general and diplomatic. <A> It's not necessarily in bad taste, but many people are reluctant to say where they're going. <S> If I want to ask I always ask as such: "Can I ask where you're going?" <A> If you're friends with a person, and ask in a way that is congratulatory, there is nothing wrong with it. <S> It's what friends do. <S> Show interest and genuine happiness for a person that is bettering their situation. <S> There are 2 people leaving my company at the end of the week. <S> I congratulated both on what I presume to be a good move and inquired in a nice way where they were going. <S> Both guys told me. <S> It's no secret. <S> On the other hand, I once told a boss that I would not tell him where I was going. <S> I didn't put it past him to call ahead and badmouth me. <S> He was that petty. <A> Are you not supposed to ask this question? <S> If the leaving worker doesn't want to answer, they can always decline. <A> Is it in bad taste to ask a quitting coworker where they are going next? <S> To me, this ultimately is a personal preference of the coworker's. <S> I see this "Where are you going to work next" question near the same level as: <S> Hearing your loved one is sick and asking what condition they have. <S> Hearing your loved one passed and asking how they died. <S> When asked out of genuine concern, I don't mind it, but generally I prefer to let people offer that information. <S> In the case of "Where are you going to work next?" I would express my congratulations on the new job and my thanks for the work they put in with the company. <S> I will typically ask what the new role is and if the work's different from what they do now. <S> At this point, if they feel comfortable enough they may offer up where they're going to next.
| I think that it's only natural for people to be curious, but I sometimes find it distasteful if they're only asking to satisfy their curiosity and not out genuine interest for my well fare. It may also depend on the way you phrase the question and how much you assume. Every time I have ever left a company, I was asked where I was going next. The question makes complete sense and is perfectly appropriate.
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How to communicate to my manager that him being available while on vacation sets a bad precedent I'm looking for a good way to approach my manager that I believe his availability while on vacation sets a bad precedent for the team. Some background. My manager is a People Manager of myself and my teammates. I'm a senior technical member of the team. Whenever he goes on vacation he's always available via company chat and email; he'll respond to email threads he's CC'd on, he'll obviously be paying attention to various chat channels and respond. I believe he means well and just wants to make sure things are under control and there are no blockers. While I can see how this can be viewed as him being "a manager going above and beyond" and "a good team player" etc I believe it is bad for two reasons: 1) he's not fully "unplugging"; I want him to come back from vacation fresh. 2) It sets a precedent to other team members that they're expected to be available when on vacation. What I've tried so far: Whenever he's about to go on vacation I make sure to understand what projects need to be handled while he's gone and make sure that myself or someone else is on it. I also make it abundantly clear that we've got the situation under control and in the unlikely event of catastrophe we've got his phone number and will not hesitate to reach out. Would it be best to approach him directly about this or would that be stepping on toes? ie, should I talk to his manager about it? <Q> It's their lookout, let them have it. <S> 1) he's not fully "unplugging"; I want him to come back from vacation fresh. <S> Something that should not concern you. <S> 2) <S> It sets a precedent to other team members that they're expected to be available when on vacation. <S> You're assuming this. <S> Unless this is actually asked in some direct or indirect way, I don't see how this is relevant, either. <S> Unless he mentions anything like: <S> He "has to" work because he thinks there's no one that can handle the work while he's away <S> He expects (asks / requests) <S> others also to work during vacation time <S> I do not see any need for any action here. <S> Keep calm and carry on. <A> If you're on friendly terms, nothing wrong with pulling him aside and telling him that you care about him as a person and want him to enjoy his vacation. <S> Maybe drop a joke about making everyone else look bad because they all completely unplug. <S> If you're not that close to him, then I wouldn't do anything. <S> It's not your place to tell him that. <A> Bring it up during your next 1:1... <S> If you don't do those, you can try to bring it up in passing at the next opportune moment -- once -- if you get along well. <S> Apart from that, consider trying to nudge him towards better habits next time he goes on vacation. <S> If he goes with it and gives you the nod, great; if he does not, there's unfortunately not much else you can do, so let it go. <A> Let it go. <S> What your manager does on his vacations is none of your concern. <S> If he wants to remain connected to the rest of the group, he is entitled to do so. <S> If you are worried about his actions setting a bad precedent, you may want to review your contract. <S> Unless it explicitly states that you are required to be available for work during vacation there is no reason you think that your manager's actions are indicative of anything other than his own personal desires. <S> There is no need to approach your manager about this matter.
| Tell him you'd like to suggest your team that they avoid cc'ing him or communicating with him for the duration of his vacation so he can rest well, and that you'll brief him on what happened when he returns.
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How do I describe an unofficial role on my resume and LinkedIn? I'm a web developer. At my company my niche is SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and, by extension, site speed. The position is sort of half-official, as it is understood and agreed upon by my superiors that it is a part of what I do, but it is not part of my job title or anything. Additionally, SEO can be kind of a scummy thing which puts a bad taste in people's mouths. I like to think I'm very much on the professional, technical side of SEO and have nothing to do with the scummy stuff. What's the best way to get across that my specialization/niche is SEO and site speed? I definitely don't want to lump myself in with the snake oil salesmen which plague the SEO world. I'm a developer first. SEO is just a specialty/emphasis. Ideas: Web Developer with an emphasis on SEO and Site Speed Developer Specializing in SEO and Site Speed Czar of SEO and Site Speed (more cheeky, less professional) <Q> Something like Foo Corp, Developer 2012-present <S> Full-stack developer that specializes in doing cool thing <S> A and awesome thing B. Improved site performance by C%. <A> I would list your title, and then things that you achieved in that role. <S> They'll want results more than anything. <S> e.g. <S> Foo Corp, Developer Using X, Y, Z technologies <S> I: <S> Improved site time to first interactivity by 70% by doing A Improved search engine positioning by ethically optimizing using key words and disclosed partner links Increased customer conversions A% over Y time by doing this UI/UX improvement <S> Delivered important project as role <A> SEO isn't scummy <S> SEO isn't the scummy thing anymore, it was 10 years ago. <S> I assume you're not hiding keywords with white font on white background or creating fake websites for link references. <S> Today SEO is more about having a clear website structure and semantic markup. <S> Skill Just put "SEO" and its tools on your CV as a skill, it will be for your advantage. <A> What's the best way to get across that my specialization/niche is SEO and site speed? <S> Since SEO feels scummy to you, change the word order (put "site speed" before SEO). <S> Developer specializing in Site Speed which optimizes SEO Web Developer specializing in Site Speed to produce better SEO results. <S> FYI, I wouldn't call SEO a 'kind of a scummy thing' (in general) and I'm not sure why you feel that way. <S> Not sure that matters, isn't my world these days.
| Normally, you'd list your title as Developer and then explain what sorts of things you did in the description of the position. As for the bad taste of SEO's, describing what you did will help, and people who want those skills probably won't care so much.
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Different opinion led to a co-worker not working with me anymore To state some background: I recently moved internally in the company I work for. I've been in this team for two weeks now and everything was fine until yesterday. A female co-worker, let's call her Anna, posted in the intranet that she dislikes the usage of the word "man-day" because she excludes herself. I just commented: And then the next one is discriminated because he does not identify himself as a person. I find this gender mania just massively annoying and I wonder sometimes why you always want to see a discrimination of your own sex in everything. I can not understand it, to be honest For me, this was just a different opinion because my point of view is that I don't care about someone's gender at all. However, in the daily (working as a developer in a SCRUM team) it was planned that I should pair with her that day what she then refused due to my comment. I cannot understand it because my opinion and the work is something different. Did I really do something wrong here? <Q> Appending to Twyxz answer, you should not only not have answered at all. <S> Also, they way you answered is highly insulting in several ways: <S> And then the next one is discriminated because he does not identify himself as a person <S> She did not say this and you are trying to undermine her with some argument she did not even make. <S> Compare it to this: You ask your boss for a $10 salary increase. <S> He/she then responds with "oh, and then the next one comes along and wants $1,000,000 more". <S> Would you find this argument fair? <S> I find this gender mania just massively annoying <S> It is your personal opinion that you find something annoying. <S> Calling it "gender mania" is already a judgment on its own. <S> Assuming you are in a workplace (like IT) were you are very likely to have a huge gender imbalance <S> it is also simply incorrect. <S> You might not share this opinion, but gender issues are still an issue til today. <S> why you always want to see a discrimination of your own sex in everything <S> You work there for two weeks. <S> It is highly unlikely you could have even had the chance to observe this behaviour "always" and "in everything". <S> Hence, your statement is in fact incorrect. <S> Summing up, in these few sentences you not share an opinion, you are highly insulting. <S> This is unprofessional and you should stop that immediately. <S> Also, you should apologize to your coworker. <S> Further, your whole argument is basically pointless. <S> You might not agree with this, but there is a simple solution to call it "person-days" instead of "man-days". <S> There really is no difference to you and your coworker would feel better. <S> So what is the downside? <S> Pick your battles. <A> Sometimes opinion should not be expressed but kept to yourself. <S> This is one of those times. <S> Regardless of your opinion, you should've seen that this was going to cause upset simply by the fact she was annoyed at man-day. <S> I cannot understand it because my opinion and the work is something different. <S> Exactly. <S> So keep them seperate. <S> Did I really do something wrong here? <S> That is also down to opinion. <S> Your judgement was wrong in commenting, you should apologise and say that you did not mean to offend Anna nor do you want this to affect your relationship and in future stay away from commenting on such things. <A> Politely disagreeing with the other answers (Twyxz and dirkk). <S> You are safer keeping politics (in this case gender politics) out of the office, yes. <S> The reality is that she brought it up and you gave your opinion on the matter. <S> I do agree you could have done this better, but, "hindsight is 20/20". <S> If you had gone with something more along the lines of "Sorry to disagree, but I don't think the intention of man-day is to discriminate you. <S> Man-day, where the "man" comes from human just refers to the amount of work a person can perform, which is the definition on the dictionary. <S> I understand your point, I just don't agree this is something that needs changing" Remember, having an opinion is ok. <S> Voicing your opinion is ok. <S> Being a moron when doing so, isn't. <S> Freedom of speech should be there to protect you to voice your opinion, so you can take one of the 2 options. <S> 1 - don't bring politics to the office; 2 - Voice your opinion, but make sure it is well-explained. <S> Trigger warning: <A> I think that when you give your opinion on things you should expect that some people would react. <S> She gave hers about "man days" thus she should have expected a reaction. <S> The problem is that she started it : by saying that she feels excluded because of "man-day <S> " she gives her opinion <S> so I see nothing wrong with giving yours. <S> I understand that in the workplace you should be diplomatic but if it means to let some people express their opinions and refrain yourself to express yours because you know they cannot take criticism then it's not a healthy practice. <S> When you expose your opinion you should expect some criticism (specially when it is something as ridiculous as feeling excluded for the term "man days" which is a standard in the industry). <S> But on the other side you went a bit rough on her <S> so I think that you should have an open discussion with her so she can tell you what she feels and what you feel in order to work things out.
| Voicing your opinion, even if done well, might still trigger people.
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Am I letting my interns down? I'm a developer tool and infrastructure engineer on a team that looks like so. Job level(seniority) in the company in parenthesis Bob(3)/ Me(1)/ Intern-1(0) Intern-2(0) Alice(2)/ Sam(1)/ John(1)/ James(1)/ Joe(1)/ Intern-3(0) Intern-4(0) A quick run down of the team. I report to Bob(not an ex-developer), so does Alice. But Alice, an ex dev, has been around so long and is so well regarded that I might as well report to her. My daily standup is with her and she tracks but does not assign my deliverables. Bob is extremely reasonable and evaluates everyone fairly. We were recently assigned some interns and I was in charge of providing technical mentorship and guidance to 2 interns who are interested in working on the dev tools side of things. I give them a good, but not outrageous, workload. They often come in around 8 and leave around 6 and get through a healthy number of tickets an I have only good things to say about them. Alice's team, however, are adopting a no pain no gain approach and are really riding their interns hard. I've seen the interns on their teamwork several times into the night One night I was walking out of a meeting room with Bob after a late night call and he saw the interns on Alice's team working. He stopped to chat with them and get to know them and he jokingly remarked, "Hey! Where are your interns?". The interns and Bob are now on a first name basis and get coffee together and stuff sometimes. Obviously, he was joking. But I came back home and thought about it and I wondered what would happen if he took that into account when making offers to the interns. Not all the interns can be hired, we don't have the headcount. I don't want the reason the interns I mentored to not be hired to be I did not give them enough work. At the same time, I don't want them to be so overloaded that they spend weekends at the office like Alice's interns. How do I put across to Bob that my interns do some cool stuff too without Directly taking a dig at Alice or her intern management Presenting as tooting my own horn too much Should I just ride them hard too? <Q> I don't want the reason the interns I mentored to not be hired to be <S> I did not give them enough work. <S> I wouldn't look at it that way. <S> Bob didn't meet Alice's interns because she assigned them too much work. <S> He met them because it was a chance encounter. <S> He could have very well walked by your area when her interns were all in a meeting and yours weren't. <S> Besides - and more importantly - <S> if a company is rewarding/promoting/hiring purely based on who sticks around and works late into the night on a regular basis, you may be doing your interns a favor by not getting them hired there. <S> Rewarding employees who "put in the extra effort" on a too-frequent basis is often done under the guise of "rewarding dedication," but in reality, it's basically supporting bad management, and/or bad employee performance. <S> Employees should have a reasonable workload which they're able to finish their tasks in their allotted hours (perhaps with occasional, infrequent exceptions). <S> In other words, if an employee is regularly staying that late in order to finish their work, either they're really slow (and need coaching/training/help) or they've been given too much work and not enough time to finish it (because their boss is bad at work management.) <S> Neither of those situations should reflect positively on the employee. <S> To answer your actual question, Should I just ride them hard too? <S> No. <S> You should treat them fairly and give them a reasonable workload. <S> You should make sure you're supporting them with training or help as needed. <S> If you are given the opportunity to be involved in hiring decisions, you should do it on merit of their work and their ability to contribute in a sustainable manner, not based on who stayed late every night. <A> If you think Bob is reasonable and you get on well, talk to him about it. <S> If you think Bob's expectations are not fair, you should discuss them with him. <S> I personally wouldn't go to Alice to ask her advice. <S> If Bob tells you that he is looking for Interns that work deep into the night every night, that's what you should let your Interns know. <S> It's up to them to decide if they think that's fair. <S> You should not be artificially restricting their oppertunity because of your notion about what is, or is not fair. <S> Put the ball in their court. <S> You do have an obligation to your Interns, and also you have an obligation to your company. <S> Ultimately the best thing for the company to do is give the Interns the same scope to succeed. <S> That's how you find the best people. <S> It's not tooting your own horn. <A> How do the interns feel? <S> If they want more load, give it to them. <S> When I interned I was happy to go home at quitting time. <S> Personally, I'd ask Bob. <S> Or Alice. <S> They're your go-to people for questions. <S> Get their opinions on it and see if they think you're too nice to your interns. <A> Depending on the relationship with Bob or the procedures already in place to evaluate your interns' work, you could do some of the following: send reports to Bob regularly (once per week, perhaps?), outlining the tasks assigned to and completed by them highlight any problems they may have encountered that may explain a odd bad performance in a given week. <S> including the solutions they found may be also a point highlight good behaviors highlight contributions - for example, intern A came with a new idea that was implemented and the result was this or that improvement on our project, product or way of working highlight points of improvement they may have and outline the actions you intend to do to address them see if Bob would like to see demos from the interns <S> btw, nice that you care about them! <A> Currently, I have a few interns at work as colleagues. <S> They are pretty good, but I'd never expect them to have the same performance as a regular employee. <S> And it would sadden me if the manager demands overtime from them. <S> Depending on the job market and on the economy, even the concept of "voluntary" overtime is suspect <S> *. <S> If a company demands both stellar performance and overtime from its interns, then they should also be paid like a regular employee. <S> Ideally, internships are a win-win for both sides: potential employees can showcase their skills, gain experience, and get to know a potential future workplace. <S> Meanwhile, companies can get some work done and evaluate prospective employee's talent along the way. <S> This can be both more efficient than employing someone by luck, and more reliable than a questionable recruitment process. <S> *: On a related note, I find it important that young people develop sufficient judgement to burn slowly , lest they might contract health problems at some point. <S> But I admit that entrepreneurs, members of startups and other kinds of workaholics might disagree :-)
| You should make sure they're contributing to the company, but also have opportunities to learn, if possible. If the interns should be striving to meet Bob's expectations, you need to find out what Bob's expectations are. Don't project your own expectations onto the Inters, because that is not what they will be judged on.
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Should I make it up to my manager for making him buy something I didn't need? I just started a new job and asked my boss to order me a USB hub about a week ago (they will order stuff you need for work). A couple days later I discovered that the monitors have built in USB plugs. I started using those and then felt like I no longer needed a USB hub. The USB hub came in the mail today, and I told my boss I realized I didn't need it. He said, "Ok, just make sure you need it before having me buy something" . I apologized but I feel really bad now. I was thinking of making it up to him by buying him a small gift. I don't know if that would be an overreaction or not. But I know how bad it feels sometimes when I feel like I get taken advantage of (maybe what he is feeling) and it might be good to make up for it. <Q> He said, "Ok, just make sure you need it before having me buy something". <S> I apologized but I feel really bad now. <S> I was thinking of making it up to him by buying him a small gift. <S> I say that giving your boss a gift is unnecessary. <S> The mistake was already done, and giving your boss a gift will not change what happened. <S> The best way you can thank your boss is to heed their words and double-check next time you ask for something that you actually need it, so this does not happen again. <A> It was an honest mistake. <S> Why would he feel like you were taking advantage of him? <S> Buying your manager a gift in this situation would be abnormal, odd, and unnecessary. <S> Chalk this up as a mistake, which is what it was, and move on. <S> Additionally, why doesn't your manager just return it? <A> Things to consider: If you need one USB port today, you will need two tomorrow and three next week. <S> Keep the hub. <S> Given the choice of plugging my USB device into a $30 hub designed for this, or a $200 monitor where it is just an afterthought, I'll plug it into the hub. <S> Most important, the small cost of the hub didn't come out of your manager's pocket. <S> It came out of some budget. <S> And the money isn't lost, there's still a hub there. <S> Worst case, someone needs a hub in a month, and gets yours. <S> My manager would be totally confused and worry about my mental health if I bought him a small gift. <A> As others have said, it was a small mistake, and the best thing you can do is to ensure it does not happen again. <S> As you're new to the job I understand wanting to make a good impression and ensure you and your manager get along. <S> It doesn't seem like he was hurt by the honest mistake, especially enough to give him a gift. <S> Instead, why not bring him coffee to work one morning, or if it is sold on site then offer to buy him one/grab one there. <S> It's something done within my company if anyone has helped you out/gone above what was needed etc.
| Your boss already "forgave you" for this small mistake, and kindly asked you to be more careful next time.
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How can I help a team member who's a recent immigrant adapt to a new work culture? After a recent meeting, one of my team members asked me for feedback and advice on fitting in to work culture in our country (Canada). The team member is a recent immigrant and this is their first job in Canada. The question has stumped me since I was born here and am not familiar with the experience of being an immigrant, so I plan to follow up with him about what specifically he finds challenging or how he feels he isn't fitting in. But I thought the question was an interesting one: How can we help team members who are recent immigrants adapt to the local work culture? Has anyone else had a similar experience with a team member? How were you able to help them? <Q> A bit of indirect an direct guidance will speed up the immigration a lot. <S> Direct guidance Telling someone what to do/what not to do between colleagues can be seen as condescending, bossy and impolite nevertheless <S> I find it helpful if I'm in a new environment <S> and someone just tells me what the common rules are, especially the inofficial rules. <A> One thing that I have found in several places is an "Employee Handbook", and, especially for those coming from other countries, I have seen not only normal work customs ie when coffee breaks are, start times, end times and "core hours" etc, but information about: banks and bank opening hours laundry location housing information and sourceslist not exhaustive... <S> In fact mentions of anything to do with "normal" life to enable those from a different social milieu to get up to speed. <A> How the new employee adapts is going to depend on the differences, so getting to know the culture they're used to experiencing will help. <S> The best way to do this is to ask them about it - you'll both feel best if there's a two-way process happening, and this is a shared social activity in itself. <S> Beware of stereotypes. <S> While it might be true that someone from Norway might complain less about winter and someone from the UK might be more comfortable with polite understatement (sorry about that), this won't apply for everyone any more than the stereotype of Canada I've just thrown in there would apply to your existing staff. <S> Suggestions of guidance and a handbook are good - particularly if these are the same as are given to your current employees. <S> While it's good to consider differences, too much attention could lead to the new member of staff feeling self-conscious. <S> It may be helpful to think of it <S> as you would someone joining from a local company with a different culture - "because John's used to doing it another way" rather than "because he's from somewhere else". <S> But if you're asking the question, you're already thinking along the right lines.
| Indirect guidance Invite the new colleague to as many social occasion (coffee breaks, lunch, meetings, a drink after work, etc.) as possible just by participating and observing the person will understand the local working environment and what the usual practices are.
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Job offers - How to figure out if it's a soft job offer, or not an offer at all? I have interviewed with a tech firm, and had a final interview already. After the final interview, the HR calls me the same day asking how I felt about the numerous interviews, the entire process, and whether I feel that the role is right after speaking with the team. I told them yes I enjoyed the process and want the role. They then asked if I do have other offers from other companies or am I at a late stage of interviews with other firms, to which I replied yes there are a few other firms which I am interviewing with at late stages, and also am at a late stage with a different role in the same firm. HR then tells me because the entire interview process was so quick (~1 week), and that they want me to have a good think about the role, that I take the time to reflect, consider the role, and review if this is the right opportunity. They have allowed me to have a few days to think through and make my decision. After the call, I get an email: Reiterating the point that I should reflect and review if this is the right opportunity, and they also put in some time for aSkype call in the next couple of days to have a telephone discussion. Lastly, they mentioned if I am keen to proceed after points 1) and 2) , a separate team will reach out to me with a list of on boarding documents. Can I take this as a Soft Offer pending as to whether I negotiate and accept the terms of the offer (which I haven't been given yet verbally or in writing)? <Q> If you have not signed an employment contract you do not have the job. <S> Soft offer, no offer <S> , it doesn't matter. <S> Until both of you sign on that dotted line you do not have the job, negotiations are still going on even if they don't seem like it. <S> Don't give notice at your current job. <S> Get them to give you a contract. <A> There are some requirements as to what constitutes an offer. <S> That it includes basic terms of employment (such as salary, location, title etc.) <S> is usually one of them. <S> In your case, I don't know in what jurisdiction you reside, but if it doesn't come with a set salary for example <S> I'm pretty sure it's not an offer (in the sense that it can have no legal consequences if the company changes its mind). <S> You say "soft offer", but what does that actually mean? <S> It is what it is - the company is very close to making you an offer, but not yet. <S> Until you get an offer, you should assume they can reject you at any moment, so behave exactly like you would have before passing the final interview - keep other options open, don't assume you will get an offer. <A> Here There Be Dragons An unscrupulous company will work this way to make you think you are getting a job from them, in the hopes that you will cancel your other interviews in progress. <S> Then they will give you a lowball offer. <S> Do NOT stop the process with other companies. <S> Do your homework, and find out what the going rate is for this role. <S> Read the company reviews on Glass Door, Indeed, etc to see if they have a rep for this sort of action. <S> If they do give you a lowball offer, walk away. <S> If they give you a "We're going to start you at but <S> within 3 months you get a raise" make sure it is in writing. <S> If the reviews say the company sucks, or rather that this branch sucks, then increase your precautions accordingly. <S> ** <A> If I was to guess, I would say you are on the shortlist, but they are still interviewing, and a job offer will depend on you being their best candidate at the end of their interview cycle.
| An "offer" has a specific meaning in most jurisdictions (for example, if an "offer" was made, and you "accept", and the company (or you) reneges on the employment there are legal consequences). Don't close the doors to other opportunities.
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Is it professional to ask a coworker to turn off the chat notification sound? I have a coworker at a job which I just started, in an open concept office, who runs Slack and maybe once every three minutes I'm treated to the ping pong sound of notifications. I'm somewhat afraid to confront them this early on about it, but it's really disturbing my workflow. I have noise canceling headphones but they aren't great ones, and the sound can overcome them. Is it professional to ask a coworker to turn off the chat notification sound? <Q> Especially in open plan offices, it's a common courtesy to turn off your sound, or use headphones if you do need/want sound. <S> (edit: <S> AFAIK <S> this is not culture specific, but I may be wrong) <S> This means that it's not inappropriate to courteously ask if your colleague can turn off their sound. <S> Explain that the sound is distracting to you. <S> If they have a valid reason not mute their computer, or they strongly prefer not to, then you can work towards a compromise. <S> Maybe they can turn down the volume to a level where it no longer disturbs you. <S> Maybe they start using headphones if they prefer. <S> If they refuse your request and are unwilling to compromise, that becomes an issue for your floor manager/team lead to deal with. <S> Approach them and explain that the constant sounds are distracting and/or invasive. <A> I wouldn't "confront them about it" but instead bring it up casually and with curiosity.. <S> while it is kind of obnoxious to have noises like that in an open plan, there may be a reason for it... <S> Our team just recently moved into an open plan and, while the team has laptops with no audio, our manager specifically has speakers on his desk to hear the notifications he gets. <S> Apparently his boss expects him to drop everything and respond to Slack messages within a minute or hes in trouble.. <A> I'm somewhat afraid to confront them this early on about it, <S> There's nothing to be afraid of here. <S> After all, these interruptions are the biggest reason behind loss of productivity, therefore, loss of money. <S> Is it professional [...] <S> Yes, very much. <S> what should I do? <S> Just talk to him, ask him: "Hey listen, would you mind turning that volume down for the notifications? <S> It's really distracting. <S> Thank you." <S> It should solve the problem. <A> I have noise canceling headphones <S> but they aren't great ones, and the sound can overcome them. <S> With that in mind, what should I do? <S> Look around. <S> Learn what others do in response to the pinging of chat notifications. <S> If tolerating this sound is just a part of the work culture at your shop, then it's time for you to get better headphones. <A> You need to ask him (don't treat this as confrontations) if he can just turn the notification off. <S> Maybe people around him are sitting far away to not hear it? <S> The later you do that <S> the worse it will get because it will get assumed it didn't bothered you earlier. <S> Such sound cues are usually discouraged in open space offices (just like microwaving fish or not). <S> Such thing if throwing anyone off their focus. <S> You need to wage in two things. <S> By turning the ping off he just loose one notify. <S> By keeping it up he is disturbing other people. <S> The gain is much more higher than loss.
| Maybe they themselves is fine with the sound (though I feel it is equally annoying to everyone, including the receiver), but once he gets to know it's bothering someone else, they should be turning if off (to down to a level that does not bother others). I dont think there is anything wrong with asking them about it nicely... And yes they are, not just for the people around you but for the user.
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How to explain degree with gap in CV? Long story short: Started degree A and dropped out after earning about half the credits for graduating Started another degree B and finished it, getting also a PhD after it Managed to finish degree A studying part-time The fields of A and B are somewhat related, but A is more professional and B is more academic I'm considering to apply for professional positions related with both A and B, but I'm not sure about how to present my undoubtedly relevant degree A. The problem is that from starting date to graduation date there is a time span of almost 15 years, due to a 10 years gap in the middle. How should I introduce degree A? Mentioning graduation date only? Not mentioning degree A at all? Being completely explicit about dates and explaining the situation in case of being asked during a job interview? <Q> The whole paranoia about gaps in resumes is that it makes the interviewer wonder what was left out - were you in jail? <S> Did you spend 6 years flipping burgers? <S> Since A was earned part time, any "was he in jail? <S> " <S> question would be covered by your work history. <S> I'd go with Education PhD in B from YourUniversity 20xx <S> BSc in B <S> (omit the date - who cares, you have a PhD!) <S> BSc in A <A> Yes I agree with the other answers. <S> Why would you try to explain anything if there's no need for anything, just mention the graduation date only. <S> The only thing where you need to explain anything is when you apply for a visa to study abroad <S> , they'll ask for your degrees and a copy of your report card and other details related to your studies, this is where you have to explain the gap, either say that you were working <S> , there were some money difficulties, you started other things ... <S> If your problem is not related with studies, then you don't have to explain anything, it's not like you're going to give them a report card with 10 years gap between them Good luck <A> I would mention both under education along with the graduation dates. <S> I wouldn't put a start time or that A was started before B. <A> In case anyone needs to know the specifics, you can provide them. <A> Was degree A earned through distance learning program or in class? <S> If in class then you can just write the name of degree and Class of XXXX year.
| The way I see it, mentioning the graduation year for degree A would be fine.
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How to overcome communication problems? I am a software developer. I am not much of a talker or a social person (even though I agree that coding is a social activity). I mean, when it comes to meetings or when my input is needed in a discussion, I am able to communicate clearly. I have been told by many other team mates that I am very good at explaining/teaching things to other people. But I'm not just a socializing person. I'm like a dull man child who enjoys his own interests. And when I know the ins and outs of something, I am able to communicate clearly and honestly. But I do get stuck if I have to take part in dishonest arguments, e.t.c. People in my team and in office circles have been making jokes with me about not talking (which I'm okay with). But then these jokes became serious and after a while, these things started spreading to almost everyone in my office. Sometimes I even play along and make fun out of the criticisms that I face but that playing along became too much and I now actually have problems talking to people :( I've been to other places recently and people are telling me the same thing now. And worst of all (the reason I'm asking in this site), my performance reviews contain comments about me of having bad communication skills. I did not get promoted to a senior position even though other members of the same position and some even a position junior got promoted. Sometimes people put blame on me for other things seeing this as a weakness. What should I do to improve this weakness? I'm just not a street smart or a partying type of person. And the more people criticize me, the more get deeper into this state. I mean, how would you answer the question: "Why don't you talk?". My answer is silence, or an awkward gesture of "I don't know". It eventually becomes a habit. Then people start having dishonest and picky behavior with me, e.g. someone gives me an incorrect specification. When I tell my lead(s) about this, he/she is like "The problem with you is you don't ask/talk about things. Good. This should happen to you." And if another person comes with the same query, then the lead entertains it. Or when I train a junior employee and he makes a mistake, he says "this person (me) didn't convey the information to me properly. As you all know he has communication problems", even though he does the same task right at other places. <Q> First we need to focus on this: <S> my performance reviews contain comments about me of having bad communication skills <S> Social and communication skills are two different things. <S> So you should go into detail with this point with your manager, ask for specific points to work on, or situations that led him to jump into that conclusion. <S> Also is worth to wander if this is the only reason for you not getting a promotion. <A> I see two different things happening. <S> One is not wanting to socialize with your coworkers and the second not communicating on work matters to where you're not getting promoted because of it. <S> Not wanting to socialize with your coworkers is obviously a personal choice, but try to take some time to get to know your coworkers and listen to their interests. <S> By no means do you all need to share interests, but listening and understanding one another is important. <S> This is more of a culture fit thing. <S> If your work performance is not impacted then from a management perspective, this wouldn't be the biggest concern for me. <S> To me being able explain your work to various audiences and teach others is communication . <S> These two quotes really concern me: <S> And when I know the ins and outs of something, I am able to communicate clearly and honestly. <S> But I do get stuck if I have to take part in dishonest arguments, <S> e.t.c. <S> Sometimes people put blame on me for other things seeing this as a weakness. <S> It sounds like your work culture is really bad. <S> If your coworker has to resort to down-right lying to get the upper hand, that's unacceptable. <S> I don't think the issue is communication here, but rather you not fitting in with the culture of the team and not defending yourself when being blamed. <S> You're unfortunately an easy scapegoat. <S> I don't say this lightly, but you may find better luck in a different company with a culture that matches you better. <A> You're coming to some realizations, e.g. extroversion is a challenge and it's impacting your situation. <S> This is good. <S> I'm guessing you try to be a good worker bee and not waste time frivolously. <S> What is sometimes difficult to realize is that wasting time is actually part of not wasting time. <S> Part of office work is the culture and relationships. <S> Clearly it can go too far, but it's actually more than <S> just okay to spend a few minutes from time to time discussing things that aren't the project at hand. <S> This is grass roots team building. <S> As you've stated, those who do it are moving up the ladder. <S> On Monday, ask one person about their weekend in the break room or when they're not buried in thought. <S> And ask them questions about what they did. <S> If it's something you're into or know, build on that. <S> If not, ask them what they like about it or where they do it or other such questions. <S> People love it when you show interest in them and asking them questions is a key way to do that. <S> In return, be yourself. <S> You can't be the only "man child" as you say in software. <S> Whether its MMORP gaming, chess, sci-fi movies, movies in general, building PCs, cars or whatever, someone there likely has at least a related interest to something you like. <S> At minimum even if you have nothing in common, they are likely still a fan of something they don't feel people normally talk much about. <S> Even, if they don't show any follow up, it's okay. <S> You don't have to force the conversation. <S> Just having shared SOMETHING about yourself has opened a door. <S> Also, consider your demeanor...frequently. <S> You're not going to just have an epiphany then suddenly be "cured". <S> You may have no illwill nor expression at all, but these things show as disinterest and unhappiness. <S> This doesn't mean you have to smile insanely every second, but forcing yourself to not stare at the ground as you walk around or smile or give a nod as you make eye contact all go a long way to seeming more open or at least less broody.
| Maybe you are not as good as a comunicator as you think, is not just explain things well, also includes talk your way out of the problems you need to face everyday, which being too shy can have an impact on. Consider what your expression is as you walk through the office or when you are quietly not answering.
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Company wants to publish my work under someone else's name? So, I'm fresh out of high school, I applied to my first job, and got a response! I'll be a freelance writer, writing about tech for a company's blog. However, my (potential) employer (...client?) mentioned in their last email that the stuff I write may either be published without a name or under the company's founder's name, and I that may not be credited. This would mean, of course, that I can't list the stuff I write for them on my portfolio/website, and that I can't submit these as examples of previously published works of mine when applying to a future job (which, incidentally, is something that this very company also asked for in applications). This seems slightly sketchy to me, especially the bit about publishing it under someone else's name. Am I right to be worried? Is this accepted practice? (I have seen, for example, that all posts on the Stack Overflow blog have the names of the employees who wrote them on the article, but I understand that they're full-time employees and I'll only be a freelancer.) <Q> You think that CEO's spend all their time writing those 'thought leadership' articles on LinkedIn? <S> You think that industry leaders write their own speeches for those big product releases? :) <S> The term is Ghostwriter (or, for a speech, speechwriter). <S> There's nothing wrong with putting that in a resume - e.g ,'Ghostwriter for the xxx llc blog', or 'Speechwriter for La Grande Fromage LLC annual convention'. <S> It's an ethical industry, and a job that many people would want to have. <A> It all boils down to the contract/agreement between you and the employer. <S> Is this accepted practice? <S> Yes, there are many freelancers who write for others without getting credit for their material. <A> Everybody understands that companies/CEOs have people helping them building a professional reputation. <S> I would only see an issue if this happens <S> In a scientific journal <S> In a document where it is mandatory to disclose involved persons <S> and/or if it happens the other way round (they sending an article to you to publish under your name)
| If you agreed to give the rights to someone else for exchange of something or even for free then there is nothing wrong in that.
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Should I notify candidate about the fragile state of my company? I'm running a small IT startup (private firm), funded from my own pocket. We are working on a development project, which is not yet generating income. So far I've hired 3 employees with a 1-year contract. This was the "budget" I was willing to commit to. Current progress is OK but could be better. Now, I've received an open application from a young, but promising candidate. (Based on CV). I have the feeling his skills can speed things up. Hiring him would also imply increasing my risk, so he better be good. Basically, I'm interested in a conversation but I'm not sure if I'm willing to hire altogether. Also, I feel responsible for my employees. This person seems to be leaving a job with a career possibility behind for something riskier. (Unlike the current employees) Should I inform the candidate about this situation? Perhaps before the interview, to manage expectations? Edit Current employees are aware of the company's state. They joined at the beginning of this production and are also involved in design decisions. This is more about the "new" candidate, which seems to be very motivated to join my company (at least on paper). I wonder if he's aware what he's getting into and at which stage I should ask/tell him. <Q> Should I inform the candidate about this situation? <S> Perhaps before the interview, to manage expectations? <S> Yes. <S> You'll find the best employees if they join your company knowing what's ahead. <S> They will decide if this is the kind of company they want to work for - with all the unknowns that entails. <S> The worst case would be to hire someone who doesn't know what they are getting themselves into, and who decides to leave early. <S> That wastes their time and yours. <S> It's something I'd discuss early on, probably in the first interview, since it's likely to be an important decision point. <S> And if you aren't even sure you want to hire anyone, I'd mention it before that - so that the candidate could decide if the talk is worthwhile or not. <S> As with your current employees, you want to potentially hire someone who comes in with eyes wide open and eager for the challenge. <S> Not someone who will be surprised and leave. <S> When I was hired as employee number eight in a startup, I was told all the details behind the company's hiring plans, financial situation, funding sources, and vision for the future. <S> I had to leave a good job and take a 15% pay cut as well. <S> I appreciated the transparency, since it helped me make a well-informed decision. <S> I felt that the founders were being open and honest with me, and that goes a long way with me. <A> Yes, I think it will in best interest for the company, candidate and yourself if the candidate knows the truth about current state of the company before joining as he is risking a lot by leaving other options. <S> Sooner or later the candidate might find it from you or others and when they do it might be worse than him not joining initially. <S> But this shouldn't be disclosed before the interview <S> but after the interview if you wish to hire them. <A> I'm always in favor of transparency and honesty. <S> Tell him the truth, and let him make an informed decision to take the risk or not. <S> If he doesn't, you've lost nothing. <S> If he does, you've gained a motivated employee who understands the situation. <S> Now take it the other way. <S> If you don't tell him, and he finds out- <S> he may quit immediately, which means you've invested time in him that won't bear fruit. <S> He may quit as soon as he gets another offer, same result. <S> He may stay there but be demotivated, reducing his output and possibly poisoning the culture. <S> He may tell others about how he was tricked, causing you a bad reputation in the area. <S> There's really no positive outcome to not telling. <A> If you have to share publicly your current profits (due to being in the stock market or for other reasons) then this is something they can find out easily. <S> If your profit/current financial situation is not available for someone searching, I would advise keeping this information under wraps. <S> Despite the above, I do think you should ask for a phone interview so you can ask a few questions and try and understand why he wants to move and work for you instead, if you feel like he should progress to a face to face interview, then explain that as a startup, you currently are unable to offer job stability. <S> Explain that you weren't hiring <S> but he seemed like a good candidate to help with current project and bring it to fruition faster than currently expected. <S> Ask him to think about it and that if he still wants it, you would be happy to meet with him face to face and talk about the position. <S> If during the phone interview you get a different feeling than you have right now, you can always send an email with the usual <S> "Unfortunately we have decided to not take your application further". <A> Should I inform the candidate about this situation? <S> Perhaps before the interview, to manage expectations? <S> As part of this process you have to tell them. <S> If you want to bring them in for an interview, then first conduct a phone interview and as part of that give them an idea that there might be financial concerns. <S> The risk to you and your company is that whatever you tell the candidate you should assume that the current employees will find out. <S> Whatever repercussions that has you must be prepared for. <S> It should be noted that you are able to make this decision because you are the owner of the company. <S> If you were just a team lead, or a manager, then you might not have the entire picture. <S> You would also have to discuss this with the ownership or leadership above you. <S> They would be responsible for evaluating the risks and benefits.
| If both sides agree to an in person interview, then before making an offer you need to let them know the risks involved. If the resume doesn't wow you then do don't have to say anything specific just tell them you aren't hiring.
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Pay raises while having stock options Say you're an early employee at a startup, and have been granted stock options (representing under 1% of equity). How should you approach the topic of pay raises? Should you just ask for a small bump, to cover inflation (say a 5% raise)? Should you wait until after a funding round closes? Should you accept more equity instead of cash? I'm interested in general strategies of negotiating this balance between cash compensation and equity. Edit : Unlike the other questions, I'm interested in how one should approach ongoing compensation in the context of of a startup that grants you stock options, rather than in general. <Q> Say you're an early employee at a startup, and have been granted stock options (representing under 1% of equity). <S> How should you approach the topic of pay raises? <S> I've worked at many startups. <S> Whenever there was sufficient funding, I've always gotten raises. <S> Whenever there wasn't sufficient funding, I knew about that before I joined. <S> You should approach pay raises exactly the same way you would have if you hadn't received stock options. <S> If others are getting raises, then you ask for whatever raise you determine you deserve. <S> If others aren't getting raises (perhaps because the startup lacks proper funding), then you don't ask for a raise. <S> I consider stock options as a bonus. <S> They aren't a substitute for salary. <S> You may find that the company is short of cash and isn't giving regular raises, or is giving just minimal raises. <S> Adjust your approach accordingly. <A> Also, don't pin any hopes on that 1% of equity. <S> You're in a startup - most of which fail. <S> If the startup goes through a couple of funding cycles (usually because they can't make a profit), you'll see your equity diluted. <S> If the company becomes successful, you'll find that the company has some way to make your 1% impossible to cash out. <S> (been there, done that). <S> We can't tell you what to do; all we can say is that you should look after #1 (everyone else will be) <A> You won't get a raise at a startup under most circumstances. <S> Startups need cash badly. <S> They need it so badly they sell parts of the company off to get it every year or two. <S> They don't have it to give out in raises. <S> You might get one right after a round if you threaten to leave, or if the boss is afraid of mass defections. <S> That's about it <S> (exception: if you're at a unicorn. <S> But I'm assuming a normal startup). <S> The theory is that you have equity, and the increase in value of that equity (plus the other benefits of startup life, like less politics) is enough to offset the additional money you could make elsewhere. <S> If it isn't, honestly you shouldn't be there. <S> If you're going to try for more, you may be better off asking for additional equity- <S> equity is cheaper than cash. <S> Or asking for some perk you want. <S> But if you expect annual or regular raises- stay away from startups.
| You can always ask for a pay rise if you feel you need and deserve one, but don't expect that the company will be able to oblige you.
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Telling boss about leaving the company with more time in advance than notice period I got an offer for a new job and I'm taking it. The notice period in the contract for my current job is 4 weeks (both ways), but I've agreed with the new company to start in 8 weeks from now, as that will give me time to tie up some loose ends in the project I work on, write documentation and, finally, introduce the other developer to my project. My question would be, should I tell my boss now (8 weeks from my planned date to leave) that I will be leaving or just before my notice period (4 weeks before I leave)? Info about my current position: Software developer for a very small producer of electronics (9 employees). We are only two software developers. I have been working by myself for 19 months in my main project. <Q> You tagged this germany and this is very specific to Germany: <S> A little warning first: It's legal to have 4 weeks notice period, because the company employs less then 20 people and that is an exception, but please check your contract very carefully. <S> Most of the time, employers just copy the legal default minimum, which is "4 weeks to the end of the month" or "4 weeks to the 15th of the month". <S> In that case, you need to give 4 weeks notice at a specified point in time or before, not just 4 weeks before you want to leave. <S> All the other horror stories you hear about unfair employers that fire you are in other countries that do not have Germany's strong laws and worker protections. <S> What may happen is that for your notice period, you will be getting the boring tasks. <S> Routine maintenance, bugfixing, documenting. <S> Not because anyone is out for you, but because that's what a notice period is for. <S> Making sure your work is properly documented, making sure nothing is missing. <S> The cool new shiny project? <S> That is being worked on by your coworker. <S> Not as a punishment, but because that person is probably still around when it launches. <S> So, make sure you read your contract correctly. <S> Calculate the date you have to hand in your notice. <S> Write it down, address the letter properly, make sure all the boxes are checked (you can google <S> what needs to be in a Kündigung for your specific job and contract type), make sure you write a sentence or two about how you enjoyed it and appreciated the opportunity. <S> Then print it twice and take it to work. <S> Make sure you catch your boss at a good moment, not when they are fuming mad for a completely different reason already. <S> You can prepare all that in advance. <S> There is no harm in handing in your resignation a week or two early. <S> Do not wait until the last day if there is a better opportunity a few days earlier. <S> Nothing bad can come out of it in Germany legally but there is a lot that can go wrong on that specific last day you need to hand it in. <A> Giving them more notice is not needed. <S> I have seen companies say thanks for the notice, here is how we will pay you for the required notice period, have a nice life. <S> Unless they have somebody ready to fill your slot quickly, you are unlikely to have time within your notice period to be able to train a new hire. <S> That is because unless they are already unemployed, they also have a notice period. <S> You will have time to pass information to an existing employee. <S> Sometimes they are qualified to do your job. <S> Many times they aren't qualified. <S> That is not your concern. <S> Don't risk a period of no income, only tell them when you are obligated to tell them. <A> More information about your position at the company might be helpful. <S> There is no incentive for you to disclose this information early. <S> In that 4 weeks company has to find replacement if it's a critical position and you may be required to transfer knowledge in that period <S> but again it's company's problem not yours.
| Generally speaking, there is no harm in being a little early with handing in your notice. But from the given information you are only required to inform them 4 weeks in advance as per contract.
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Informing employers about my unwillingness to take work laptop home Most of the Indian IT companies, big or small, issue work laptops to their employees, junior or senior. The intention could vary from office to office, viz catering to important and critical issues on the production environment or an option to work from home once in a while. And almost everyone carries it back to their respective homes. But, I am not in the production support role and I don't intend to carry it home. There are other colleagues too who are not in such roles but carry it back and forth to the office. It is such an onus, literally, on my shoulders. I have to ensure its safety while travelling, at home, rather treat it as a precious object that could be stolen at any time. I cannot be at peace even if I go on a one day vacation. The reasons could be many more. I just do not intend to take the work laptop home. I was browsing for options online and see that a few companies do provide an option to lock the laptops to the desk. So, I have a problem and a solution but I wonder how gladly would my management accept it. Because, it is not being implemented at my office. If I state these reasons, I might come across as an irresponsible person who cannot take care of her belongings or as an employee who doesn't want to handle critical issues or whatever might come across their minds. How do I put it softly in their minds that I do not want the burden of carrying an office laptop to my home? P.S: Wanted to know if there is anyone working in an Indian office with locker/lock provision for work laptops. <Q> "How do I put it softly in their minds that I do not want the burden of carrying an office laptop to my home?" <S> Send a polite, but clear, email to HR and others stating that (1) you will never be taking your laptop home and (2) <S> actually asking what to do about security at the office. <S> So, phrase it as a question . <S> What about this: Dear team. <S> Regarding the Asus ROG Strix Hero II serial number 123123321 I was issued yesterday, March 27. <S> I will not be taking it home, so it will always be at the office 365/24. <S> What should we do about security for it? <S> Would you like me to attach a security cable or should I put it somewhere in particular overnight? <S> What is best? <S> Thanks Wonda. <S> It's always a great communications "trick" to ask a question. <S> It engages the other party, it's polite ... and notice the onus is now on them to address the issue. <S> You are very wise to never take a company laptop home. <S> In general company laptops are simply a trick to get free work out of you. <S> In most cases, such as your case, there's zero benefit to you. <S> Smart choice. <A> There are two things here: 1. <S> Not carrying the laptop home <S> That's okay, as long as you're not expected to access some work resource for which you might need the laptop, it's perfectly fine not to carry the laptop back home (for safekeeping purpose only). <S> The office should provide an option for safekeeping workplace-related valuables. <S> 2. <S> The safekeeping of the laptop if left in office Ask your workplace resource team (or, your manager in absence of a WPR team) how to handle this. <S> There should be policies for securing assets while you are away from desk (irrespective of the time period). <S> Inquire about the policies - it'll help you achieve two things: <S> You'll be communicating indirectly that, you are planning to leave the laptop at office. <S> You'll get to know the official security practices which you can follow. <S> Most likely, the office should have a secure storage facility (a cupboard or a shared storage rack, with lock & key) to keep private things safe. <S> If you have one, as long as you use that facility to store the laptop and related peripherals, it should not be your concern about the further safekeeping (i.e., the safety of the storage system itself). <S> Alternatively, see if there is an option to request a lock-cable for laptops, it may be available on-demand basis. <S> That said: If I state these reasons, I might come across as an irresponsible person who cannot take care of her belongings [...] <S> Wait, it's office property, you're just allowed to use it. <S> It's not your property and <S> unless being used or carried by you, the safekeeping is not your responsibility. <S> [...] or as an employee who doesn't want to handle critical issues <S> As mentioned, that's not your problem to handle this issue, if it's one. <S> [...] or whatever might come across their minds. <S> There's no whatever else , this is a very specific thing, and there are specific rules on how to address safety and security concerns for workplace related valuables. <A> The company I work for here in the UK asks that we take our laptops home. <S> The stated reason is for business continuity. <S> ie. <S> if there was to be a fire or flood at my usual office, I could still work from home. <S> For me, the transport is easy because I drive and the bag is not that heavy anyway. <S> There is not (usually) any expectation that I will continue working, or checking emails, at home after I have worked a day in the office, or in the morning before my usual start time. <S> Of course, there are exceptions to this: I might be asked to do overtime, or there really is something that needs my urgent attention. <S> In both cases, I would expect to get paid for this, and there's the bonus that it can make you look good in the eyes of your manager. <S> It is pretty easy and not much of a burden. <S> I might have a different viewpoint, if it was simply a means for my employer to have me available 24/7 <S> and I let it be that ; or if my laptop bag was very heavy and I had a long journey by foot and/or public transport.
| So, the answer is, raise the issue as a question about security of the device in the office; it's then a fait accompli that you are not taking it home, and, at the same time you are clearly going on record that you will not be taking it home. Taking my laptop home can also work to my advantage: I might ask to work from home if I need to wait in for a repair service or a delivery, and of course that time is billable to my employer as work.
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My boss doesn't want me to have a side project It all started back in February when I decided to start an e-commerce store. When my boss learned about it, he started talking less and less to me. Some days he doesn't talk to me at all, like he used to, and when he talks to me he seems like he is not happy with me like he doesn't want me to get into a side project that generates me some extra pocket money. Now I'm planning to get into trading stocks like next month or so, and I really hate it when he is not happy with me as he was, back then working with him was a very smooth experience. Now it is really toxic and unhealthy, what do you think I should do? <Q> what do you think I should do? <S> Nothing. <S> In case he learnt in some un-official capacity and unhappy about it, that's their problem. <S> There's nothing you can do to change them. <S> If you feel that this lack of communication is causing problems in your work, bring it up as an official discussion, <S> However, if you're missing the "chat by the water cooler" because he learnt about your side ventures, believe me, those chats were not worth it. <A> At this point you have nothing to connect your side project with your manager's behaviour other than your feelings. <S> You should not assume they are connected. <S> And your not communicating with him is not helping. <S> Go and talk to your boss, and ask him if he is OK with your side project. <S> If he is, then you are good to continue. <S> If not then you can find out if there is any official policy on side projects, or why he is unhappy, and at least potentially do something about it. <A> You are looking at the situation from your perspective only . <S> It is worthwhile considering that your performance in your main job might actually suffer from your side project. <S> That is not always easy to measure, but it could effect your creativity, your sociability (always thinking about how to get the next stage or solve the next problem). <S> It could also be an indication to your boss that you actually don't see your current job as fulfilling and you either feel too good for it <S> or you are likely to move on. <S> In both cases, it would make sense for your boss to limit the investment in training and coaching you. <S> Hence, I would suggest tuning down the side project for a week or two and see how s/he reacts. <S> Don't speak about the project and make sure your work is pristine. <S> If after two weeks your boss is still distant you are always free to ask if you did something wrong. <S> If you ask your boss, then don't frame the question in terms of the side-project (that would be overemphasising your own perspective). <S> Rather ask whether you did something wrong, whether something could be improved, or whether maybe something is bothering him/her. <A> There are some times when you need to ok things with your boss, such as when your "side gig" is competing or even similar to your day job. <S> There might be clauses preventing a conflict of interest or potential IP issues with working too closely with your day job. <S> There are also job (like certain government jobs) that try to claim anything you do, even outside of work, as their own or at least want first dibs on it. <S> If it's just the manager's rules/feelings, then that's their own problem, but if it's the company rules, then it can be a real problem. <S> Talk to your boss/manager first to see if there's a company policy that prevents you from doing this. <S> If not, you're fine and shouldn't worry about your boss. <S> If there is a problem, you may need to get a lawyer involved. <S> Involving that lawyer may just mean asking them if the company is actually allowed to have their clause and if it really affects you. <S> I had a previous employer that wanted first dibs on everything I created. <S> The problem lay in that I had an existing side business and was continuing to create new products for it, which I'm still doing today after leaving that position. <S> I had to do a lot of paperwork, deep history dives, and submit a lot of proof that my business was pre-existing to me becoming an employee and that anything I did for that business would be mine, as long as I didn't do it on their company hours. <S> I started that business while working elsewhere that didn't have any problems with it and even allowed me to get packages at my day job. <S> It was a small company, so it wasn't really wasting anyone's time. <S> So, my point is: different companies have different rules. <S> If you want to keep your day job, follow their rules or get a different day job. <S> Or, as someone mentioned in the comments to your post, make your side gig your full time gig. <S> That's what I'm trying. <S> Good luck!
| As long as you are not using company time and resource to make your side project, and you don't have a clause in your employment agreement which prohibits you from engaging in any sort of technical or business activities which is directly or indirectly have a conflict of interest with the current organization, your manager has nothing to object or dictate.
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Broaching Subject of Fair Compensation I technically have two positions at my workplace. One which I am paid hourly and conforms fairly to State/Federal laws. The other pays by batch (its making dough). For every batch of dough I make and process I get paid $35. However it takes me like 4-4.5 hours. Which makes it to where I am being compensated under minimum wage. When I get faster I will be making well more per hour. However that will take time, focus, and dedication to achieve. A friend of mine at work is advocating I just work hard get better. Then I will start making money at it. Another friend who has a similar opinion to me says it shouldn't matter. I should be fairly compensated to do the task. If I am not I should just stick to the hourly paid tasks. What should I do? <Q> Like all piece work, you're being compensated against an acceptable rate of manufacture. <S> If you perform under that rate, you don't get paid so much. <S> If you work to a faster rate while maintaining the acceptable quality standard, then you get paid more. <S> Watch some "super fast worker" videos on YouTube, get motivated, <S> get paid more. <A> So, you want to be paid for more than the value of your work? <S> Don't we all? <S> So, you say you want "fair compensation". <S> What would be fair? <S> If you want minimum wage now, when you are not producing, would that same wage be fair if your speed goes up to 1 batch per hour? <S> What is fair, is whatever you agree to. <S> If you cannot accept this lower rate of pay as a training wage, then you should seek other employment or negotiate a flat wage. <S> If you have no confidence in yourself, the flat wage would be the way to go. <S> If you don't want a flat wage, but want the better money that will come, you have to endure the lower pay at this time. <S> Those are your options. <A> You don't say what your country is, but in the United States, you still have to be paid minimum wage per hour for piece work . <S> Your manager should expect that as a new employee, you won't be able to make dough as fast as more experienced employees. <S> But it's his responsibility to pay you at least minimum wage regardless of how fast you work. <S> Bring the subject up and ask that you be paid at least minimum wage for the piece work.
| You can't expect to be paid the same amount for working less hard than is expected.
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(How) should I report negative feedback from others to my boss? If someone attacks me, for example, criticizes me strongly during a meeting or ignores my efforts to contact them for a prolonged period of time (although I know they are available and have political reasons to avoid me), how should I escalate it to my boss? All my actions are agreed upon with my boss and I'm just trying to fulfill the tasks I'm given. However, I also want to avoid being blamed, if one of those people tells lies about me to my boss (yes, it has happened before). I don't mean fair criticism. I mean questioning my very right to have my job. I mean political criticism. I mean clear situations where someone makes my work impossible or tries to intimidate me. I don't know what the best way to deal with such situations is. <Q> Okay, standard checklist for a hostile environment time... <S> Document everything <S> If you cannot document something at the time, such as a conversation, send an email ASAP starting with as per our conversation.... <S> then outline the conversation CC boss on all attempts to contact them through email. <S> If attempt at contact is via phone, then see (2) above <S> In meetings, be ready with a counter, " <S> No Bob, that's not the case, in fact.... (lay out truthful case)" To deal with lies to boss: <S> "Well boss, I'm really disappointed in Bob for painting it in that light, but I just have to correct him on this (present documentation from steps 1-3)" <S> You're dealing with workplace bullies, and the quickest way to stop it is to show that there will be consequences for attempting to bully you. <S> They will either stop, or try to find other targets. <S> If they move on to other targets, give those people the steps I've outlined for you to follow. <A> (How) should I report negative feedback from others to my boss? <S> You don't. <S> Don't waste your boss's time telling him that someone else criticized you. <S> Any lies that people are telling your boss about you <S> , you should have no problem refuting. <S> If your boss, for whatever reason, still believes the lies without evidence then it might be time to look for a new company to work for. <A> criticizes me strongly during a meeting Whether you should escalate to your boss would depend on why they are (or you think they are) criticizing you as well as <S> answers questions such as Is this criticism the result of something you could have done better? <S> Is the criticism within your area of responsibility? <S> How much objective impact did the issue that caused such criticism have for the people who are criticizing you? <S> If the answer to the first two points are yes, then I would not involve my manager at all. <S> Rather take responsibility, and be accountable for your shortcomings. <S> You may not personally agree with such criticism, and what the other side is saying may even be distasteful to you, but you need to separate personal from professional in such circumstances. <S> You have have a job to do, and the criticism supposedly arose because your job was not done well <S> , so criticism to a certain extent may be justified. <S> Political criticism <S> As someone who work in cybersecurity, I get a lot of this simply for doing my job. <S> We have a (often undeserved) reputation as being the "people / department of no". <S> When security is effective and done well, users sometimes don't see the benefit of such actions. <S> Often, and regrettably, security is seen as a us vs them political battle, a battle of wills. <S> If you are getting political criticism simply for doing your job, I would just soldier on and let your good work speak for itself . <S> You have a certain job to do, and should not be distracted by others who often have their own agendas. <S> I do not mean to be totally callous of your fellow colleagues, and certainly you should listen with an open mind. <S> However, sometimes you can only work / reason with someone to a certain extent, without jeopardizing your own duties / position. <S> My work experience in cybersecurity supports my opinion to not take undeserved criticism personally. <S> On the other hand, if the political criticism is unfair and not a part of your role <S> I would escalate to your boss, by carefully documenting what the other folks are requesting, how it impacts you / your team , and how acting on that is not in your or your team's best interests. <S> A good and considerate manager should understand and support you in pushing back against the other people.
| As for people ignoring you, if their assistance is required for you to complete your tasks then make sure you have some sort of documentation of your attempts to contact them.
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Can an employee salary be more than their manager's I wonder if someone more qualified than his/her manager can be paid more. Is it customary/expected and/or a rule stating that a manager should have a better salary than all of their subordinates? Edit : This is excluding contractors, and bonuses and other benefits. <Q> I've had managers that had little to no technical knowledge. <S> They were paid for the value they provided -- the ability to manage people. <S> That skill may not be as in demand as other skills, so they're paid accordingly. <A> No, in fact I know people who make more than their managers. <S> It is important to remember that just because someone is a manager does not make them better or more valuable than the people that report to them. <S> It's just a different position, with different required skills. <S> Those skills could be more or less valuable than the skills of the people reporting to them. <S> Salary is nominally based on the amount of value created by the skills someone has and who hard they would be to replace, not by their position in the organizational structure. <A> I manage a technical group. <S> 15 years ago I decided I liked managing people and enabling them to do great things more than I enjoyed doing research. <S> I’m quite happy to have technical people making more than I do. <S> It means they are doing great things, and that I’ve done my job well. <A> To expand on the other good answers here. <S> It shouldn't be a rule <S> but... <S> Is there a certain rule that manager should have better salary than all of his subordinates? <S> Yes. <S> This rule/myth originates from managers but is believed by a significant number of people in all positions. <S> Even if it isn't a good rule you should be aware that it exists in parts of the real world. <S> Adherents to the rule are usually resolute and are not ready to be persuaded that anything else would be fair or even viable. <S> Therefore, if you meet someone who believes in this rule you should think about how you can work around it rather than trying to change their minds. <S> Sometimes the rule will be believed by a manager (work around them not against them) <S> but sometimes it will be intrinsic to an organisation. <S> For example, the NHS has a pay banding structure predicated on the idea that managers are paid more than their employees <S> *. <S> If you want sizeable long term pay rises and also want to work for the NHS <S> then you should try to obtain a role and responsibilities that can have the word "manager" attached to them. <S> * with the sole exception of doctors (1% of NHS employees). <S> Doctors are valued differently <S> but I don't want to get into details too much as the specifics aren't relevant to the question at hand. <A> Salary is usually based on two factors: Position Time at Company <S> There are engineers at my company who have been here for 20+ years and they make a lot more than engineering managers that have been here for half the time (or less depending on team). <S> While managers usually make more money than their subordinates because of the simple fact that you need to be at a company for a while to "work your way up"- newer managers will typically make less money than subordinates that have been at the company for longer and have top titles (and more time for those lovely raises/bonuses) <A> The question is how much you benefit the company and how replaceable you are. <S> If you are the only person in the world capable of doing your job, and there is a queue of people who could replace the manager, then there is no reason why you wouldn’t get paid more. <A> Yes, this is possible. <S> I am line manager in a investment bank. <S> I joined as a individual contributor. <S> I was given a responsibility to manage a team based on how i have performed, it was new team setup. <S> I can fairly say that i am running the show. <S> i am techno functional guy and a super star perfomer as per stakeholder and my line manger. <S> Now comes the twist. <S> I joined at lesser package wherein the thumb rule is you salary is dependent on negotiation skills. <S> Now since you joined at lesser package and now you need to perform to level things for you. <S> However when it comes to appraisal you would get to see the crunch in budget. <S> So effectively chances of salary getting normalise are thin. <S> Imagine a situation wherein you are getting 30 % lesser then your report. <S> However i would still suggest not compare and keep it secret.
| I see no issue with a highly skilled person being paid more than the person they report to.
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Leaving a job and asking for references I am a recent graduate from college and have been employed at my current job for 8 months and it unfortunately is not a good fit. After having a very negative performance review from my manager in which she emphasized all of my shortcoming but never discussed my accomplishments I decided to look for other jobs while putting in my best effort to improve at my current job. I have made some improvements at my current job but I am still unhappy at it. I have been offered another job. When I resign from my current job I want to discuss with my manager the possibility that she may be contacted by future employers and I want to mitigate a bad reference. How do I bring this up with her? Ideally I would like to have her agree to just confirm my dates of employment and not say anything bad. A disclaimer, I am from the United States. The current job that applied to asked for references using the statment "Follow your job history/resume. Do not leave gaps. Start with your supervisors/managers from each job. After completing the supervisors/managers, add peers, direct reports, or clients." For this current job I got out using my manager because I am currently employed there but what about any subsequent jobs I may apply to? Future employers may ask to speak to my current manager. <Q> I want to discuss with my manager the possibility that she may be contacted by future employers <S> and I want to mitigate a bad reference. <S> How do I bring this up with her? <S> Ideally I would like to have her agree to just confirm my dates of employment and not say anything bad. <S> The thing is, these are two very different things. <S> A letter of work confirmation vs. a reference. <S> You can ask your current employer to provide you with a letter that confirms your employment. <S> In some countries they're mandatory to give this to you when you asks for it. <S> To make sure you get it the quickest you should provide the papers upfront <S> so all they have to do is sign it. <S> In other countries this is completely unnecessary. <S> A reference is a completely different ballpark. <S> You don't ask someone to be your reference if you're even the slightest worried about what they will say once contacted. <S> You don't really ask a reference to say good stuff about you and leave out the bad stuff. <S> You can ask her to be your reference once you've left the company, but you need to be sure that she's actually capable of recognizing your strengths and not be too focused on your weaknesses. <S> Can she? <S> Do you trust this person enough to know that they'll actually be recommending you? <S> That's what a reference is after all, a recommendation. <A> Your off in the deep end of the pool now. <S> You effectively don't have a reference from your former manager. <S> If you have worked many years with a company, not having a reference from your manager can be ok. <S> That usually tells the recruiter that your current manager doesn't know you are leaving, or they are the reason you are leaving. <S> Either way, it doesn't reflect badly on you. <S> However, you are leaving after a very short amount of time, and not having your manager as a reference says something far worse. <S> But don't panic, you can still get out of the pool, you just need to aim for another starter job, one that doesn't care about your past employment. <S> Often those applications have a place where you can say whether or not those people can be contacted as a reference. <S> Here is where you can say no because you don't want them to know you are looking for a job. <S> Everything about the working world and life in general is about controlling the narrative. <S> You want your story to be told, not your managers story. <S> Sometimes your story won't be believed, but eventually, with enough persistence, it will be. <S> Just keep trying, keep applying for jobs, and take some school on the side. <S> School gives you a stronger narrative because now your saying you didn't like your career path and are trying another. <S> Any narrative is better than "my manager thinks my performance is terrible". <S> Good luck. <A> Most (all?) <S> people usually either give a positive reference or at least a neutral one for the following reasons: <S> Litigation <S> It is easy to leave the negative stuff off as the person giving the reference has nothing to gain for giving negative references <S> I would just ask her. <S> Most likely it will be just confirmation that you worked their. <S> Also most probably she will not even write it - HR job.
| If they have bad stuff to say about you then they shouldn't be your reference in the first place. When you encounter those applications asking for your job history, do not provide your managers contact information, just a name is enough.
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Taking favor from the management while attending an interview Most of the projects in Indian major IT companies are outsourced. The standard practice to get a candidate on-board is to follow a series of interviews, one of which could be with the client where one or more techies from their onsite client end are the interviewers. Sometimes, someone from the offshore team gives a basic idea about the clients' expectations and guide the candidate. So far so good. There is this one company where the prospective project manager sent me the audio recordings of previous such client interviews with other candidates. I went through one of it, got a good idea of what the client wants, and during my actual interview, I answered exactly what s/he is looking for and in a more sophisticated manner. The client was thoroughly impressed with me, gave a wonderful feedback and the result was that the company offered me a good salary package. I consider this as one of those cases where we know how to answer to get a job. Yet, I have a bigger dilemma. This would sound like a huge favor to me from the management. If things go wrong in the future, they might always come back and tell me that they have guided me appropriately to crack the client interview. I am talking about the typical Indian management mentality where 'I have done this for you- you need to oblige to us, always'. This could come across as a hypothetical one, but it cannot be ruled out either. I was wondering, how wise is it to become part of such organization. btw, the salary offered is indeed handsome. P.S: PM is the PM of the company I am interviewing for. Client is the client of the company for whom that company is providing service. <Q> Indian here. <S> I think even for Indian companies this is a little too much on the shady side. <S> And I would think this recording was not made with the knowledge of the client, which makes it unethical. <S> I would consider this a red flag. <S> Also, it seems like the company has to take permission from the client even to hire an employee, which tells me company <S> does not have much say in the project running. <S> Most of the big/good companies in India <S> it is not the case - You can get hired without client interview. <S> You are interviewed only by the company techies/managers. <S> After you are hired, there may be a client interview to join certain projects, but that is a different thing. <S> I would be wary of joining this company because the unethical practices might run deep. <A> There is probably a significant cultural element at play here, but what I would say is that the PM gave you information to assist you in getting hired, so they probably have an expectation that you don't know everything you said in the interview. <S> Their reason for helping you is quite clear. <S> You getting a job has helped them too. <S> If this happened in the western world, I would be tempted to also say "Stay Away" but these kind of thing may be prevalent in the industry you're in, and where you are from. <S> I would consider using a taped recording to become prepared to be ethically questionable, however you've categorised it as "one of those cases where we know how to answer to get a job", so there is probably a difference of understanding in what constitutes ethical behaviour. <S> Maybe the next step for you is to have a chat with your employer and see what the next steps are to get you the knowledge they helped you fake. <S> If they are dismissive that's one thing. <S> If they have a grant plan how to make it all work, that's another story. <S> Also, keep in mind that you have a recording of the interview, which is proof of fraud. <S> They probably have a lot more to lose than you at this stage. <A> With the risk of oversimplifying the statements, I have to say I consider this as one of those cases where we know how to answer to get a job. <S> should rather be <S> I consider this as one of those cases where we know what to answer to get a job. <S> i.e., the correct answer to the questions. <S> That's what should get you the job. <S> Given the description, it's a red flag to me. <S> There would be no circumstances you need to know client preferences before attending the interview. <S> If you're trained to answer certain questions which you're not supposed to know, then, in every form, this is inappropriate. <S> Your technical / domain knowledge is not going to be influenced by client preferences. <S> Your behavioral skills are also not going to be affected by client preferences. <S> Moreover, if you claim to "know" about project details / workflows / best practices for the client before joining (and having necessary agreements signed) and working for a client, that would be a sign of a data / security breach, so there's no way you can benefit from knowing those information. <S> One possible "advantage" of having those recordings, can be imagined, as to "have an idea" of the required knowledge for the job, but that's part of the job description already, is not it? <S> So, the recordings are not worth it, anyways. <S> Moreover, the day to day work is not limited by topics of discussion in an interview. <S> It may need to expand far beyond what was covered in one interview session. <S> So, bottom line, there would be no advantage the company can expect by passing those recordings to you. <S> Rather, I'd see this as a poor an lame attempt to somehow "clear" the interview process. <S> I can't say about the whole company, but I'd stay away from that manager and that team. <S> Note: <S> As you clarified in the comments, there is no disclosure about the interview recording at the beginning, that can make possibly make the whole recording this illegal, as in may parts of the world, attempt to record any A/V communication without explicit notice and consent from all the attending parties, would be illegal. <S> So, it's not only "taking favors", you may end up being "guilty by association". <S> Stay away. <A> IMHO, to get a job and to do a job are often different things. <S> Person can be qualified to do the job, be actually best for it with skill-set, attitude and experience, but not interview well. <S> Or client may be looking for specific wording / answer to specific question and candidate qualification would not come through as clear as they should. <S> In short, i don`t see it as a big issue in case you as employee for the project is perfect fit
| I have seen people having notes about what questions were asked in the client interview, to help someone crack the interview, but have never seen a recording.
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How do I handle a potential work/personal life conflict as the manager of one of my friends professionally? I have a rather peculiar situation. My wife and I have a couple who we are friends with, and recently the woman (let’s call her Jane) was hired in my company and works in my team (I’m her manager!). Now Jane and my wife often socialize , with frequent shopping trips and lunches together. Now suddenly things have turned a bit sour between them and they had a few arguments, during which Jane also acted rudely and cut off all connection to my wife (Jane is a bit of an emotional cannon at times). Now my wife is pissed off because of her behavior and I’m in an awkward position because I meet Jane at work and she acts normal. I also act normal since I don’t merge my professional and personal spheres of life. But it is terribly awkward since we don’t socialize with the couple anymore and deep down I feel that she owes an apology to my wife or at least they should clarify things between them. I also feel angry at times that she used the connection with us to get the job but of course it was my decision to hire her and she is a qualified person for the job too. Of course I as her manager can make it difficult for her. I don’t feel it is right as this personal issue shouldn’t come in professional domain. My wife agrees. But to be honest, I’m pissed off at this whole episode. Jane is seemingly quite naive to act as she likes and feel no obligation to apologize, knowing the link to her career. Am I right to ignore Jane's rude behavior towards my wife at work even though I am in a position to guarantee this impacts Jane's career.? <Q> Just carry on, business as usual. <S> I also act normal since I don’t merge my professional and personal spheres of life. <S> I don't think you're very good at it. <S> You are letting your personal issues (out of the office relationship) cloud your professional judgement. <S> Of course I as her manager can make it difficult for her (even fire her) <S> Please, don't even think about it. <S> What an employee does outside the office is no reason to judge them in a professional capacity. <S> You are thinking of getting into a "revenge" mode, curb this thought at root. <S> I also feel angry at times that she used the connection with us to get the job [...] <S> Nope, not at all. <S> She might have used the connection to know about the opening and applied and as you mentioned, the hiring was based on their capabilities. <S> You rather should be thankful, they saved you some time and effort "head-hunting". <S> My wife, although bitter about it, is also of the opinion that I should not let this interfere with my work relationship towards Jane. <S> She is right, listen to her. <A> I don't think you need a 3rd person telling you what you should do to be honest. <S> It is quite clear, you were friends, you helped her get a job that you feel she is qualified for, she is no longer a friend but a co-worker. <S> When you walk in the office, you leave your home behind. <S> When you walk into your house, you should leave your job behind as well. <S> Remain professional. <S> If she ends up apologizing to your wife and they become friends again, what would you do if you had fired her? <A> In your work life there is absolutely NOTHING you could/should do. <S> If you fire her for personal motivation, in many countries (depend on where you live) plenty of lawyers will be ready to open the champagne bottle. <S> The only thing you could do to exit from this situation is to ask Jane to have a coffee after the work and ask her what happened, why and if there is any way she and your wife can be friends again. <S> But is a very dangerous path, you could upset Jane, your wife or even both. <S> The best thing for you is let the girls manage the situation. <A> The best solution is to take any management decisions regarding her out of your own hands. <S> That way, you cannot be biased in your actions towards Jane. <S> I would advise your boss of the bare minimum, and request that they review any disciplinary or job assignment actions you make regarding Jane. <S> It is best to have a neutral third party look over your decisions. <S> Many times our biases are subtle, and we believe we're acting rationally when in reality we are not.
| TL;DR - There is nothing, absolutely nothing you need / should do to react in a professional capacity. As long as Jane acts professionally and doesn't make any personal comments, leave it as it is.
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Working with people that have different views in geopolitics Our company outsources a lot of ODM and some OEM design with companies in China (and sometimes Taiwan). The views of China's recognition of Taiwan as a sovereign state is different than many Western countries including mine (the United States). We also have an office in Taiwan that goes to China from time to time as a "diplomat" and they discuss our goals in the manufacturing process. Is there a way to mention the name of "Taiwan" without sounding insensitive to what the Chinese believe? The Chinese call Taiwan as the "Republic of China" or "Taiwan, China" but we simply call them "Taiwan", implying that they have independence from mainland China. <Q> As you've found, Taiwan is a VERY sensitive subject for China. <S> The situation is both political and ethnic for the Chinese mainland, and very complicated. <S> If you want to avoid the situation entirely, refer to your office in Taiwan by the name of the location within Taiwan, and don't refer to the nation at all. <S> That way, you avoid offending both the Chinese and the Taiwanese. <A> Dissenting opinion to the top voted answer from Richard U <S> I have never found this to be a problem at all. <S> Many of the larger Chinese Manufacturing companies such as Foxconn are actually headquartered in Taiwan and a lot the engineering and senior management staff is from Taiwan and travels back and forth a lot. <S> So if you sit in a meeting room and ask "hey, what are you doing on the weekend", it's perfectly normal to get the answer <S> "I'm going home to Taiwan". <S> Taiwan is talked about frequently <S> and I have never heard anyone (Chinese or otherwise) refer to it other than simply "Taiwan". <A> I've worked, and work, constantly with Taiwanese and Mainland Chinese. <S> It's not a problem unless you, or they, want to make it a problem. <S> Calling it Taiwan is absolutely fine since they'll take it <S> however they wanted it. <S> Maybe Taiwan (as a country), or Taiwan (as People's Republic of China, Taiwan Province). <S> No one refers to them as " name province". <A> Noteworthy is that, in my experiences dealing with Chinese-nationals (in Canada, my locale), most of them do not care if I say "Taiwan", and usually they will themselves refer to Taiwan as "Taiwan" when speaking in English (I don't know what they say in Chinese to each other because I don't speak Chinese). <S> If you are dealing with Chinese individuals and not the Chinese government, it's probably not an issue to refer to Taiwan as "Taiwan"; as with most dictatorships or dictatorship-esque countries (of which China is one), the opinions of the populace tend to be very opposite the official positions of the leadership. <S> There's nothing wrong with saying "Taipei" as suggested in Richard U's answer; I'm simply making note that this might not be nearly as big of an issue as you're making it out to be. <A> TL;DR: <S> Just refer to it as "Taiwan" and never user the term "Republic of China" <S> Is there a way to mention the name of "Taiwan" without sounding insensitive to what the Chinese believe? <S> The Chinese call Taiwan as the "Republic of China" or "Taiwan, China" but we simply call them "Taiwan", implying that they have independence from mainland China. <S> I think you got this wrong. <S> "Taiwan" is the name of the Island and informally refers to the modern day "Republic of China" because of the territory the RoC controls. <S> Officially the RoC claims the Chinese mainland which is controlled by the People's Republic of China (or just 'China' for most people). <S> This is just a geographic truth and doesn't imply independence. <S> Chinese people usually don't refer to Taiwan as "Republic of China" and it would probably be seen as offensive to use it outside of a historical context.
| There is nothing controversial about saying that Taipei belongs to Taiwan, neither for mainland Chinese nor for Taiwanese.
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The value of being bi-lingual from an employer perspective I am thinking of learning a second language purely due to personal choice. My job has a talent profile where we can give information and talk about our talents and at any point in my career should I try to change jobs within the company then this profile can be viewed by the prospective manager. If I learned a second language and listed this language on my profile once I was fluent, what kind of realistic advantage could I expect? To better phrase the question, from a management point of view how valuable is it truly to have your employees be bilingual in a setting where it really isn't a necessity? Does it add any real value or does it fall into the parlor trick category unless otherwise needed in the job? I work for in the IT department for a company on a global scale. Edit:Thank you everyone for the responses. In hindsight I guess there is not really a "correct" answer to this as some users have pointed out. It is a matter of opinion but it is an opinion that affects every industry. I plan on learning a second language regardless but was curious if doing so may have unintended rewards. I appreciate the comments and answers. <Q> To better phrase the question, from a management point of view how valuable is it truly to have your employees be bilingual in a setting where it really isn't a necessity? <S> Does it add any real value or does it fall into the parlor trick category unless otherwise needed in the job? <S> I work for in the IT department for a company on a global scale. <S> It could be extremely valuable if part of your job involves communicating with folks who speak the language you plan to learn. <S> Otherwise, all knowledge is good, but may not be of major importance to your employer. <A> I'm fully bilingual and in my case there is very little actual business value to it. <S> For better or for worse, English is the main international business language and most international people speak it to varying degrees. <S> A second language is ONLY helpful if your command of the second language is significantly better than the English of the other person AND everyone else in the room or the conversation <S> is also reasonably fluent in the second language. <S> That's very rarely the case. <S> There are exceptions, though: For example, if your company does business in China, being reasonably fluent in Mandarin is a very valuable skill. <S> English proficiency in China is all over the place, so if you can get to a point where "My Mandarin is better then your English" you have a significant and valuable benefit. <S> However, this is a non-trivial amount of work & commitment. <S> Learning a few phrases or sentences isn't going to cut it and typically a lot of immersion and daily speaking is required to get to decent level of proficiency. <S> Every once in a while someone tries to impress me with their command of my other language, but it is usually just embarrassing or annoying: most people apparently believe their 2nd language skills are much better than they actually are. <S> This being said: there is a lot of personal value. <S> I love being bilingual and my kids are fully fluent in between 2-4 languages. <S> There are cultural and experience benefits that are quite valuable (to me) even if it's not a big thing for my employer. <S> So don't let that stop you ! <A> how valuable is it truly to have your employees be bilingual in a setting where it really isn't a necessity? <S> I have a lot of skills that aren't specifically related to my work, but unless they're providing actual value or a competitive advantage, they're of no value to my clients/employers.
| It could be valuable if you have coworkers speaking your second language. If it doesn't provide value or a competitive advantage to your employer then there probably isn't any value.
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Is it unprofessional to ask if a job posting on GlassDoor is real? Yesterday and the day before, I came across four job postings on GlassDoor that were fake. I usually call the company to find out the name of the person I should address in my cover letter, and all three told me those job postings weren't real. This morning I found another job posting and I intend to call and ask who I should address my cover letter to, but I also want to make sure it's real. The company website doesn't have a careers section, so I can't verify its authenticity. Is it unprofessional to ask if the job posting is real? Does it sound like an unusual question? <Q> You can ask indirectly. <S> Simply say "I have a question about job X for skills <S> Y <S> that I saw posted on Z jobs board. <S> " <S> If they say there is no job X, that they aren't looking for skills Y, or that they don't post jobs to Z, you'll have your answer. <S> Just make sure you have an actual question about the job if it is real. :) <A> I understand your concern. <S> Data is now being sold everywhere and people are trying to get their hands on as much data as possible. <S> To determine if a job offer is fake or not, you can try a few simple solutions: Check the email. <S> Recruiters are using professional email to contact others, so, if it's a Gmail message, and it looks like recruitement-company@gmail.com or something similar <S> then most of the time it's a fake. <S> Ask about details. <S> Don't give your resume just because someone told you he <S> /she wanted it. <S> It's your right, and if it's really an opportunity <S> and you're not interested in it <S> then you can simply decline, otherwise you can then try and apply. <S> Fast replies, but don't rely on this one too much. <S> If a person replies too fast, that means that he/she was just waiting for the opportunity to get an answer from someone. <S> Most recruiters answer the email after a certain period even if they saw it instantly. <S> All job offers contain details about the company. <S> If there are no details about the company then something is off <S> and probably it's a fake job offer and that company doesn't even exist. <S> You can just check offers, and eventually you'll know how to tell if it's a fake or not just by looking at the offer, but it's not guaranteed 100%. <S> I've seen offers that even someone who hasn't checked a single offer in their lives will say it's fake, but in fact they were real offers. <S> Good luck. <A> I assume when you say "fake" you mean they are consulting firms that are making the posts. <S> Here's what I found out about weeding these consulting firms out: <S> If immediately after applying (within 5 minutes) you get a phone call, then you know it's fake <S> You see the same ad frequently posted or the same post is bumped daily <S> , then you know it is fake (this might also be an indicator of a real company, but with high turn over rates). <S> You notice a company has the word "Staffing" or "Consultant" somewhere in it, but no actual company. <S> After "applying" to the job, you get requests to move 1000s of miles away from your current application area. <S> Eventually you'll be a master at spotting "fake" or spam advertisements. <S> I personally think they should make a law on posting these sort of ads on job postings sites, but my guess is they are their #1 customers compared to a firm only posting one job. <S> But as always try to go to good source for jobs. <S> Don't go on something like Craigslist, LinkedIn <S> (at least random communications you get on a public profile), or ads on your local newspaper. <S> If you do use those sources, be skeptical of the post and pay attention to small clues. <S> Also try to figure out how companies are able to post on the site. <S> Is anyone able to post? <S> Or is it vetted prior to posting? <A> I don't think it is ever unprofessional to be sceptical about things found on the internet. <S> I get emails saying "please find our purchase order attached". <S> Usually it's dangerous spam, sometimes it's a genuine order. <S> I explain to people that the mail looks similar to many spam messages, and we can't risk opening mail attachments unless we are sure, so could they please confirm it is genuine. <S> No-one ever minds.
| Everyone knows the internet is full of everything from mild deception to downright lies, so no-one should mind you checking to make sure. Ask about the opportunity and more details.
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Work mate who isn’t sharing load Within my team most of us have an area of speciality (sometimes this overlaps) but there are some basic daily tasks that we all share - our instructions being that we help each other out. There’s a guy on my team who is actively not sharing the load. I’ve been completely inundated in my last few sessions and when I’ve dashed past him to the printer he’s been googling personal/non work related things on the computer. I can physically hear that his phone rang about five times. Mine was off the hook but he didn’t take a single call. This is not a courtesy thing, he’s supposed to take my calls if his phone isn’t going and vice versa. I also overheard him having a casual what you doing at the weekend chat with a colleague from another department who had wandered into our area. We’re supposed to call on each other to help in case the other person hasn’t noticed we’re busy, but due to the proximity of our desks I think it was abundantly clear that I was rushed off my feet. I also do find it condescending to point out something so obvious. Adding to this, there was talk at our last meeting (before I discovered this about him) about monitoring people who don’t pull their weight. He became fiery and aggressive at this saying that this attitude is toxic and ruins team spirit. Our manager ended up agreeing with him. And then I discovered how he is. He’s also very quick to accuse and point fingers.. and in sessions like the ones I’ve had recently I’ll be far more likely to make mistakes since I’m not getting a second to breathe! How should I tackle this? He’s already quite aggressive, and the manager is desperate to keep him. Also I am getting the work done, just under a lot of time pressure. <Q> the manager is desperate to keep him. <S> There's likely the insurmountable problem. <S> You really only have 2 options. <S> Either convince the manager of your perspective or suck it up/move on. <S> It's entirely possible that your manager doesn't actually support him as much as he was just trying to keep the peace. <S> From your description, I've seen no desperation rather than just agreeing with him in a group meeting. <S> I'd meet with your manager in private. <S> Make your case there. <S> Be concise and only deal with things that don't make you sound spiteful. <S> In other words, focus on what's not getting done. <S> If you mention phone calls don't say anything about them being personal calls, just that he's on the phone a lot which could be a cause. <S> Personally, I wouldn't mention it at all. <S> Make no judgement as to "why". <S> Second, I'd stop rushing to cover for the slacker. <S> Give them an honest day's work but don't pick up the slack for someone who doesn't deserve it. <S> If there are consequences, he'll share them too, right? <S> And that's another point of discussion of why it doesn't get done. <S> Essentially, you're enabling him. <S> It's like your kid knowing his room has to be clean <S> but you clean it anyway. <S> Do your work and don't put more hours in than the coworker. <S> The problem needs to be seen, not just discussed. <S> By that I mean, the consequences need to happen otherwise you'll just keep being the guy who covers for everyone else, giving permission to slack. <A> We’re supposed to call on each other to help in case <S> the other person hasn’t noticed we’re busy but due to the proximity of our desks <S> I think it was abundantly clear that I was rushed off my feet. <S> I also do find it condescending to point out something so obvious. <S> If you are supposed to ask for help then you should ask. <S> Something polite and non-confrontational like: " <S> I'm really busy, any chance you could do X for me?" <S> This might not solve your problem but it would be a reasonable first step. <A> He is not your problem, he is your managers problem. <S> You just make sure that you are doing your best and every day you tell the manager exactly how much work you do during the day. <S> Right now your colleague is making you look extremely good - use that as leverage to get a raise.
| Inform the manager that you think the other guy is slacking off, and then stop caring about what he does.
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Asking interviewer for salary range for position Is it a good idea to ask an interviewer what the salary range is for a position after you told them your current salary? If so, how would you approach doing this? <Q> It's none of their business. <S> They may not do it, but it gives them every opportunity to reduce your salary from what you might have gotten. <S> Best response is to know your value on the market, how much you value your time, and try to find out how much they're getting paid. <S> Then you negotiate your rate with them having as much knowledge as possible. <S> You can ask what they pay their current people, but you'll have to take it with a little more salt than usual. <A> If you have already told them what you make now, your best bet is to clearly indicate that with position change you also expect a noticeable step up in compensation, to compliment the next step in your career growth. <S> Do not ask what the range is. <A> Knowing what the salary range is is important to you in making the decision to accept the job if it's offered to you. <S> Why this seems to be taboo is something I've never understood. <S> I see no problem with asking what the salary range is. <S> That information is one of the most important factors in deciding to accept a job. <S> I personally try to find this out before participating in interviews. <S> I don't want to waste my time nor the interviewers time. <S> If their salary range doesn't meet what I'm willing to accept then I explain that to them and politely decline the offer to interview for the position. <S> Unfortunately, you've tipped your hand by telling them your current salary. <S> If your current salary happens to be on the low end of their range then they may offer you nothing more than a token increase over what you're currently making, so you may have effectively "low-balled" yourself. <S> If they ask, redirect the question by telling them that you're more interested in understanding what their salary range is rather than in discussing your own salary. <S> Know what your skill set is worth in the current market and know what similar jobs are paying in your area before going into interviews. <S> Your best "weapon" in negotiating your salary is knowing what you, or someone with similar skills and experience, is worth in the market. <A> I wouldn't ask what the salary range is at an interview, that would however be a question I'd ask a recruitment consultant if they contacted me <S> and I was interested. <A> Just because they know your existing salary range doesn't mean you need to accept an offer at the same level if you are wanting more. <S> Ask them what the expected salary and benefits for that position is. <S> If they low ball you just tell them you aren't interested at that pay but that you would be interested at $x. <S> The trick here is to know what $x you are willing to accept and sticking to it. <S> I know people say to never answer the question of what you are making now; and in general I agree with that. <S> However just revealing your existing pay doesn't mean you can't negotiate a higher pay. <S> You are still in control of whether you accept their offer.
| It's a good idea to check up on salary ranges using one of the many sites like payscale so that you know your worth if an interviewer asks you what your expectations are. Never share your present wage.
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Chasing a vacancy where the end date for submissions keeps moving I recently applied for a vacancy directly through a company's website. From postings on agency websites, it was obvious from the description that this vacancy was also being touted by several agencies I sent my application in and the end date for submissions was due. The day before the end date, it was pushed back by 2 weeks. Today I have found out through the website it has been pushed back another 6 weeks My question is - should I get in touch with the company to find out WHY it is being pushed back? Would that seem too eager/pushy? I appreciate there are many factors that could contribute to this (lack of applicants, relevant manager off, changes within the company of departments/roles) but I am keen to know if this is a non-starter now rather than in many weeks If yes, should I just drop a short and direct email to the company? <Q> I wouldn't ask. <S> It is none of your business why they pushed back the date. <S> You have no reason or standing to ask that question, it will come of as weird or demanding. <S> , they know you're interested. <S> If they are interested in you, they will contact you when the time is right for them. <S> They might never contact you. <S> So continue your job search as if they won't, and let it be a nice surprise if and when they do. <S> You could ask what their timeline is like <S> if you yourself are on a tight schedule (aka you have a good reason to disrupt them), but I wouldn't even do that. <S> They didn't contact you yet, they didn't show their interest in you. <S> So again, being asked by a candidate they didn't reach out to what their timeline is, could be seen as weird and/or entitled. <S> If you're lucky it won't make a bad impression, but it won't make a good one either way. <S> Just imagine that every candidate who applies sends a follow up e-mail. <S> It's a nightmare for the recruiter, and it helps nobody. <A> Yes, you should ask. <S> Thing is, you need to know what question is to be asked. <S> Clearly, you have no business knowing why the dates are being pushed out. <S> What you want to ask / know instead is, when are <S> you going to get an interview scheduled? <S> Time is of essence, and if they keep on postponing the last date for closing out the application process, you may not be interested in the position anymore or have already found another job and accepted the offer. <S> It's a valid scenario to ask for a tentative date for interview meeting in this scenario. <A> The only possible thing for you to do would be to contact a recruiter for that company, ensure that they did receive your application and inquire about when they would like to bring you in for an interview. <S> If they aren't interested in you it will become very apparent right then. <S> Contrary to what MlleMei said, I don't believe this makes a bad impression. <S> It actually makes a good one in that you are showing real interested. <S> That said, I wouldn't badger them and I certainly wouldn't bother with more phone calls after this one.
| There is only one reason for the dates to be pushed back: they haven't found the right candidate yet. I would act like for any other candidacy : you applied (through the channels they asked, I hope)
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Is coming across as 'sweet' an issue in data science? I recently made a career switch from marketing to data science. I want to be in data science because marketing gets a bit boring after a while since it doesn't take too much skill to be decent at it. More importantly, I felt working with data and 'facts' was less bullshitty (excuse the language but I can't really think of a different word) than marketing, which in my opinion is often not based on much apart from the personality behind an idea. Therefore I was unpleasantly surprised to find out that during a job interview yesterday, the (I don't know if it's relevant but male) HR person said I come across as 'sweet' and he seemed to think that was an issue in the sense that I might not be able to stand my ground. I might come across as sweet - clearly I'm a woman (has any man ever been called 'sweet' in a job interview?), I'm 27 and I guess I look quite girly, including a relatively high pitched voice. I can definitely stand my ground as I have proven in my last job, but I dislike constantly having to. I am honest about my insecurities, which is mainly that this is a new area to me so I might need some extra guidance and feedback at the beginning. Furthermore, I stand behind the idea that you should be open to other peoples opinions, so blindly standing your ground no matter the situation is not always best. I do say 'I think' a lot, of which the recruiter said it made me sound less powerful. But all in all, I would definitely not call myself 'sweet' personality-wise, I would rather describe myself as serious, dedicated, ambitious and smart (but he didn't ask about my positives at all). I don't like conflict but I don't go out of my way to please people either. Since I wanted to be in data science because I thought it would be more about actual skills and knowledge, I kind of feel a little weird about this interview. So I would like to know - is coming across as 'sweet' an issue if you work in data science? Does being in data science take a certain strong personality? And also, is it ok to call someone 'sweet'? It feels perhaps a bit sexist to me - could being a young woman factor into this? What would be similar feedback for males? What would help if this really is an issue? Also, I am supposed to hear from this recruiter again next week, should I mention something about how I feel about this? He focussed so much on me coming across as 'sweet', he did not even ask about my strengths, so I suspect I won't get another interview. Perhaps it depends on the job as well , so a little background info on this particular job: it was in Marketing Intelligence Analytics - yes, unfortunately still marketing but you have to start somewhere - at a fairly big non-commercial organization. You're supposed to work in agile marketing teams as the Data Analyst. The job description did not mention too many social skills or personality traits, only analytical skills, such as knowledge of statistics, R and Python. I have been working on that a lot recently, so I guess I checked those boxes. I have had a lot of interviews lately, most of them were relatively successful since I got a lot of second interviews (most are yet to come). I have heard I am 'timid' before (but it wasn't an issue according to them), and I also got rejected once for being too 'modest'. Weird how 'modest' and 'sweet' are good traits in your private life but apparently not at work... <Q> Teamwork, communication and interpersonal relationships in general are also one aspect to take into account when working in a Data Science project involving multiple people from different backgrounds, positions, departments or even companies. <S> In a field like Data Science, where really high skilled workers are few and far apart compared to demand (the subject is just way too broad), you should focus on performing a good job, and making your way up thanks to it. <S> Anyway, beware of BS on the Data Science arena! <S> It's full of it! <A> Your question can only be answered with "it depends". <S> 1) <S> It's perfectly possible that the panel was simply sexist. <S> As a woman, you don't correspond to the stereotypical image of a nerdy data scientist. <S> By pointing that you are "sweet", they actually pointed to that. <S> I've participated in many interviews myself where feedback was totally sexist and research shows that women face much more feedback of this kind than men. <S> If a woman is self-confident she frequently hears she's arrogant or bossy. <S> If she's friendly, she hears... <S> well, you know what she hears. <S> 2) <S> Now, to play the devil's advocate and give the panel all the benefit of the doubt possible: It's also possible that you come across as very conflict-averse. <S> MattR correctly points out that being "sweet" is nothing wrong and that communication skills and being personable is extremely important in data science (as in every other field really). <S> On the other hand, we don't know what "sweet" meant here. <S> If it just meant "friendly", everything is great and 1) is probably true. <S> If it meant "not able to stand your ground"... <S> Here's where it gets problematic. <S> I don't know the Netherlands but where I live most companies aren't <S> data-driven and good data scientists can't be conflict-averse, as it would make their work very difficult. <S> You frequently need to discuss with people who bring up not data-based arguments and/or put what you said in question although they have no arguments. <S> This wasn't anything personal and nobody could avoid it, no matter whether they were accommodating and friendly or self-assured. <S> Basically, you need to able to react well when the CEO tells you your analysis is rubbish because his "personal experience" doesn't confirm your results. <S> I'm not saying you aren't of course. <S> But, playing the devil's advocate, maybe you gave them the impression you weren't. <S> The solution is the same, no matter which explanation is true: Just don't care and apply at other organizations. <A> My SO is sweet as can be, and competent to the point of being frightening. <S> The two are not mutually exclusive and anyone who thinks differently will eventually learn a hard lesson as their poor judgment will leave them shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods. <S> Do not concern yourself with people who misjudge you, and whatever you do, don't run out and buy a copy of "nice girls <S> don't get the corner office". <S> Don't waste your time with people who are just wrong. <S> Work with your nature and use it. <S> A "sweet" personality opens far more doors than it closes, as an easy going personality, and one who isn't a disruption is always welcome. <S> Heck, if you were in front of me as an interview, you'd go to the top of the list even if you were a bit deficient in some skills because you can always be upskilled. <S> What I don't want to deal with is someone who is abrasive, and someone who is actually "sweet" and easy to work with would make my day. <S> I'd much rather be dealing with teaching someone a few skills, than dealing with a dour, abrasive individual. <A> Being in Data Science myself - the opposite it true. <S> Their may be a vibe that you need to be fact-driven in data science, which is true to some extent, but being personable is much more valuable. <S> You can be the best coder/analyst in the world, but if you aren't able to communicate the results or work with people it's near worthless. <S> So the negative connotation is a red flag for me. <S> If he meant "sweet" as in "personable" or "easy-to-talk-to" than that's exactly what you need to have a successful career in data science. <S> If he meant it negatively, make sure its the recruiter saying that and not the person you'd be working for. <S> The perfect data scientist performs data tasks <S> well - but more importantly is able to lead the business by using data-driven results and communicate those actions. <S> You're going to do great! <A> If you ever feel like people are trying to use you as a doormat or generally being a disrespectful little [insert rather choice words here], the quickest way to set them straight is to stand your ground. <S> Don't be afraid to do this. <S> You usually won't have any problems after this so long as you do it on an early instance.
| I don't think there's anything wrong with your personality in the Data Science field, just as long as it allows you to keep working in a professional manner. Getting along with people by being "sweet" (in the purely complimentary sense) is going to be an amazing skill. So my advice would be to get rid of your insecurities and act in an assertive way. In the companies I've worked for this was very common and something inevitable.
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Didn't mention that I had 3 weeks of holiday booked during interview, and now got job offer During an interview process I said that I had 2 weeks holiday booked in July (but I actually have 3 weeks booked). The job starts in May, so my holiday would happen 2 months into my 6-month probation period. Looking back, I think I did this because I was afraid they would have thrown my application in the bin knowing that I had so much holiday booked. Now they offered me the job! What is the best way to resolve this? can I come up with an excuse to explain why my holiday has increased from 2 to 3 weeks? should I be honest and apologise? Is there any way of wording this to save face? etc. UPDATE T+2 days - I posted this on behalf of a friend, and I have just found out that the 2 weeks holiday that was originally mentioned was done so on the written application form , i.e., was not ever mentioned during the spoken part of the interview process. I think this changes things quite significantly since my friend can easily say that after the application form was sent, their current employer allowed them to extend their holiday from 2 to 3 weeks. I think this is a credible scenario, and doesn't require my friend having to "come clean" or delve into details. Many thanks for your suggestions. <Q> Just tell the truth <S> I was in a similar situation several times. <S> I never talked about the vacation until I got an offer. <S> Often you don't know how long it will take them to finalize the offer, so that the vacation might fall into the notice period. <S> On another occurrence I negotiated that I would start one month later. <S> And once I just told them I planned a vacation and they were fine with that. <S> You could also discuss about unpaid leave or if they are willing to pay the costs for postponing it. <S> Just be open and discuss the options. <A> No matter how you approach it or try to explain it, you are basically looking for permission to take three weeks. <S> You don't have to say why -- you can simply ask: "Would it be ok if I were to take a three-week holiday instead of two?" <S> If they say yes, problem solved. <S> If they say no, then you have to decide whether to take the job or the holiday. <A> First of all, it seems unlikely that a company would pass on a good candidate that has 3 weeks of vacation booked. <S> Now that you've got the job, it also seems unlikely to me that they would withdraw your offer once they learn you have 3 weeks of vacation booked instead of 2. <S> Nevertheless, the right thing to do is to talk to your supervisor as soon as possible to get things straight. <S> Just apologize and propose to cut your vacation down to 2 weeks to make up for it. <S> Hey boss, I mentioned before that I'm going on vacation for 2 weeks in May. <S> Well, it's actually 3 weeks, apologies for the misinformation. <S> I'd very much like to stick to my plan, but I'm ready to cut my vacation down to 2 weeks if necessary.
| Everyone takes days off, and timing it with job search is hard, so there was no good reason to lie about it.
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Family emergency and I can't attend work tomorrow morning My fiancée is pregnant. She lives 1500 km away from me, in another country, in a low-developed region where public transport is slow. I did not talk with her for 3 days. It was my mistake. She became shocked and now she wants to abort the child. I am currently on a train, traveling to her. Tomorrow morning I am supposed to go to work, as usual. I won't be able to. (It is now Sunday evening where I work.) I am almost certain I will be unable to work on both Monday and Tuesday. I work for a small company in Germany. I've worked here for some years, longer than most employees. There is no guarantee that I won't lose my job over an unexpected absence like this. The company seems more tolerant than average for such events, but their patience surely has a limit. I feel I am near this limit. Being in the IT department, I could work also remotely, even on the train. This is not the custom of the company, and I would need a manager's approval. How should I minimise my chances of losing my job and lose the least possible respect of my bosses? Would it be better if I explain this situation? This personal problem probably looks quite different through the eyes of my boss. <Q> How to maximize my chance to not lose my job and to lose the least possible respect by my bosses? <S> Call as soon as you can get through. <S> Tell your boss that a family emergency came up and you won't be there Monday or Tuesday. <S> Good luck. <A> contact your manager/boss by email/text. <S> Tell him that there is a personal situation which requires your presence with your bride <S> call him <S> /her in the morning <S> Don't be too specific on the details. <S> If you don't ask for such things very often, then I would hope for the best. <A> The answers so far address the personal angle. <S> Definitely call and explain (leaving out whatever personal details you wish). <S> From a legal perspective, google " <S> Abwesenheit aus wichtigem persönlichen Grund" or similar phrases. <S> Sadly, I'm in Austria right now and Google forces links related to Austrian law on me, but I remember from my time in Germany that this exists in German employee law as well. <S> IANAL <S> but I have legal training and from my experience you should be legally in the clear. <S> Another common use for this rule is people staying at home if their child is sick and the other parent can't take care of it (e.g. both parents are working). <S> Definitely do not falsely claim that you are sick. <S> That would be grounds for an immediate termination if your lie is uncovered. <A> I live and work in Germany, and have been both boss and employee. <S> Every country is like this, but there is certainly still some xenophobia in Germany. <S> If your boss is friendly towards foreigners, then I would give him full disclosure. <S> Tell him exactly what is going on. <S> If your boss is generally somebody that looks down on foreigners, then I would give him/her as little information as possible. <S> Giving him information, such as the fact that you have a bride in another country will just fuel his/her fire, and give him more reason to dislike the situation. <S> In this case, we mean life or death of the baby, but do not tell the boss that. <S> If he presses for details, I would just say that, "I would prefer not to discuss it." <S> No respectable person would press you for more details. <S> If he forces you to give a valid excuse, then I would tell him that you would be glad to talk to HR about the situation. <S> I can't see how a boss needs to know about your personal situation. <A> Putting some existing answers together in a more verbatim manner. <S> "Dear [Bossname], <S> Due to an unfortunate family event, involving my pregnant fiancée living in [Neverneverland], I will be unable to be at [Workplace City] in person <S> this [Monday]. <S> Currently, I am on my way to [Neverneverland]. <S> I will be able to work remotely for [Doomsday] and [Damsday]. <S> As for the time since [Thenday], I am not sure if I will be able to work. <S> I will keep you informed. <S> Please count these days as my paid leave, if it will not work out. <S> I plan to be back by [Monday next week], but cannot say for sure at the moment. <S> I apologise deeply for this sudden and unexpected leave, but the situation is urgent. <S> I will be available by phone and email today and on [Doomsday]. <S> From [Damsday] onward I am in [Neverneverland] and would be available per email and [Telegraph] chat only. <S> I apologise again for the inconvenience. <S> Best regards, John Doe" <S> On a separate notice I wish OP good luck and an understanding from his employer. <A> Already a bit late, but at the companies where I have worked this would be handled by calling the immediate superior and asking for a day off or two (Gleitzeit/Urlaub) because of a family emergency. <S> HR and higher management would not even know that something unusual happened. <S> However, if your company is very small, things might work differently. <S> Many German employees can also take sick leave for up to three days without seeing the doctor. <S> But I would not recommend that in this case, as employers take that very seriously and some coworkers do not really like that either. <S> Even if your employer thinks that "troublesome girlfriend" is not a valid excuse for missing work, you might still just get a Abmahnung (kind of a last warning) instead of firing you. <S> But that obviously depends a lot on your boss. <S> P.S. a short google search suggests that an Abmahnung is indeed mandatory before firing someone for missing work. <S> I any case, I would still strongly suggest to try to solve this without getting an Abmahnung.
| In this case, just say that you have an extremely important life or death family matter that must be dealt with immediately. I would say that the best way to proceed depends on your boss.
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Should I tell a fellow intern that he won't be hired? I am presently interning at a company as a part of my B.Tech curriculum. This is my final semester, and once this internship ends that is the end of my B.Tech degree. One of my B Tech colleagues also works here, and HR has informed me that while I will be hired once the internship ends, he will not be. They have also asked me to keep this information to myself, as they don't want him to lose focus. I believe he has the right to know, but in the past he has acted irrationally, and I suspect that he would confront HR with this information. Should I let him know - which also endangers my chances here - or should I go along with what is happening and not let him know to look for other jobs until it's too late? <Q> First of all, what I believe, HR should not have disclosed this information in first place. <S> However, given the situation, I strongly suggest not to disclose it. <S> As I read it, it's still a company secret (yet to be revealed officially), so not your place to reveal it. <S> Alongside that, it's a good chance to teach yourself how to handle the confidential information. <S> I'd not say this is a good example for the exercise, however, make the best out of it. <S> That said, maybe <S> I'm overthinking this, but given that I believe he has the right to know <S> but in the past he has acted irrationally with information <S> and I suspect that if I tell him he will confront the HR with the same information. <S> this can be case where you are being tested on how you handle confidential information revealed to you by chance and how compliant you are with InfoSec (Information Security) policies. <A> HR told you not to tell him <S> You're saying telling him is a bad idea. <S> And you're asking <S> should I tell him? <S> What do you think? <S> Edit: <S> Best not to overthink this issue. <S> I think with a little bit of common sense you can see the answer has already been given to you. <A> HR seemed to be honest with you, they trusted you. <S> As you describe the situation, you cannot do much to help your colleague. <S> But if you inform him, there is a significant chance that you shoot yourself in the foot. <S> As you already fear, HR will find out, and they will surely not be happy. <S> In life, some things happen, and you cannot save everybody. <S> Sad, but true. <S> Let your colleague deal with his own problems, you deal with yours. <A> You should not tell your colleague. <S> It's not your responsibility to tell them. <S> Given that you called this person a colleague rather than friend, you don't seem to have emotional closeness to this person. <S> You don't owe them anything. <S> One of the best skills for a professional is discerning when it's best to mind your own business. <S> Additionally, just because someone from HR told you, doesn't mean it's necessarily true. <S> If you can't verify it, it's just gossip. <S> Another great skill that will increase your professional value is not spreading gossip. <A> I see two problem statements here - <S> You know something which you should not have known. <S> Somebody breached the rule and told you some information which you should protect now. <S> My Suggestion is don't tell it to your friend or else <S> he and you both will be in trouble. <S> Even if you tell him this information, it is not going to help him out. <S> He will confront HR and lose reference as well. <S> He wasn't getting the job anyway. <S> 2nd, you want to help your colleague. <S> Don't even hint it to the other person if he is not very close to him. <S> Now, I would tell him that it is always a good idea to keep a backup plan if you don't get the job with the current organization. <S> Also include that if offered, your first preference to take the job here. <S> Again, don't bring up this conversation by yourself, but don't be afraid to tell him above in case he looks worried. <S> If your colleague is not smart enough to take the hint, it is not your problem anymore. <A> I definitely agree you should not tell the colleague, and that it could be a test. <S> Now, if you really feel bad about it, you might go side ways about it and tell the colleague how you are yourself looking for other opportunities just in case you wouldn't get hired. <A> Do not tell him, because there is: No moral obligation to tell him - Since when do individuals have a moral right to know about their future at the company, instantly upon its being decided? <S> It's not your job, not your information, & not your decision to disclose. <S> No practical reason to tell him - What I've not seen other answers mention is that once he finds out, he has no reason to believe that you knew the information, and therefore no reason to ask you if you did know it. <S> Since your possession of this information is both improper & unlikely, you don't have to fear a confrontation with him once he learns that he's not hired. <S> In fact, if you tell him & he confronts HR as you suspect, you have probably sabotaged your future at the company. <S> Interns should feel no guarantee of future hire unless one is given by the company, therefore no injustice is being done to this man by not hiring him. <A> Remember that scene from Matrix movie? <S> About Neo visiting Oracle, once he quits Morpheus stopped Neo's attempt to share the visit results: "What was said was for you and for you alone". <S> So, you should take into account that HR can simply... ... check you " <S> does he able to keep things in secret" ... trying to manipulate you "let him feel his importance, like he's Chosen one" And <S> many other things you have no clue about yet <S> Anyway, from my point, this situation is not a good sign. <S> Stay sharp.
| Best not to tell him. Might be seen as a lie, but actually might even be something good for your to do: until you have a signed contract in your hands, you're not hired.
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How to balance my talkings with colleagues inside the workplace? I'm working in a company as the only software developer and my co-workers which do website data entry need to talk to each other to proceed with their tasks.My salary is about 4 times of them. So I think my boss expects me I should be more productive than others in the workplace and I try not to talk too much with others although I'm a person with an outgoing personality. Besides, not talking with anyone makes me feel disconnected from my colleagues or look nerd which makes me feel uncomfortable. I want to know how can I balance such a thing? Besides, I feel if I'm going to chat occasionally with other there would be risks that I will lose my job. I feel this is a contradictory situation and I'm looking for your suggestion about this. <Q> I'm gonna be blunt, and it is still my personal opinion, but you can totally be productive and still talk to others . <S> Those are not 2 things that don't go with each others. <S> I would even add, if you don' show sign of "socialness", it might seem weird to most bosses. <S> It doesn't matter how much you're making, your title, ... <S> We all know no one can be focused 8 or more hours a day <S> , we all have breaks, if you spend it going through facebook or talking to your colleague, well, that's still a break. <S> They might even appreciate you talking in workplace than on facebook or so. <A> I'm working in a company as only software developer and my co workers which do website data entry need to talk each other to proceed their tasks. <S> The fair way to put this is, you need to collaborate with the team to get the job done. <S> If that's the case, you collaborate with them, that comes as a part of the job itself. <S> The collaboration can happen over emails, as well as a quick access-the-desk discussion - as the situation requires. <S> I should be more productive than others in workplace <S> and I try not talk too much with others although I'm a person with outgoing personality. <S> Not a bad thing, at all. <S> Helps in time management, too. <S> Also, as we all know from the time management 101, this small talk and pass-by-chats are the biggest source of interruptions which causes the lack in productivity. <S> Besides, not talking with any one makes me feel disconnected from my colleagues or look nerd which makes me feel uncomfortable. <S> I want to know how can I balance such a thing? <S> You don't need to talk during work. <S> If you feel like socializing, try talking to them either in lunch time <S> tea / coffee breaks after office hours. <S> It's perfectly fine to cut down the distraction during the work time and do the casual chats during the break time. <S> Actually, most of the productive people do that. <A> You're a software developer <S> and you're working with a data entry team. <S> First things first, you're paid for your expertise in software development, not data entry. <S> Can you do data entry? <S> Absolutely but likely no faster or better than other people who do it all the time. <S> It's a strange expectation to assume just because someone does development that they can also do data entry faster. <S> The skills you have are specialized and thus, you do the work you can do. <S> Whoever assigned you has to get that this isn't what developers do. <S> So I would say, do your best and work as you normally would. <S> Simple as that. <S> This is an "off"-job task you've been put on. <S> You'll never be the fastest or more productive because they likely have ONLY been doing that while you've been doing, from a company perspective, a far more valuable task (judging by the salary). <S> So just be you and don't worry about it. <S> The reality is they wouldn't be hard on you because this is not what you do normally. <S> I doubt anyone would fire a developer for not being able to be fast at data entry when the entire time, he's been doing development. <A> It sounds like you need to understand what your job responsibilities are, and focus on them. <S> If you don't already clearly understand how your own performance is measured, you need to figure that out. <S> Understanding what your boss expects of you in terms of quality and quantity, what your job duties are, and how your role fits with other teams/departments/staff members in terms of interaction, will help you understand how your boss will evaluate your performance. <S> I say this because of your comment, <S> I feel this is a contradictory situation <S> and I'm looking for your suggestion about this. <S> If you understand your job, and you work hard at it, things like how much you chit chat with your coworkers will become less important (or, at least, their importance will become clear) . <S> In other words, as long as you are focused on the important aspects of your job, and doing meaningful work on the projects assigned to you, and you're not distracted or distracting anyone else, your boss won't have any reason to notice or care how much you're chatting with others in the office. <A> Do task lists, execute some of these tasks and then take a break and talk with with your coleagues. <S> Join some of their conversations, talk a bit, and, when the conversation ends, go back to your task list.
| You can still work, minus the chit-chat. Besides I feel if I'm going to chat occasionally with other there would be risks that I will lose my job.
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How much information do previous employers give to prospective employers? Reading this question , I came across the staement: I know they are going to confirm degree with previous employer In my experience, in the UK, most previous employers will only confirm that the person worked for them between the dates specified, they don't supply character references or anything that couldn't be seen as objectively true in court Have I lead an unusually sheltered professional life? Does this vary from country to country? I'm not asking about CRB/DBS-type background checks carried out by third parties. <Q> Typically, such reference requests are handled by HR, and HR only confirms the period of employment, and if the person is eligible for rehire. <S> There is no law preventing a company from giving a more informative review, it is just a matter of the people doing the reference do not have the information. <A> In commercial sector, they might call your employer to verify employment. <S> They might also call your reference to ask about you with basic questions. <S> If you're in a clearance/government type job, they might dig deeper and interview people at your past employment or neighbors. <S> In these situations they typically ask if the person believes you're in good character and they'll ask if you can be trusted. <S> In the linked question provided, it's unclear why the person believes questions about his gpa will be asked or why it is vital they would call to verify gpa matched between the resume he submitted at the current employer and the resume he submitted to the past employer. <S> My guess is a big chunk of the story is missing and perhaps his past employer paid his college tuition. <S> Even in that case, I doubt they'd call the person who paid your tuition to ask what gpa he told you he got and compare that with the gpa he gave his current employer. <S> My thought is <S> the individual asking the question is very young and perhaps immature in his thinking that he lied once <S> and they'll find out. <S> Sort of like the child worried about his parents finding out he stole from the cookie jar and his teachers will call to verify if he ate cookies at home. <S> The lesson he missed though is that one should never lie to be put into such position. <S> If you always spoke the truth, you never have to worry. <A> I work for a large international corporation, currently in the London office. <S> We don't say why the employee left us or whether we would rehire them. <S> I was always told that was for legal reasons; from which I took to mean, we don't want the former employee to sue the company for libel if someone says something negative which is not provably true, and we don't want their subsequent employer to sue the company for saying something falsely positive which the new employer relied on to their detriment. <S> When I worked for a small company (also in the UK) <S> the owner and the technical manager were each happy to give detailed character references on request. <A> It really depends on what type of information is sought. <S> The linked question specifically mentions references. <S> If a company asks for a reference, either written, or a person to contact, they ARE looking for subjective assessment of a persons qualities. <S> Usually leaders of the employee can be used as a reference, but this is usually a personal agreement between two employees. <S> Potential referees should be approached by the employee to agree to be a reference. <S> In doing so, the employee is giving permission for the referee to act as one . <S> If an employee is randomly contacted, they should decline to offer any information. <S> This is different from a contact in order to provide proof of employment. <S> The amount of information given out then will depend heavily on legislation, but typically in large firms they will give out the bare minimum required by law. <S> This is usually handled by the HR department. <S> The previous employer would not make an assertions that they could not defend in court. <S> They would not validate the status of degrees. <S> They want to say as little as possible. <S> With smaller companies, the difference between proof of employment and reference can be blurred. <A> In two of my previous jobs, my new employer handed out a form asking how many sick days I had off in the last 12 months, and to describe my skills. <S> However, this was over 5 years ago, and may no longer be standard practice. <S> Recently, a new employer requested two references, and that was it. <S> I suppose it depends from the workplace. <S> HR may have a standard template to give out, however I did ask my previous bosses for one, and they provided one. <S> No one has ever asked for my qualifications.
| The answer is it varies by company, not just by country. The policy is that HR only confirm that a person was in employment between whatever dates. Managers are not allowed to give any kind of character reference, positive or negative, on any former employee.
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Retail & Fast Food: First time writing a resume I've recently graduated early from my high school, and I'm hoping to apply for a job in retail, or on a fast food crew. Unfortunately, I'm lost on what to say, and how to describe my skill set. I have taken art commissions and communicated with my customers in the past, organized my work schedule efficiently, and dealt with being on a tight schedule before. I'm adaptable, thorough, and can keep calm under tense situations. I also have a red belt in martial arts, but that's not team work oriented; but I feel it might highlight me being hardworking? Probably not, actually. But I feel that that's not enough, and a bit worn out in phrasing. <Q> As with many people, my first jobs as a teen, some years ago, were in retail/food. <S> And based on the experiences I had, I can tell you - you're overthinking this. <S> People hiring for entry level positions in those fields are generally looking for someone who will reliably show up on time, follow simple directions, and not goof off or do horrible things while on the clock. <S> The list of qualifications isn't extensive or deep. <S> That said, there's no reason to miss this as an opportunity to start honing your resume, and to work on learning how the job market behaves. <S> For instance, if you're interested in retail, find as many retail job postings as you can, and write down the trends you see in the job descriptions. <S> Then, as you write your resume, frame your own experience/skills from the perspective of those trends. <S> You don't want to sound too generic, and you certainly don't want to falsify anything, but this technique can give you a good frame of reference. <S> For instance, if interacting with customers is a common duty for the positions you're looking at, when you're writing the section of your resume that describes your art commission business, you can be sure to call out customer interaction skills: <S> Responsible for working directly with customers to understand their needs <S> The key to this approach is using the job posting as a research tool to understand what part of your own experiences you should emphasize, and what language to use when doing so. <S> You can also do research via other channels, such as company websites or other media channels which may describe the culture, mission, or other guiding factors at that workplace. <S> Maybe you're applying for a retail position with a local company that prides themselves on being family-owned - you can describe some aspect of your work or skills that shows how that fits with your background, too - or whatever other aspect matches what you're learning about your target employer. <A> If you're very early in your career, you're going to feel like there's not enough on your resume. <S> It's normal to feel that way, and if you're applying for entry level jobs, employers will not expect to see much on your resume anyway. <S> A succinct, one-page-or-less resume will do just fine, as long as all of your content is relevant, accurate, and true. <S> You can also use a cover letter or email to elaborate on some of your experiences and skills. <S> For example, the fact that you graduated early is interesting, commendable, and shows that you are disciplined, loyal, and goal-oriented -- all are qualities employers are looking for in entry-level applicants. <S> Not all hobbies are appropriate for a resume, but I think a red belt in martial arts would be good to include -- it shows your dedication and determination, as well as your skill. <S> List your educational information, and any jobs/positions/responsibilities you've had, whether they were paid or not paid, as long as you can show that what you did in those roles is applicable to the job you're applying for. <S> To avoid worn-out phrasing, try to avoid stock language or cliche. <S> Put in your own words what you did, and what you think it says about you and your abilities. <A> Leave all personal activities, hobbies, etc. <S> off of your resume... unless your name is Dwight K. Schrute. <S> Nobody is interested in them and they have no place on a professional resume.
| One good technique, which will help answer your questions, is to use research to understand how to format your resume for a specific position. Since this is your first plunge into the working world, with little or no actual experience, stick to generic qualities, such as: Prompt, good communication skills, works well independently and as part of a team, etc.
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Should I accept the pre-interview coding take home challenge? I applied to a company and got a phone interview with their in-house recruiter. During the call, he/she did indicate that there will be a technical test. When I asked clarity on what it was they said it was a technical test and would have a time limit of 3 days. From what I heard it looks like a take-home project of sorts. A week flew by and the recruit sends an email if he/she can send over the test. I'm worried about: Taking this test even though I haven't met the hiring manager or even had a chat with anyone on the actual team. I had only a phone interview with the in-house recruiter. this "pre-interview take-home test taking more than a couple of hours" sounds fishy Are these red flags? NB: this is for a data engineer position at a not well-known tech company. <Q> From your comment, you say: I [am] looking for a way to politely communicate to the in-house recruiter to get me in touch with a hiring manager or team member for an interview before I spend 5-6 hours on a test <S> This sounds reasonable to me, basically you try to reduce risk of bad interview after passing test, for which you invested 5-6 hours (at market rate of $50/hr <S> it is $250-300). <S> For me it can be rephrased as: <S> I was invited for onsite interview 4 hours away, and I have to pay for transportation. <S> I haven't talk to hiring manager or team on site yet. <S> Would you do that <S> , would you take the risk and potentially waste time and money? <S> I guess, if you have no other offers or propositions, or if you have free time you need to kill, you can to take it. <S> But you are the only person who can make the decision. <S> You can bring this up, mentioning that you are uncomfortable making time investment before the company makes time investment in an interview or contact or whatever <A> The company seems to be thinking that it is perfectly time for you to waste three days of your life, and then they might not even look at what you did and just throw it away. <S> It's not acceptable. <S> It shows you what they think of their employees, and you don't want to work for a company that values them that little. <S> It is very easy and painless to do a quick phone interview, and within ten minutes the interviewer can tell 80% of applicants that they are not right for the job. <S> For the other 20% they can do a one hour interview, and anyone passing that is worth a time investment. <S> So I'd say this company is just lazy. <A> To answer your actual question <S> How to politely decline the request or ask to differ the request until I can talk with someone like the hiring manager? <S> Basically looking for pointers on drafting the email <S> What about this? <S> "Jane, thanks. <S> As you know these sample projects can take a lot of time, usually more than a day. <S> Would it be better than I first speak with one of the technical team? <S> To find out if I'm even a suitable candidate for you before going to the next step. <S> " <S> That's the most polite possible way to say "are you kidding? <S> " <S> :) "sounds like lazy recruitment practices <S> right" - correct. <S> You definitely should not do it. <A> I really wanted to upvote another answer, but I just don't agree with either of the main ones. <S> I much prefer this type of thing to trying to remember syntax for some obscure thing, or the default properties of widget. <S> It's a judgement call on whether this is a skill test or the company mooching free dev work. <S> Either way, think of it as an opportunity to learn something. <S> If you don't like it, phone the recruiter and turn them down. <S> If you think its mooching, leave out some key part of the code (put comments instead), or code some difficult, but vital function to return a fixed value. <S> The whole point of these tests is to gauge your skill level and provide a conversation starter ("Why did you use events?"). <S> And I think that's a very good sign; a company filtering out unsuitable candidates. <S> It hurts if you "fail", but ask for feedback if they say "no". <S> Learn and improve. <A> This depends upon your current situation: <S> If you are new to the field, having less than about 3 years of full-time, professional, paid experience, then I think it's reasonable for the employer to screen for basic skills before taking a lot of their own time. <S> If you have a proven record, or come via personal recommendation, then I would find it reasonable to meet with potential teammates before a skills test. <S> The reason for this difference is that, at least in my experience, I've often been surprised at the discrepancy in skills between new developers. <S> I've been similarly surprised at that discrepancy between more experienced developers as well, but it's usually less drastic. <S> I don't want to waste my time or my team's time meeting with someone who lacks basic requirements. <S> They might have self-assessment problems, time management issues, process compliance difficulties, or emotional intelligence deficiencies.
| If you don't have any plans or commitments over the 2/3 days and the job sounds interesting, I'd say ask to take the test. If an inexperienced developer sought to hop through our hiring process in their own way, I'd be concerned that they wouldn't fit well into our team and this might negativity impact my assessment of them.
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Is it appropriate to slightly change the name of my degree? If I have a "BS in Software Development", would it be okay to change the name to "BS in Software Engineering" on my resume? Could it negatively impact background checks or education verification if it is not 100% identical? Although both terms almost mean the same thing and are often used interchangeably, "software engineering" sounds a bit more rigorous, and I prefer it more. The jobs I will be applying to will also have the "Software Engineer" job title. <Q> If your diploma is in the same language as your resume is, then whatever it calls the degree is what you put on your resume. <S> I don't think many employers would care one whit whether the school you went to happens to call their program one or the other. <S> But if you call the degree something it isn't because you think that makes you sound better qualified than the truth <S> would , then for that reason alone <S> what you're doing is an attempt to deceive. <S> And employers certainly do care about whether your application is deceptive. <A> As the term can't be used interchangeably it can only impact you negatively. <S> In France, the Engineering diploma can only be delivered by accredited institutions. <S> Words have meanings, and a simple alteration may be greater than what you think. <A> That ensures that nobody can feel misled, and reduces the risk of verification problems. <S> If your particular "BS in Software Development" was more rigorous than normal, and you are early enough in your career for degree details to matter, you could supplement by listing some of the subjects you studied, and projects you completed. <A> Fact: You don't have a BS in Software Engineering. <S> If you claim it on your CV, you are lying. <S> If you lie on your CV, that can have dire consequences years later. <S> Say you stayed with the company for ten years, risen up in the ranks, and for some reason the company decides to get rid of you. <S> If they find you lied on your CV, you are gone. <S> The fact that you have a BS in Software Development doesn't change this one bit. <S> You also stated in your question that you wish to change the title to mislead people. <S> If you wanted to claim that you have a BS in Software Engineering, you should have taken a course that leads to a BS in Software Engineering. <A> It may strongly depend on what country you are submitting the resume in. <S> The Association of Engineers and Geoscientists in Canada regulates the usage of the term "Engineer" in both education and professional capacities. <S> In some immigration contexts, a mismatch in degree may render you ineligible for visa status (think Japan). <S> I suggest that you play it safe and only use language that you can prove <S> (provide it as written on your degree). <A> The best way to check yourself, whether you can do that "slight modification" in your resume is to try to use the modified degree name and check it against your college / university whether they can produce any result against that query. <S> In case they return a result with successful candidate and degree certificate, you are probably OK to use the altered nomenclature. <S> However, if it fails to return any result, that means, your university does not recognize the altered name and you would be seen as lying in your resume. <S> Although both terms almost mean the same thing and are often used interchangeably,[..] <S> That's your perception (assumption), it may not be true globally. <S> Do you want to end up being seen as lying? <S> No. <S> TL;DR - When in doubt, go by what is documented and can be proved if required. <S> FootNote: <S> However, many job opportunities mention that you need to have a certain degree or equivalent . <S> Given that the prescribed degree is similar to what you have, you are free to apply but make sure your resume mentions the degree in a way that can be supported with relevant documents (grade sheet, certificates etc.). <S> Whether the organization considers your degree to be eligible, is up to them. <S> At least, you wont be seen as lying. <A> No, it's not appropriate. <S> The ethical issue aside, if you get caught, it'll make it look like you're willing to stretch the truth to look better (which, according to your question, is exactly what you're thinking about doing). <S> Nothing good could come out of this, and plenty of bad could. <S> As an alternative, you might consider mentioning software engineering as a primary area of study in your description of the degree program. <S> This would have the advantage of actually being true, since I assume that you did study software engineering, even if it's not the "official" title of your degree.
| You could find yourself at risk of misrepresenting yourself as an Engineer (or eligible for status as a Professional Engineer or P.Eng.), which carries weight. You should definitely use the exact name of the degree. If you were translating (because you're applying in a market where employers don't understand the language of your diploma) there would be some wiggle room, but not otherwise. I would not recommend you to do that.
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Are online courses regarded as the equivalent of professional experience? My background is in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Last year I paid and attended android developer nano-degree by google course. At the end of it I uploaded my capstone project on play store. Now I am watching another course on Udemy called NodeJS - The Complete Guide (incl. MVC, REST APIs, GraphQL) which teaches you how to create node.js. applications. I have also attended two other Udemy courses regarding Android Development. I applied for various android role positions, but didn't hear anything back. I was expected at least to be interviewed on my capstone's project code which is also in github . The code has been reviewed and works cool. Of course, I need to use at some point patterns like RxJava and MVVM. But is all this considered as commercial experience or I wasted my money watching online courses? <Q> There is a bit of a false dichotomy in your final question. <S> First of all, training courses are not considered professional (or commercial) experience, because it does not meet the definition of professional experience. <S> Professional experience means to be employed in the profession in question. <S> There are a range of implications that step from that. <S> Commercial experience implies that you've worked on a product that has seen some degree of commercialisation (in other words, you sold it to someone.) <S> Note that sticking an app on an App Store is likely to count for very little given how trivial that is to do. <S> Get a large number of downloads, and it may be a different story. <S> But is all this considered as commercial experience or I wasted my money watching online courses? <S> If you end goal was to gain commercial experience, then you have (probably) not reached that goal by doing a Udacity course, but that doesn't necessarily mean you wasted your money. <S> If you learnt valuable skills as part of that course, it makes you more employable. <S> If the course is recognised by the person making the hiring decision, you're even more employable. <S> Just because some large organisation "accredits" a course doesn't mean that it is held in universal regard. <S> Also, I just want to point out, that even widely-known certification authorities are considered as useless by some people, for various reasons. <S> Just as degrees are considered the same by some people too. <A> It's good to have a certain course completed from a widely-known certification authority (online of offline) and have the certificate, but most of the time, that counts towards your proficiency level and theoretical knowledge. <S> Majority of the cases, they are not considered as professional experience. <S> If you have pet-projects which you can showcase, that adds to the value, sure. <S> If you're searching for entry-level positions (fresh out of college), they may look very good on your CV. <S> However, if you're having certain experience, and the course is not directly related to your field/ domain of work experience, the online certifications are seldom worthy of substantial influence alone. <A> No. <S> Not at all. <S> They are two different things. <S> Online courses are good for you if they teach something useful <S> but they are not professional experience. <S> In any case, they would be comparable to formal education, but it's still not quite like that. <S> In my experience, the best use of online courses is keeping your work rather than getting one, but in any case, if your question is "But is all this considered as commercial experience or I wasted my money watching online courses?" <S> then you answered the question yourself, as I think it's accurate to infer that you didn't learn any skill (in that case, why should companies take it into account?).
| There may be courses where you may have a placement within a professional environment, working on professional project, and that may be muddying the water a little, but they are very rare.
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I looked up a future colleague on LinkedIn before I started a job. I told him about it and he seemed surprised. Should I apologize? I was thinking about this and was wondering if my behavior is unethical - the information was public, and I didn't think much of doing so at the time. <Q> No. <S> Don't apologize. <S> Had it happen to me, and I've done it myself. <S> If a person doesn't want their profile accessed, they shouldn't make it publicly available. <S> There is nothing wrong with that. <A> I told my colleague about it <S> and he seemed surprised. <S> Should I apologize? <S> I suggest you ask him, e.g. <S> "I noticed you seemed surprised when I said I'd looked you up on LinkedIn. <S> I've been feeling bad about it in case <S> it upset you in any way. <S> *Are you okay about it?" <S> Note <S> I have edited the last part of my answer in response to valid comments. <S> I feel that a final question is needed in order to encourage the other person to have their say. <S> I'm open to other suggestions. <S> As Ister suggests, "I hope you weren't offended" is another good possibility to finish with. <A> Other answers are fairly blunt in the “No…” category, but I believe there is subtlety here: <S> If you feel you need to apologize, then you should apologize… But don’t feel bad about it. <S> Yes, if a LinkedIn profile is made public then people can view that profile and then (based on their level of access in LinkedIn) <S> they can see they viewed your profile. <S> All fair. <S> And yes, you can lock down your LinkedIn profile so you can only allow people you are connected to to view that profile. <S> That is fair. <S> But at the end of the day there is human etiquette. <S> And if you feel that you might have offended someone by simply looking at their profile, you should apologize. <S> You should not recommend that they lock down their profile because <S> why should they? <S> Because ultimately if the profile is public, they might have a good reason to do so and not really want to alter their online presence for the needs of one random person they just met. <S> In general think about public online profiles like mail: You know, I can see my neighbors ordered items from Amazon. <S> And many packages have tracking numbers right on them. <S> There is technically nothing stopping me from making note of that tracking number and then— <S> the next time I saw my neighbor—say something like, “Boy! <S> That Amazon package you just got took a long time to get to you!” <S> I mean, that’s prying and kinda crazy, right? <S> Ditto with online public profiles. <S> In the case of your co-worker, if they were stunned by what you did just say something like: <S> “Well, sorry about that. <S> But since I was starting this job and just wanted to get to know my co-workers. <S> My apologizes if that was an indirect way of going about it.” <S> The reality is that technical boundaries—such as blocking access to a profile—and human etiquette are two different things. <A> There's no need for an apology. <S> If someone creates a profile on LinkedIn, then they should expect that people will be looking at it, whether it be potential employers, peers or anyone using the site. <S> I wouldn't even bring it up again, unless it seems like there's some unspoken tension over it. <A> I told him about it and he seemed surprised. <S> ^^ <S> So what?? <S> When I see acquaintances shopping at the same store as me I get surprised too. <S> It doesn't mean that they should apologize. <S> Move on with your life.
| Stop overthinking and don't make things weird by apologizing.
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How to explain to manager that I wasn't reading emails because I wasn't receiving shifts and therefore not getting paid (for 100s of emails)? I do a lot of short term, temporary work. I had an interview with a company awhile ago. They decided to "hire" me and said I would be getting a lot of work. For the several months I received no work but still received all their emails. My manager changed several times (as I know from the emails I had been receiving). Some of the emails were very long, and technically speaking since I wasn't receiving any work couldn't possibly apply to me. As such, I started skimming them over or ignoring them completely. Recently I started getting work. When I asked my current manager a question, he replied asking me if I had received a certain email from someone several months ago. I misspoke and said I was receiving a lot of emails and wasn't getting paid to read them. (this was rude of me but I asked the manager a question that really was his responsibility to know) My point is, I had been receiving 100s of emails and since I wasn't getting any shifts I wasn't getting paid to read them. Now that I started to get shifts I read everything carefully. How can I better phrase this? Should I try to explain what I meant by this to the manager? <Q> Just keep it simple <S> I may have received the email a couple months ago but due to the volume of emails I receive daily <S> I can't say for sure if I received it. <S> Let me look and get back to you <S> Its perfectly normal to forget about emails or forget to respond to emails- obviously don't neglect your email <S> but I don't think anyone will fault you for not remembering an email you received several months back. <A> My current manager asked me if I had received a certain email from someone several months ago. <S> I misspoke and said I was receiving a lot of emails and wasn't getting paid to read them. <S> (this was rude of me <S> but I asked the manager a question that really was his responsibility to know) <S> How can I better phrase this? <S> How about something like "I'm not sure boss. <S> Let me check my emails <S> and I'll get right back to you."? <S> Rudeness seldom pays off. <A> You has asked some connected questions: "How to explain to manager that I wasn't reading emails because I wasn't receiving shifts and therefore not getting paid (for 100s of emails)? <S> How can I better phrase this? <S> Should I try to explain what I meant by this to the manager? <S> I guess I'm wondering, did they really expect me to be reading all the emails when I wasn't getting worked? <S> Is it fair to do so even when not getting paid?" <S> I see two questions in that: <S> Was it correct of the manager to expect the "email reading thing" of you? <S> How can you fix your relation with this manager? <S> 1. <S> Was it correct of the manager to expect the "email reading thing" of you? <S> This depends from the place in which you are working: what laws, what employment contract ... <S> From Europe <S> I can say, if you not "at work" you do not have to read E-Mails in general. <S> But most bosses and most employees do so, because of a feeling of liability. <S> In my opinion in case of emergency the people take the phone to contact me... <S> Another point is: the manager can expect a lot, but one can refuse polite with (or sometimes without) good arguments. <S> 2. <S> How can you fix your relation with this manager? <S> If you feel sorrow for your "rudeness" you can talk to the manager. <S> Explain, that the load of E-Mails was a lot and upsets you (a lot/a little), and because you do not have started shifts, you expected you do not have to read all of them in time. <S> In each case ask the manager, how you should handle this in future and how other employees do. <S> (That shows your interest, to respect the rules of your workplace) <S> If the managers expectation differ a lot from yours, maybe both of you can find a compromise (you have to give arguments, a nice thing here is "work live balance", a lot of managers want to make a good picture of them in this field). <S> And next time think before react : ) <S> Most times people misinterpret each other, especially if they are not familiar with each other (yet).
| Don't mention about it not being part of your job to read emails- because its kind of assumed that you will check your work-related emails for any job you work.
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How to politely follow up with coworker who ignores/forgets IMs? Context: I am a fairly new intern, with an assigned mentor who is expected to be my first line of help when/if I need it. Our most frequent communication is via an internal IM system, which is nice because we can quickly message each other and send code snippets/links back and forth. My one issue, however, is that sometimes I send a question and get no response, or we are having what seems to be a lively chat and then he disappears. Of course, I understand that perhaps someone has walked into his office/he is distracted by other work, but if I go more than an hour or so without response I am antsy because I may need this answer to move forward in my tasks (I don't want to be the do-nothing employee on their phone all day). What are some good ways to follow up an unanswered IM that will not be construed as nagging/impatient/escalating? I tagged this software dev as it might help give context for the culture: I've debating just messaging him "still need this" or even "bump", but am not sure if it would seem disrespectful. Stopping by his office in person occasionally works, but is sometimes met with "sorry, I'm fixing a prod issue, I'll get to you later" (which I find embarrassing). I think email would be entirely overkill for what usually amounts to a small issue. Advice? <Q> It sounds like you've done well so far <S> - you have a good working relationship with your mentor <S> and you've talked to him in person about this. <S> There are 2 sides to the fix: <S> Understand that as a new intern, keeping you busy is not a high priority. <S> If your mentor has more important work to do than talk to you, that's just life and in no way reflects poorly on you. <S> Ask your mentor for some additional side tasks <S> so if you're blocked on the main task you can switch to something else while you wait. <A> Don't rely just on your mentor. <S> You don't describe what kind of blockers you're facing, but try to work out solutions on your own. <S> Try to keep busy with subtasks (like writing code documentation or tests, since you mention software development) while you wait for answers. <S> Other than that <S> , don't be too afraid to pop in your mentor's office at lunch to try to get in touch or try to arrange a daily quick status meeting. <S> Understand that, yes, as an intern, you aren't as high a priority as their regular work. <A> As a past intern I think I can give some advice based on personal experience- for my very first internship <S> I had no clue what I was doing and sometimes would not get replies on IM's and didn't know what to do. <S> Here are some suggestions: Talk to others on your team. <S> While I mainly talked to one person from my team when I was an intern- <S> I regret not utilizing all my resources. <S> When you work on a team- <S> everyone tends to help everyone else. <S> I'm a full-time engineer now <S> and when we get interns I'm always willing to help if I have the time- <S> even though I'm not the official mentor Utilize any company resources. <S> If your company uses slack or microsoft teams or any other software that has groups dedicated to specific topics- <S> they might have a group dedicated to the language you are working on and would be able to help. <S> This is mostly a thing at bigger companies Try to fix it yourself. <S> I know what you're thinking- <S> if you could solve it yourself you wouldn't be asking anyone. <S> But often times I find the solution myself while trying to explain the problem to someone else or while waiting for a response (you may have heard of the term rubber duck debugging which is related to this). <S> Spend some time on stackoverflow if its a programming issue or otherwise do research on the topic online. <S> People get busy throughout the workday <S> so don't take it personally when you don't get a response. <S> You shouldn't be relying solely on your mentor for help and the worst thing to do is to sit there doing nothing until you get a response. <S> Be proactive and try to solve the issue without your mentor. <S> If you are absolutely stuck- <S> you can consider picking up an extra task in the meantime to take your mind off the thing you're stuck on. <S> But I can almost guarantee you someone else on your team would be willing to help if your mentor is busy.
| Check in with other team members to see if they have answers.
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Does HR tell a hiring manager about salary negotiations? If I was to negotiate salary for a job offer with HR, is it customary for HR to communicate this to the hiring manager? I'm worried that it colors my relationship with the hiring manager if I accept the offer. It's an indicator of how much I want the job ("I'll work for you, but not for what you wanted to give me."). Depending on what I'm negotiating for (salary in this case, but in other cases leave, benefits, etc.) it communicates work-life priorities. All subtle but important communicators that change my relationship with the manager before I even start. <Q> In response to what you said in the comment: It colors my relationship with the hiring manager if I accept the offer. <S> It's an indicator of how much I want the job ("I'll work for you, bit not for what you wanted to give me."). <S> Most managers understand that you are accepting a job in a large part because you want or need money, and will not hold this against you. <S> Additionally, everything that could be interpreted negatively can also be interpreted positively. <S> For example, asking for more money can demonstrate that you have confidence in your own value. <S> When you ask for raises after you've accepted the job, that will also start with your manager. <S> Are you going to hold back then <S> so your manager doesn't think you're greedy? <S> If you aren't willing to advocate for pay raises in your career, then you will end up underpaid. <S> Lastly, I've never had a manager hold looking for a raise against me. <S> Work is a business transaction and most people understand that. <S> As long as you aren't jumping jobs every year and expecting a huge raise each time you'll probably be fine. <A> If I was to negotiate salary for a job offer with HR, is it customary for HR to communicate this to the hiring manager? <S> Yes this is a normal hiring procedure. <A> Yes this is normal and you want that to improve your chances. <S> HR normally has little latitude in negotiating salaries on their own. <S> They are not normally qualified to evaluate whether a particular candidate is worth more than was offered. <S> The hiring manager should be aware of what you are worth to fill the role and whether or not they are willing to go higher. <S> If the company allows it at all, it is the hiring manager who is quite likely the person who can approve or initiate a higher salary offer. <A> Yes, it is normal for HR to communicate negotiations with the manager you will be reporting to. <S> One thing to consider is that the manager has a budget so they need to be aware of things that would change their budget. <A> In any normal organization, that will happen. <S> HR didn't interview you (at least, not about whether you're qualified the job you're going to do). <S> HR can't access whether you should get paid above minimum wage. <S> At least, not on their own. <S> But if HR is tied to rules, there's little to negotiate. <A> Your idea what your manager thinks about your salary is totally upside down. <S> If your salary is low, your manager will think "that person can't be as good as I thought, or they would have negotiated a higher salary. <S> If your salary is high, your manager will think "HR must have seen that this person is worth more money", or "this person must have been good enough to get high offers elsewhere, or HR wouldn't be paying that much".
| Unless you're going to work in an environment where there are strict rules on salary based on your job, and how long you're with the company, HR will not determine your salary. As answered, yes, you should assume the hiring manager is / will be aware.
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Shall I report my organization's bad social media posts to my organization? My company often posts really bad social media posts. It is not opinion based, these are objectively bad posts that consistently contain : typos, poorly cropped pictures and overall nonsense. The problem is that I know exactly who writes these posts, it's a very nice person that has been here a long time and that everyone likes (myself included). Unfortunately, being a nice human doesn't make you a good community manager. We are a fairly small company, so maybe management doesn't know how damaging this is to our image. I'm pretty sure they regularly check these posts, but apparently they are satisfied with them. Should I bluntly report what I think about it ? Note that my role at the company has nothing to do with our social media handles, which is why I'm reluctant to give my opinion on something that has nothing to do with my field. Edit - "overall nonsense" includes : Grammatically incorrect sentences Images that have nothing to do with the topic of the post Random hashtags in the middle of the post <Q> There are two things to be mentioned here: <S> Even though you are not directly in-charge or associated with the PR, obviously how the organization is pictured in public affects your stance as an employee. <S> You have the rights to come up with any suggestions that can improve the company image, overall. <S> So, there is nothing wrong in providing suggestions to improve. <S> How much they will be useful , that only time can tell. <S> Remember, the problem is with the content of those posts, not with the person posting them. <S> Make sure that You don't appear to be passing on a judgement or trying to do a quality-check. <S> Be sure to emphasis the negative effects the faults will have, not try to zero-in on the faults. <S> Your approach does not sound like a complain against one person, but provide suggestions to improve . <S> And yes, please do not use words like "nonsense", "garbage" etc. <S> Use more formal-sounding words like "hard to read", "difficult to understand", "conveys a wrong message" etc. <A> Don't raise it as "X isn't doing their job properly, you should discipline them!", but more as "You should probably take a look at our social media posts, because they have XYZ bad features (e.g. typos, badly cropped images, etc) <S> ". <S> The manager is probably the best person to be in the position to train, mentor, or otherwise fix the problem. <S> Don't add your own opinion (e.g. "our social media posts are awful", etc.). <S> First of all, your opinion isn't really important. <S> Secondly, if you give an overly negative review, you could risk the job of the community manager, or even yourself (as coming off as overly critical of others). <S> Just say the things that are unambiguously true and leave your opinion out. <A> Note that my role at the company has nothing to do with our social media handles, which is why I'm reluctant to give my opinion on something that has nothing to do with my field. <S> You should be reluctant, you're on thin ice from the start because of this. <S> My suggestion is to ignore whatever "overall nonsense" means and mention only the objective stuff (typos + badly cropped pictures). <S> Who you report it to will depend on the dynamics of the company and the personality of the author of the posts. <S> Having no other info, I'd address him/her directly first with only typos and point out that Microsoft Word will flag those (both spelling and grammar). <A> Why do you wish to report this to management? <S> If you want to improve the quality of the posts, it would be quickest to talk to the person who's creating them. <S> Going by your description, this person is quite approachable. <S> When you do give feedback - offer up examples of others posts on a similar subject. <S> This removes your own opinion from consideration, and makes it much easier for another person to accept your inputs. <S> And based on how the conversation goes, offer to proof-read. <S> Reporting something of this nature will create more problems than solutions. <A> You can point out these errors to this person so that they can hopefully correct them. <S> "Poorly cropped pictures" and "overall nonsense" are definitely not things that you should be bringing up to this person as those are judgement calls for their manager. <A> You may give suggestions like, "This image seems more relevant to the subject" and go on to explain why it is relevant. <S> If the person has room for improvement he will take your suggestions in a positive way. <S> It is quite possible he may be in need of help with the posts but hesitant in asking. <S> Your input in that case would be welcomed. <S> As mentioned in the other answers guard your choice of words so that you don't sound condemning.
| The most effective person to raise them to would probably be the manager of the person writing the posts (since you said you're a small company this should be acceptable; I wouldn't advise this in a larger company). If you want to help this person that writes the posts then speak directly to them regarding typos and grammatical errors.
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Employment contract and expected hours worked (UK) In an employment contract it states the minimum number of hours which is 37.5 which appears to be the standard, however it also states that some flexibility is necessary and from time to time the employee may be expected to work additional hours without compensation (overtime or time off in lieu). That these could include working outside normal hours and on weekends and public holiday, and that they may be required to work more than 48 hours per week. Within the UK as I understand, 48 hours per week is the maximum unless the employee signs an Opt-Out. I would like to know if this is standard within an employment contract or if its something that should be asked about, what "time to time" means. I understand that sometimes meeting deadlines for projects requires additional time in the run ups to them and I'm not opposed to doing this, but it seems a little vague. <Q> The answer to this really depends on you. <S> How much you need this job? <S> some flexibility is necessary and from time to time the employee may be expected to work additional hours without compensation (overtime or time off in lieu). <S> That these could include working outside normal hours and on weekends and public holiday, and that they may be required to work more than 48 hours per week. <S> This seems bulk standard to be honest. <S> And most of the times they can get away with it for several reasons. <S> Yes you are correct that you can only work 48 hours a week unless you opt-out of this (I work 100 h a week). <S> However remember this small caveat : You can’t work more than 48 hours a week on average - normally averaged over 17 weeks. <S> This law is sometimes called the ‘working time directive’ or ‘working time regulations’. <S> If they have a project and the last month they ask you to work 81.5hours a week they would still be within the boundaries of WTD (it would work out at just under 48 hours per week average). <S> And read it again, NORMALLY, the company can decide to average it out on a yearly basis, on a 6 monthly basis, as long as they have their guidelines and they can justify it on the tribunal, <S> the time it is averaged on can be a lot longer than 17 weeks. <S> Asking them won't bring anything, they can say whatever they want, until you start working you won't know what is going to happen to you. <S> If you need the job or the experience, then thread lightly, it might be just "contract words to cover themselves up", it can be that they copied the contract off another company (it happens with smaller companies that don't want to spend money on a lawyer going over their documents). <A> This is my first employment contract, and because it seems a bit vague <S> what kind of questions I should ask without putting them off? <S> Ask them directly. <S> Try: <S> "I read this part of the contract and I'm worried about signing something that says you can ask me to work 80 hours a week. <S> How much do you think I will work in practice?". <S> Don't accuse them of wrongdoing or mention the working time directive. <S> Play the innocent/dumb newbie who is asking a stupid question because they are new. <S> Feel free to ham it up and apologise for asking a silly question. <S> Their answer will tell you something about them as an employer. <S> Either they will tell the truth or they will lie. <S> If they lie then you will find out really quickly once they employ you <S> so it is a nice way to test them. <S> Once you've heard their answer you can assess whether or not you liked the answer and whether or not you trust them. <S> You can also have a bit of a think about what you have to lose by accepting the role. <S> Since this will be your first job you probably don't have much to lose <S> (you don't have to give up another job to take this one on) <S> so if you like the job then you should go for it. <S> This answer assumes that the contract offers you the option to leave with minimal notice in the first x months. <A> It's all pretty standard stuff. <S> It's a salaried position, not an hourly rate they're paying you. <S> 48 hours a week is Working Time Directive limits, but some companies expect you to opt out of it; I don't believe the legislation really achieves much in practice. <S> For example in either the accountancy or legal industry you'll be expected to have a minimum of 37.5 billable hours per week. <S> You might do a 10 minute piece of work which you can bill at 6 minutes per client to 5 different clients - good! <S> Or you might go to the loo or make a cup of coffee and not bill anyone for 10 minutes, or spend an hour doing something your boss thinks should have only taken half an hour, and will only let you bill half an hour. <S> Talk to anyone you know who already works there <S> , look on websites such as glassdoor, or try working for the company for a month and see if you like it.
| The WTD (working time directive) stipulates that on average if you don't opt out you can only work 48 hours a week. What's actually expected of you will vary from company to company and industry to industry as well. The expectation of working more than 37.5 hours sometimes, and not getting overtime pay or time-in-lieu, is fairly standard.
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When company doesn’t achieve targets I am blamed by my boss. Our monthly targets are set up very high I joined my present company 6 years ago. I had to join without any options as my residency was getting over (my home country is India), and only this company provided it. We started with monthly target of 6000 Kuwaiti Dinars. After 6 years we do 40000 Kuwaiti Dinars every month. This is very difficult to maintain every month due to market competition. We are consistently growing by 75% year-on-year. My boss had a very big financial loss 3 years ago. He just pays me 30% of my salary and incentive every month. The leftover amount is huge and he tells me he will pay. I have no legal document to prove for the left over amount. If during any month we don’t reach our target, he doubts my work ethics and thinks that I purposely don’t work. From last 6 years I have been working minimum 11 hours daily. In total I have not taken more than 100 days leave in 6 years. The issue is that half of my salary is 2 times more than the market value salary. And if I leave him, he will not pay me the remaining balance. What options do I have, and what should I do? <Q> 1) Whatever you do, start searching for another job. <S> That is most important. <S> 2) You will not see those missing 70% of your monthly salary, ever. <S> It is gone, your boss has stolen it from you, and your boss will continue to steal it from you each month for the foreseeable future. <S> When you say "if I leave him, he will not pay me the remaining balance", the truth is that if you stay, he will also not pay you the remaining balance. <S> It's gone. <S> 3) Decide if 30% of your salary (the 30% you are receiving) is enough money to continue to work 11-hour days and handle the stress of this company. <S> If it is, then stay (and continue searching for another job). <S> If it's not, then leave (and search for another job while unemployed). <A> As sad as it is, if the situation did not improve in six years, it will (most likely) not improve any time soon. <S> Here are some (the only?) <S> alternatives you should have in mind. <S> Forget about remaining balance. <S> You will never see it. <S> IF you will get it, it will be a reason to be happier. <S> Decide if the money you actually get is worth your remaining at this job. <S> Are they enough to cover your expenses with your family? <S> Do you / they have a decent life thanks to this money? <S> Is the money enough to justify you working more than 11 hours a day? <S> If it is not worth it, find another job and never look back. <A> He just pays me 30% <S> That is incorrect. <S> He pays you 100% of your salary every month, and both you and him pretend that there's more money coming in the future. <S> he doubts my work ethics and thinks that I purposely don’t work <S> That is also incorrect. <S> He puts on pressure so he can exploit you for financial gain. <S> If he ever thought you purposely don't work, he would have fired and replaced you immediately. <S> In summary, your problem is that your job makes you unhappy, exhausts you, you're paid below market rate <S> , there's an expectation of severe (economic) punishment if you quit, and there's no expectation that any of that will ever improve. <S> You are a wage slave. <S> How to get out? <S> You have to look for a better job now. <S> Not a job that pays more; a job that is better for you. <S> Even if you go back to India: you may be paid less, but your expenses will be lower as well, your happiness will increase, you no longer have the work visa holding you hostage, and you will have a much easier time finding yet another job (even a job abroad) <S> once you're in India. <A> I just have 2 things to point out: <S> half of my salary is 2 times more than the market value salary <S> That means your salary is 4X market value, and you are also saying you get paid 30% of that. <S> Hence, you are being paid only 20% over market which is still pretty good. <S> As others pointed out: forget about those 70%, it will never be paid off. <S> Second thing: as you are looking for another job or not, start accumulating paper trail. <S> Try to interact more via email, rather than in-person, or follow-up every verbal communication with email saying something like: <S> Hi <S> boss, I wanted to confirm as we discussed yesterday that project is on time, and my plan is acceptable. <S> Just in case you decide to get a lawyer, paper trail will come in handy. <S> Especially it might be useful to get written verification of that promised salary. <A> There's a few things you're going to have to hear. <S> The first is the one that everyone is saying. <S> That money is gone. <S> It does not exist. <S> It will never exist. <S> He will never pay it to you no matter what happens. <S> He is simply using it as a way to staple you in place. <S> The second is harsher. <S> Your boss is abusing you psychologically. <S> He is questioning your loyalty and dedication as a way of beating you down, in spite of the fact <S> tat your loyalty and dedication are obvious. <S> He is using psychological tools to keep you from fleeing, and then attacking you emotionally so that you won't have the willpower to oppose him. <S> He is treating you terribly, and it is almost certainly warping your ability to even think about behaving in ways that he doesn't want you to behave. <S> These are standard psychological techniques of abusive people. <S> You have no options for getting that money. <S> Your options are two - you can suck down the abuse and the 11-hour days, for the money that you're currently being paid, or you can walk, possibly after finding a new job. <S> Those are your options. <S> Continuing to subject yourself to an abusive boss will not benefit you in the long run. <S> It will only break you further.
| I would suggest that you find a new job and then walk.
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How can I write in my resume that I can relocate without any problem and do not need any kind of 'relocation money'? I am a junior software developer thus it's not very profitable for a company on their own and I fully understand it. But I always wanted to live abroad. I do not need any visas (I am an EU citizen) and I will apply only in a position in the EU.How should I write about it in order to this message does not sound like a scam? Should I just write'I can relocate as soon as possible at my own.'Does it sound credible? <Q> There is no need to mention this in your resume or cover letter. <S> Having to pay yourself for your relocation (if any), is the default anyway. <S> However, if a company is willing to pay relocation money, it would be foolish to throw that away by stating beforehand you don't need it. <S> If the company feels it's something which needs to be cleared up during the interview process, they will bring it up. <A> While other answers are correct in saying you do not need to mention it and if the company is paying, you should just accept it, they may be missing your main reason behind this. <S> You may be trying to make yourself more "attractive" to the company (or less of "burden") during the application review phase itself. <S> If they toss out your resume simply because you are far away, you lose an opportunity for the reasons which is not a deal-breaker for you. <S> If that is the case, you can simply add a line Willing to relocate anywhere in EU at a short notice. <S> Though not explicitly mentioned, this kind of indicates that relocation money is not your prime concern. <A> You could mention in your cover letter that you'd love to live in the city the company is based. <S> Although it isn't necessary, the fact that you're applying there already suggests you'd be ready to move there. <S> But no, don't say you're ready to pay for the relocation yourself, unless they say they won't be able to pay relocation money. <S> Or are only to pay a limited amount. <S> It's common for many companies to pay relocation fees, it isn't that big of a deal for them. <S> If they have limitations, they will communicate them to you. <A> If company is willingly paying for relocation, It would be a waste to let it go. <S> You can mention safely mention this in your cover letter as <S> I hold valid passport of country X which allows me to legally work at location Y and will not require any visa sponsorship.
| If you are specifically considering cost for visa applications, You can mention that you are citizen of X country and would not require any sponsorship for visas .
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Quitting Job at Company owned by Wife's Family Years ago, my wife (girlfriend at the time) and I moved states. During this time, we needed jobs so one of her family members gave me a job as a Jr. Programmer at their company. During the years, programmers have come and gone to where it is only myself doing development for this company's software and has been for some years. Essentially, I am the Lead Software Engineer. However, recently I have come to realize that I programming is not a profession I truly enjoy and something I struggle to see myself doing for 30+ years. However, I have found after some very serious consideration that the field of nursing is something that ignites a bit of a passion in me. I have always wanted to go into the medical field, but I never truly made any action to do it. This move will involve me going into nursing school for a 2 or 3 years. During this time, I planned on continuing work with my wife's family member at their company. Given the very intensive schedule of nursing school, I will need to notify my employer that I will need to change up my schedule and for what reasons. I will also be notifying them that I will be leaving the company when I complete the program to pursue the profession. Essentially giving them notice as long as I am in school. Here is the problem. I am a developer being paid roughly half of what an equally experienced developer would be making, with no health insurance, dental insurance or 401k/retirement plans. For me? These aren't huge issues, I've always made a decent living between me and my wife's income. However, at the rate I am being paid, I suspect another developer may be less keen on taking this position once they hear the offer. So getting a replacement developer may prove to be a challenge and without a developer, I am unsure about the longevity of the software without a developer to keep making changes and supporting the software. On top of the above mentioned, I am nervous that the family member will take my leaving quite personally and result in some fairly large fallout because I sense some aspirations that they are wanting to give me the company. This fallout could certainly result in some resentment/malice from an entire segment of the family and I certainly do not want to cause my wife any drama. What should I look to do during this period of time? Edit: Just to clarify, I am very grateful for the opportunity and job that was given to me and I will make every effort to be deliberately tactful and easy as possible during this event. <Q> I feel like this is not really a workplace answer, but I think it is the correct answer to the question asked. <S> In this very specific case, ask your wife, not the internet. <S> She's the one who should know her side of the family best and according to your question she's the one that would have to cope with the consequences. <S> She's also the one paying for the both of you if the owner fires you right now. <S> So... as it seems it's all on her, no matter what the best way might be theoretically, practically, it should be her way. <S> Whoever has to carry the burden should be able to make the decision. <S> Who knows, maybe it would be better to discuss that with said family member over a nice dinner family-style? <A> You can't control any potential issues they may have in having to replace you. <S> Any reasonable adult would respect this. <A> Agree with other answers both that you should speak to your wife first, and then openly and honestly with your employer. <S> I also think you can sell the long "notice period" as a really helpful advantage for the company as it tries to replace you, and to adjust in general. <S> It gives them to the opportunity to start financially planning now if they're going to need to pay more to replace you, and when you're closer to moving on it gives them the time to get the recruitment process right and for you to have a longer handover with your replacement to bring them up to speed. <S> Although I'm sure he won't be pleased for the company, you may be surprised by a positive reaction if your employer knows you are following your dreams.
| All you can do is sit down with the company owner and just tell them what your plan is and why you are changing your own personal direction.
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How do I mention the quality of my school without bragging I am currently studying at a US university that is among the top school for the field I'm in (CS). However, the university itself is not well known outside the US, and certainly not as being on par with or better than the more well known universities (Harvard, Princeton, etc.). I normally wouldn't mind this, but I am currently in the process of applying for jobs back home in Europe and I fear that my application would not get the same attention as those coming from more well-known schools. So my question is: How do I mention that I obtained my degree from a top school in my field without it sounding braggy? This would be good to know in terms of a cover letter and in an interview setting. <Q> How do I mention that I obtained my degree from a top school in my field without it sounding braggy? <S> You use your cover letter. <S> In it, you should brag. <S> Something along the lines of "I graduated summa cum laude from Tiptop University - one of the 7 top Computer Science schools in the U.S." is perfectly appropriate. <S> Unless your interviewer specifically asks about your schooling or about your university, there's no need to bring it up during the interview itself. <S> Once you reach that stage, they have already read your cover letter. <S> And if they weren't familiar with your school already and cared, they Googled it already. <A> I would flip the problem around - "Show don't tell". <S> Ultimately you are being hired, not your school. <A> Job interviews are the places you should be bragging. <S> But I use numbers instead of statements to sound more polite. <S> So, it may sound like bragging when you say "Maybe you never heard of it's name, but it is an awesome school that people says 'wow' when they hear where you are graduated from". <S> But you are free to state this as "This school comes 5th in Computer Science, right after Harvard." <A> On my resume (CV) I give a phrase about each company to set the basic tone of what industry or purpose it addressed was. <S> I see no reason you couldn't do so about your school: <S> ABC University Anytown, USA US Top 10 Computer Science Dept.
| Use your CV to demonstrate the quality of the syllabus and discuss any relevant or impressive courseworks.
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Should I let recruiter know that I was interviewed with his company in the past? I was interviewed and rejected by a company (branch A) a couple of years ago. Now I am approached by another recruiter from a different branch (branch B). After a short discussion she suggested to connect me with a recruiter from branch A and apply there. Should I tell them about the first interview and rejection? (The position I would be applying now is not the same as it was for the first time.) <Q> A rejection is normally a rejection for that role, at that time, in that team, from that interviewer. <S> This is a different role, at a later date, and you have a couple of years more experience and have learned more skills. <S> The earlier interview will probably have no impact on this application at all. <S> It's irrelevant. <S> The only exception would be if the interviewer thought you were absolutely terrible and could not imagine ever working with you, under any circumstances, in their entire career. <S> If that's the case, they'll probably remember who you are, and reject your application before it even gets as far as an interview. <S> So you still don't need to mention it. <A> Should I tell them about the first interview and rejection? <S> Is there anything in the application form / process that needs you to disclose this information? <S> If not, then there is nothing useful can be achieved by having that info. <S> The time and the positions are vastly different. <S> Let them ask if they want to know. <A> Well, depends. <S> I've had that happen in the past <S> and I would let that depend on the experience with the company at the time. <S> If the interview with the company, at the time, went along the lines of: not currently a fit (with (f)actual reasons) not yet skilled enough (with (f)actual reasons) maybe next year <S> But through it all it was decent, pleasant and informative, then, no, would not tell them and go for round to. <S> If it was a bit more towards need you to do task X to prove competence sit with non-techies to talk shop see that they're not really looking for a new hire <S> Then, yes, would say had an interview, would mention I didn't like the place and won't go there again. <S> Really would depend on what you want and your previous experience with said company.
| So do not mention it .
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How to get W2 answer from unresponsive institution? I work for the City of New York (CUNY), and I've held the same position for about 15 years. This year for the first time, a standard line on my W2 was missing. I inquired to my college HR about why that was. I got several weeks of runaround, no answer to my question, but then received a corrected W2. Now the corrected W2 includes the expected line -- notably increasing my taxable income to a higher-than-expected amount. Unlike prior years, the overall numbers don't add up properly when I double-check them. I asked HR about this and was told there was a deduction to the line in question which is not reflected in the total compensation (hence the higher total) and not visible on my W2. I inquired how I could verify or find out about this new hidden difference in the future, and was referred to an outside city agency. Now for the last 3 weeks (up to the tax filing deadline yesterday), I've been calling and emailing this city office on a daily basis and they seem unable to respond to my question. Every day I'm told that they'll get back in another day, or they apologize and promise to call back in 15 minutes, but they never do. They've asked for multiple pieces of supporting documentation which I've sent but to which they never respond or confirm receipt, until I call again. They receive but never reply to emails. What's the best way to approach an apparently stone-walling institution regarding a W2 question like that? It's frustrating to spend time and mental energy every day making that same phone call. <Q> What's the best way to approach an apparently stone-walling institution regarding a W2 question like that? <S> I think at this point your best bet it to pay them a visit in person . <S> Bring all your supporting documentation, and have someone address your concerns face to face. <S> It is much harder to ignore you when your standing in front of the individual who should be helping you. <S> Of course this answer makes the assumption that paying a visit is realistic . <S> This approach has worked for me in similar cases, YMMV. <A> If they haven't sent you an accurate W2 by Feb 12, you can call the IRS at (800)829-1040 and file a complaint with them, and then the IRS will contact your employer. <S> Most people tend to not like getting called by the IRS. <S> If you want to know ahead of time whether you're going have this on your W2, and you're getting the run-around, then the response is to escalate it. <S> If nothing else works, consider emailing the regents, mayor, city council, etc. <S> and complaining to them. <S> This isn't guaranteed to get what you want, but at the very least it makes not giving you what you want inconvenient for other people. <A> Now for the last 3 weeks (up to the tax filing deadline yesterday) <S> So, you did file your fed and state taxes... <S> right? <S> (If you filed the IRS extension request this is the same thing if you are owed a refund) <S> If not , file them now with your current W-2 information and pay what you owe . <S> If it turns out your taxes are lower, you can file an amended return once you have proof of that. <S> AND call the IRS like Acccumulation said. <S> AND if you can figure out how to implement Mister Positive's answer, do that also.
| Inform your boss of what's going on, and find out who the boss is of the people who are giving you the run-around, and complain to them.
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Unable to persuade colleagues An issue I've been running into a lot is that me and colleagues are discussing how to do a certain thing in the field of software development, e.g. security. The team leans towards a certain approach that they think is secure. However, from experience I know this approach is not secure. Now I try to explain that it is in fact not secure, but fail to convince them about it not being secure. Often this is due to disbelief on their side ("if this isn't safe, then how does anyone make anything secure?"). It doesn't help much that the most vocal person in my team is also my senior by a longshot. At this point, I feel like I only have 2 options (or a combination thereof): Be stubborn and keep trying to explain it isn't secure. 'Co-operate' in implementing the feature, only to immediately show it isn't secure by showing an actual exploit as soon as the security features that are supposed to secure the application are implemented. I feel like the former option is a good way to get myself hated if I persist for too long, and people are just going to stop taking it seriously after some point.Meanwhile, the latter option feels like an inglorious waste of time, used only out of lack of an alternative. This persuasion problem also occurs regularly with people other than my current colleagues (and with different subjects), so it is not strictly a 'compatibility issue' between me and them. General tips to help explain things better or help persuade people are definitely appreciated, but I feel like I'm missing something fundamental here. <Q> I'm a "show me, don't tell me" kind of guy. <S> Years ago I had hired a dev team and gave them explicit instructions on how to handle security. <S> During a code review I saw that they had ignored me and went with a different route. <S> They claimed it was "standard practice" and gave me a list of services they used that had copied their implementation from. <S> Rather than arguing I set up a meeting for the following day. <S> During that meeting I showed them the usernames and passwords they used to access those services. <S> It was various things like external email accounts, banking passwords, social media, etc. <S> In one case I wasn't able to capture clear text of their username/password <S> but I was able to do a replay attack to log into that site as one of the team members. <S> They got the point and stopped arguing. <S> Now, I'm not saying that you're right <S> and they are wrong. <S> But I am saying that if you can prove it then that will go a long way towards swinging people to your way of thinking. <A> Remember all those cheesy team building exercises where you had to practice " <S> yes, <S> and...."? <S> It really is an important influence tactic. <S> Make sure you're on the same side of the table, listen to what they're saying, and be persistent. <S> It sounds like what you're dealing with is fairly technical, so consider laying it all out in an email, with links to discussion re: the known exploits or tools that will compromise your project. <S> And be comfortable with losing the argument in the short term; it's still a team effort. <S> Long term, consider spending some time building your personal brand. <S> Know that every interaction either builds it or doesn't. <S> It sounds like your brand might be a little light on credibility. <S> And when you're wrong, own up immediately and direct credit where credit is due. <S> I can say, without bragging, that when I weigh in on a topic, people listen. <S> Part of that is demeanor and seniority and gravitas (which I still struggle with), but most of it is because I'm usually right <S> and I always come prepared, and if I don't know , I keep it to myself until I do know. <A> You have two issues here. <S> You have specific and relevant experience you believe should be considered. <S> Can you explain this using actions and consequences? <S> For example, "At my last job we did A. <S> And then our penetration tester told us we needed to do B, right away, instead. <S> That was an expensive lesson to learn." <S> You're serving as an agent of change in an area that's changing insanely fast (infosec). <S> People resist change: "How does anybody make anything secure? <S> " is an example of that resistance. <S> How to achieve change? be patient. <S> be clear. <S> use evidence. <S> OWASP is a good reference to start in this particular field. <S> If you can point to a notorious security breach based your present choices, that's even better. <S> " <S> Equifax did the same thing" is a powerful argument, if you can make it. <S> Read Troy Hunt and Brian Krebs . <S> did I mention, be patient? <S> These people aren't going to smack their foreheads and say "doh! <S> you're right. <S> " But they are thinking about what you said. <S> If you do these things you've done your professional duty. <S> Often people don't "get" infosec until they have to handle a security incident, sad to say.
| Focus less on you being right and others being wrong; focus more on providing proactive and ongoing education to your coworkers, never ever make stuff up or even stretch the truth, and always come prepared by educating yourself fully on the issue and anticipating objections or weak points in your argument. If it's not secure then put a proof of concept together showing their method along with a proof of concept showing it breaking. Framing and approach is really important.
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What guarantees that you have been officially offered a job abroad? I'm planning to relocate to a European country as a software developer. I have on-going interviews with few companies and everything suggests that I will be getting at least two initial offers, one from company in Germany and one from company based in Netherlands. Therefore (and apologies if this question has an obvious answer) I'd like to know how is a formal offer made in case such as this, where the candidate has to relocate from abroad? Do they send an offer in digital format which needs to be signed up-front by myself? Do they only 'guarantee' that you have been accepted with an e-mail confirmation only? <Q> A signed employment offer paper in your hands does. <S> This also allows you to get your worker's permit (which you'll need before your starting date, at least in Germany). <S> You may not even be able to get in the country without the paper. <S> E-mails and phone calls do not account as offers / contracts. <S> Scans are borderline valid, so preferably they should physically mail you the offer for you to sign after you get an e-mail/phone call. <S> One thing I've done is receive two copies of the offer, one personal and one for the company, and since I was suppose to arrive asap I took both with me and delivered their copy personally instead of mailing it back. <A> I wouldn't trust anything that's not in writing. <S> These are (assumably) relatively new companies to you; they don't know you and you don't know them. <S> It's just too easy for something to go wrong: for example, you get an offer from a company that you believe is bonne fide, but while you are in the process of relocating, they retract the offer. <S> I'm not saying that's likely; I'm just saying that if it's not in writing, I would keep an arm's length from actually making a financial investment into the relocation. <S> Personally, if they offer you a job (officially) by e-mail, I would request <S> In fact, I might even go so far as to request two; one to keep on hand and one to send back. <S> That might be a bit superfluous, though, as you could make a photocopy or something of that sort, which though perhaps not as official, is at least a hard copy. <S> It's far easier to send something off by e-mail than to mail it; it's also generally less legally binding, as e-mails tend to be frowned on in some courts. <S> If the company is serious about hiring you, printing, signing, and mailing an official offer is no big trouble, especially if you've already confirmed (by e-mail) that you will sign the contract when it arrives. <A> Having gone through this from Europe to Asia - I requested a scan of a letter signed by the hiring manager and MD of the company (basically someone that wasn't just HR), on letter headed paper, confirming the terms of employment, the terms of the relocation package and the terms of the visa sponsorship/process. <S> Along with that, I asked for a copy of the contract to be signed by the Company, scanned and sent electronically. <S> I then asked for both hard copies to be posted out to me before the agreed move date (i.e. the terms of the relocation and the starting dates need to be agreed before you commit to anything)
| a written and signed job offer in the mail, which, as @PatriciaShanahan says, you could sign and return.
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What are useful resources for helping map out a career change? I've been working on changing my career, taking classes and trying to get projects at work that are outside my normal responsibilities. I currently help new customers build implementation plans and run trainings, but have been getting my hands on projects involving data visualization, as well as taking math and programming classes. I'm interested in a variety of jobs where I get to work with data, and I have no desire to use my skills that involve interacting with people. Consider something like data analytics a good goal, though in reality I suspect there are several jobs I'd be happy with (hence the need for a broader resource). What I have trouble navigating are the types of jobs I could be considered qualified for now that, with several hops, can get me towards the jobs I eventually want. Also, for the sake of this question, assume anything internal to my current company is closed to me. My boss wants me on a much different career path than what I've chosen, and things turned a little hostile for a while when I turned him down. What are some vetted resources that will help me understand the progression of jobs needed to get into a specific career involving data visualization \ sciences? <Q> What are some vetted resources that will help me understand the progression of jobs needed to get into a specific career involving data visualization? <S> I would look at jobs in your area that are in line with your goals, using indeed.com or other online job resources, to analyze the job descriptions. <S> Then, see where you are missing the necessary skills, and then fill those skills with either education , certifications , or contributions to open source projects <S> you can point to in an interview and on a resume . <S> Recruiters can help you fill the gaps too. <S> FWIW <A> Question: <S> What are vetted resources that will help me understand the progression of jobs needed to get into a specific career? <S> You should be talking to headhunters and job placement people on what is available and what pieces you need to get to qualify. <S> Career fairs, college career advising, and so forth. <S> I'm not sure what "vetted" means in this situation, it's unclear where you're at <S> and it's also unclear that you know where you want to go <S> so you should be talking to multiple people for advice. <A> Hit the library, check out the hoary old classic " <S> What Color is your Parachute," and read it. <S> It has lots of general ideas about navigating a career change. <S> One of its ideas is systematically asking people about their jobs. <S> Find some people in your target field, ask them for a half-hour of time, and have a conversation about their field and how to get started in it. <S> You aren't asking for a job, you're asking for their wisdom. <S> There are plenty of self-paced online courses (Udacity, etc) you can use to get up to speed. <S> Some of the best are free. <S> All you need is a laptop and a net connection. <S> Don't discount your experience working with people. <S> It's the key to effective work in every imaginable field: certainly in data visualization. <S> After all, the most important component in a data-visualization rig is the person viewing the data. <S> Play up your people experience in your resume. <S> A couple of people where I work are in a very similar situation to yours. <S> If those people came to me (I'm a senior developer with responsibility for data) for advice, I would welcome it. <S> We'd grab lunch and talk it over. <S> Go for it.
| Ideally you'd talk to someone who is doing whatever you want (and it's not clear to me that you know that), and they would direct you to people who hire people like them.
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If forced to answer "yes" or "no" for having being fired when applying to job, what to do if you were unjustly fired? I was reminded of this question from How to answer "Have you ever been terminated?" Awhile ago I was fired for just cause. I still think it was unfair and was looking into legal actions, but decided it wouldn't be worth my time or money. The company I worked for fired many people for just cause It was in the news that the company was undergoing massive layoffs, and firing for just cause is cheaper because they don't have to pay severance When I asked why I was being fired I was only given "I had hung up on a customer and wasn't meeting expectations". I admit I did hangup but the customer was swearing at me and I reached my snapping point. I admit, if the expectation was I'm ok being sworn at, the job wasn't for me but I wish we had a frank talk before getting firing. Many job applications have a tick box for if you have been fired before. Since I can only answer yes or no, what should I do? I'm afraid it would be used as some sort of automatic filter where applicants who put "yes" are automatically disqualified. My ideas are: If it's a paper form put "yes" but beside it add some sort of note. This wouldn't work if it's a website. Put no but then if I get to an interview, bring it up and explain I put no but actually was fired for what I believe to be unjust reasons. <Q> Many job applications have a tick box for if you have been fired before. <S> Since I can only answer yes or no, what should I do? <S> I'm afraid it would be used as some sort of automatic filter where applicants who put "yes" are automatically disqualified. <S> My ideas are: If it's a paper form put "yes" but beside it add some sort of note. <S> This wouldn't work if it's a website. <S> Put no <S> but then if I get to an interview, bring it up and explain I put no but actually was fired for what I believe to be unjust reasons. <S> If your only choices are "Yes" and "No", then you must choose Yes, since you were indeed fired. <S> It's far better to admit you were fired than to be determined to be a liar. <S> If you can include comments or explanations on the application form, then explain more there. <S> But even there, tread carefully. <S> You admit to hanging up on a customer. <S> And while that feels unfair to you, it might not feel unfair to a potential employer who would worry that you would do the same while working for them. <S> Better would be to emphasize your strengths and perhaps discuss the widespread layoffs in which you were caught as part of your cover letter. <S> Many employers will not automatically disqualify someone who was fired before if they are otherwise qualified. <S> If you apply to such an employer, you'll have a chance to discuss the situation more fully. <S> Be prepared to talk about it. <A> If they are explicitly asking for a yes/no answer chances are if you tick yes <S> you will be either not considered for the job or investigated further (probably the former). <S> Either way if a company asks this it means it is important to them <S> and if you tick no they will probably try to find out if you are lying anyway. <S> Putting this question openly in an application is there to save everyone time. <S> I think the best option is to not bother applying at all to that particular job or tick the truthful answer and hope for the best. <A> Many job applications have a tick box for if you have been fired before. <S> Since I can only answer yes or no, what should I do? <S> If you are presented with a yes/no check-box, and you suspect the firing will come up on a background screen, it is better do as Joe Strazzere says and be truthful even though the firing was unjust. <S> But there's another angle to this that you can try: side-step the web-based application process entirely. <S> From the point of view of the employer, the entire point of web-based application forms is to cast a very wide net to capture as many potential candidates as possible and then to ruthlessly cull the numbers down to a few "perfectly" qualified candidates. <S> And yes, any deviations from what they're expecting will automatically disqualify you if the number of candidates is large enough. <S> But THAT (web-based application process) is NOT how most jobs are filled. <S> Most jobs are filled by referrals by professional or casual acquaintances. <S> Instead of throwing your resume into a web-based vat with hundreds of others, your chances are better if you can somehow make contact with the key people involved in hiring decisions. <S> If you make some form of human contact with the hiring manager, you won't be nearly as vulnerable to automatic exclusion because of something ridiculous. <A> Awhile ago I was fired for just cause. <S> I still think it was unfair <S> This is contradictory. <S> If it was indeed unfair, then it wasn't just cause. <S> A company claiming just cause is not the same thing as it being just cause. <S> Your possible responses depend on the exact wording. <S> If it just asks "Have you been fired?" <S> , that would is weirdly vague language. <S> If the wording is "Have you ever had your employment terminated for just cause?", and you honestly believed that your firing wasn't justified, then it would not be a lie to not check the box. <S> If the wording is "Has any company ever claimed just cause in terminating your employment?", then the honest thing to do is to check it, regardless of whether you think the firing was justified. <S> Frankly, the former wording is rather abusive, as it requires an applicant to either risk be branded a liar, or prejudice any action they take against their former employer (if they dispute the "for cause" designation after having checked the box, the former employer conceivably could use that as an admission). <S> I have to wonder about the legality of that. <S> Considering these issues, an option to consider would be to attach a note to the application along the lines of "Due to the possibility of ongoing legal action, I have declined to comment on whether my firing was for just cause".
| However, you need to be prepared for the possibility of negative consequences for doing so; if the company you are applying to becomes aware of the firing, they may consider you to have lied.
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Leaving short term roles out of job applications I worked for Arby’s for about 3 weeks and then applied for a job at IHOP. I got the job and I'm wondering whether it could come back to bite me that I left Arby’s off the application when I applied? Do keep in mind that I'm talking about the application, not my resume. Also, when running a background check can they see all jobs I’ve worked at previously? <Q> Your resume is yours. <S> While you need for it to be an honest description of work history and skills and qualifications, it is still YOUR sales pitch. <S> A useful analogy is when your spouse/partner asks you about your day. <S> If you start with your morning coffee and end with putting on your coat at the end of the day, well, that’s probably more than they really care to know. <S> They want highlights, and if we’re all being honest both they <S> and you want the highlights that cast you in a positive light (they chose you, remember). <S> By the same token, if you leave out that you had a lunch date with an ex, they might not take it well if they later discovered that omission. <S> So, put the stuff on there that matters and that sells you. <S> A three week stint is a waste of everybody’s time and effort, including mine when I’m trying to decide who to call for an interview. <A> The only people who can access that level of information about you (here in Australia) are people with access to your tax records. <S> Thats usually organizations like police, army, ASIO (our CIA) <S> etc. <S> I would assume the USA would have similar privacy laws. <S> I have jobs I leave off my resume where I was only there for a couple of months <S> and it wasn't a good fit. <S> No one ever questioned it. <S> I wouldn't sweat it. <A> People leave jobs off their resumes/applications all the time, for a variety of reasons. <S> They might have happened too long ago, they might be from an irrelevant industry, or they might be too insignificant to include, for example. <S> When I'm applying for software jobs I don't include the three month contract I had at the very beginning of my career (it's both too long ago and too insignificant) <S> and I don't include the 5 years I spent as a team leader in fast food places while I was at university (which are irrelevant to the industry <S> I'm working in, and came off my CV as soon as I had some real professional experience).
| A three week job could easily be considered too insignificant to include, and I doubt it'll cause you any trouble leaving it off.
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Should I point out my colleague's mistakes in this situation? Last week I was assigned a project by our manager. I started it and worked on it in between some priority work which came up. The project was stuck. So our manager and I decided to forward the project to my colleague who had completed his projects. He accepted the project and completed it. As it was my project, I reviewed it. I found some mistakes, so I pointed them out and asked him to correct them and a few other changes, even though he was already working on another project. He made those changes and I found more mistakes, so I shouted at him. Was I right to do that? Should I point out their mistakes in this situation or not? <Q> The problem isn't that you raised the mistakes with your colleague, but -how- you raised them. <S> You state that you "shouted", and "got hyper" with your colleague. <S> In a professional environment, shouting is rarely, if ever, appropriate. <S> Requiring multiple passes is not abnormal, and certainly does not justify yelling at your co-worker. <S> One other thing important to realize is: while you may have been assigned the work, the project is not "yours": it belongs to the company. <S> Any emotional investment you may have into the code in question is likely misplaced. <S> The moment your manager asked the other developer to help out, they became just as rightfully involved in the project as you. <S> Unless your manager has delegated authority to you, above the other developer, they are a -peer-, and should be treated as such. <A> No. <S> You were wrong. <S> In some cultures such behavior may be more acceptable than in others. <S> Even if my American sensibilities don't fit where you are, fear and intimidation rarely work as well in the long run than as pride and ownership. <S> This person may try harder to not draw your wrath, but they will forever be less likely to respect you or help you willingly. <S> You just made any excuse they can find to avoid you more attractive. <S> And if they see you are about to make a mistake, I doubt they're going to lift a finger to avoid it. <S> If I had done the same, I would be apologizing for my behavior. <S> This doesn't mean you can't address issues or that you cannot be direct in doing so. <S> But attacking someone is not the way. <A> This is very concerning considering that you do not know that shouting is unacceptable in the workplace. <S> Let me ask you this: How does shouting produce productivity in someone? <S> That was definitely not OK because you don't know how to keep your emotions in check. <S> Not only have you hurt that person by embarrassing them, but you've made yourself look unstable and difficult to work with. <S> To answer your question: There is nothing wrong with pointing out mistakes to a peer. <S> As peers, you are supposed to help each other to get the project/work completed to your manager's standards. <S> If I were you, I would frame it as, "How can I help this person to minimize the mistakes the next time?" <S> This person has every right to be there just like you do. <S> This person has feelings, a family, friends, just like you do. <S> You need to apologize. <A> No, code reviews are a standard software development process. <S> If a bug is caught during code review it is definitely not a case for shouting and also not for the manager. <S> If you want bug-free code, do the following: <S> write tests ( <S> in extreme cases: test driven development) <S> give coding guidelines <S> do reviews without shouting communicate to the manager about peoples performance only when being asked by the manager (i.e. when problems in the project become or will become apparent to the customer/manager. <S> Shouting and running to the manager leads to a messed up up culture of dealing with mistakes. <S> People will be more busy to cover their ass and at some point shouting back than fixing the bugs, and in the end the code will be worse, since people will not like to be part of that process.
| You are in no position to look down on them in the form of an emotional outburst. In general, when providing feedback, one should focus on objective facts, without emotional response to them: code review is not emotional, it's factual. You should reflect, truthfully, on how you communicated with your colleague, and consider, perhaps, apologizing.
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Good gift/thank-you for Human Resources? I have a great HR department. They really do a nice job. For example, they recently set us up with a pre-tax benefit that put about $1000 in my pocket. What's a good way to thank them? <Q> I agree with the comments that a gift is not really necessary. <S> But if you insist, I would suggest two guidelines for selection. <S> First, it should be something that can be enjoyed in the office by most or all of the workers. <S> Don't buy something that will be enjoyed by only one or two workers. <S> Second, it should be quite inexpensive. <S> Less than an hour's wages even. <S> You don't want to appear to be bribing them! <S> A snack tray (such as crackers, cheese and fruits) or a potted plant both fit the bill and in my experience tend to be well-appreciated. <A> For things like your example, where it was something done by the department as a whole, Joe Strazzere's advice of a thank you email CC'ed to the CEO works. <S> If your company has any official channels for giving this kind of feedback, use those as well. <S> For example, employee engagement surveys usually ask about how you feel about your benefits. <S> CC'ed is best. <S> If HR sends out surveys asking how they did helping you, fill those out too. <S> The best thank you is making sure someone's boss aware of their good work. <A> What's a good way to thank them? <S> Keep it simple. <S> Say "thank you, <S> you did great!" <S> Do it in a way that your manager and their manager hears your thanks. <S> And, try to make saying "thanks" a routine part of your work. <S> When they do something big for you personally -- like find an excellent employee for your department in a short time, or help you (heaven forbid) get rid of a bad employee <S> -- that's the time for more personal thanks, like flowers or a basket of fruit for them to enjoy.
| For things where a specific employee helped you with an issue, like someone helping you with leave forms, a thank you email to that employee with their manager Don't buy something they take home.
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How do I answer questions regarding relocation I'm applying for a remote position and it's out of state. I need advice on how to answer the question "Why not relocate". I want to be honest but just don't know how to phrase it. I work remotely because I am disabled and it is hard for me to get around. I have kids in high school here and they only have a few years until they graduate. The job is in Texas and I live in California. <Q> Just say "I've established my family in California and don't want to uproot them." <S> Wanting to work remote because of <S> kids is a very common reason. <A> I have the below line on the very top of all of my public profiles in various wording, which I've been told by experienced recruiters will cut down but not completely eliminate people contacting me about jobs elsewhere, as there are a ton of recruiters that are just plain sloppy and will spam people anyways. <S> Good luck. <S> *** Please read before sending me messages and connection requests Please do not send me messages for contracts or employment outside of the Twin Cities of Minnesota area or that cannot be done at least 95% remotely. <S> Also I do not work with out of state agencies or blind connect to IT recruiters that have not performed basic research regarding my skillsets and employment opportunities. <S> Thanks in advance. <A> What is wrong with second reason being your main one? <S> IMHO, it should be sufficient for any employer <A> I want to be honest but just don't know how to phrase it. <S> Most of the time, being honest comes with the advantage of simply speaking your mind, <S> no need to "think" how to put your words together. <S> I'd like to say two points here: <S> If you're applying for a remote position, there's very less chance they will actually ask you for a reallocation. <S> Unless they were sure of the roles and OK with working remote - they would not have advertised. <S> I don't know why anyone would want the employee to relocate if the position was advertised as remote. <S> Even if anyone ask, you can clearly mention: <S> I have my family settled down in my current location, thanks. <S> or. <S> I have my personal things to be taken care of, which will be impossible if I move out, thanks. <S> You don't have to give them any reason or details.
| Really you shouldn't have to explain why you don't want to relocate.
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Co-worker has annoying ringtone There is a co-worker who has this annoying ringtone of "In the end - Linkin park" and gets about 10 to 15 calls every day. Every time his phone rings I get really annoyed. I feel like I should tell him to keep his phone on vibrate mode but he is new and employed via a third party recruiter. Should I tell him his song or whatever he has set it is disturbing and annoying? I am not sure how should I ask him since he is very new and other people don't seem to have any issues with it so far and he is employee of a third party working at our office for a project. I am not sure how long he is going to be here. Not a dupe of the question as Mr. mcknz have suggested. Since this is about annoying ringtone and not loud person. <Q> Should I tell him his song or whatever he has set it is disturbing and annoying? <S> Yes, you should. <S> No need to mention anything specific on the choice of song - just mention that the volume of the ringtone is affecting your concentration at work. <S> Ask him gently to use the phone in a way that does not create distraction and annoyance to other co-workers. <S> I am not sure how should I ask him since he is very new[...] <S> So help him learn the workplace culture by guiding him to the right path. <S> and other people don't seem to have any issues with it so far [...] <S> You got a problem, you speak up, don't expect others to do your job for you. <S> and he is employee of a third party working at our office for a project. <S> Non-issue. <S> I am not sure how long he is going to be here. <S> Also a non-issue. <S> Think of it this way, by letting them know what is right / expected of them, you're setting them off in a right path at the beginning of their career. <S> This will help them in future - so you're being and doing good to them. <A> Ask friendly and non-confrontational. <S> "Hey, would you mind setting your phone on silent in the office? <S> We all do this <S> so we don't distract other people when we get a call. <S> Thanks much <S> , I appreciate it. " <A> Put the burden on yourself and act as though they're doing you a favor. <S> (At the end of the day, they are. <S> It's not a difficult favor, and one that you'd expect people to be happy to perform, but it's still a favor.) <S> Hey, I'm sorry <S> but I get easily distracted and irritated at musical ringtones. <S> I'm sorry, but would it be too much trouble for you to swap to a plainer ringtone? <S> I'd be doing me a big favor! <S> Thanks! <S> This works because it will not put them on the defensive by implying they're doing something wrong, and asking nicely is both easier for you to do, and more likely to get a positive reaction. <S> EDIT: <S> For clarity, because of comments this generated - when solving interpersonal conflicts: Accept that it doesn't matter whose right or not, especially when there's no third party arbitrator. <S> They think they're justified. <S> You think you're justified. <S> Nothing will ever change that. <S> Assume noble intent. <S> Most of the time, most people are trying their best to live their own life as politely and conflict-free as possible. <S> Most people are also oblivious jackasses. <S> (This includes you, the reader, and me, the author) <S> If you just make people away that they're failing in their own pursuit of politeness, they will adjust their behavior accordingly, usually. <A> Since we already have some excellent practical answers here (all +1'd)... <S> [The following is satire] <S> When they're not looking change their ring tone to 'It's a BarbieWorld', or something equally annoying and opposite of Linkin Park. <S> Relocate their phone to one of the restrooms. <S> If that doens't have the desired effect try the break room freezer. <S> Say out loud 'You know, any code written while listening to LinkinPark must look like it was written by a cheetah with ADHD on <S> Meth' You and your buddies get ringtones of Barney (The Big PurpleDinosaur), and play them all at once whenever his ringtone goes off. <S> The next time your company's Fantasy {insert favorite sport here}comes around, participate and name your team 'Linkin Park {insertoffensive term(s) here}'. <S> The next time you're at your desk and on a conference call put it onspeakerphone. <S> LOUD. <S> Even better if multiple people in the same areaare on the same call. <S> Trust me on this one. <S> Enjoy. <A> can, for instance, suggest to disallow any (sound-based) ring-tones for (private) phones in general in the office to improve the general work atmosphere with respect to distraction and noise level. <S> In all the offices I've worked so far that rule was already in place explicitly or implicitly. <S> This way, your colleague will not feel singled out for his particular ring-tone and you have a commonly agreed-upon rule you can point out to anyone using distracting ring-tones in the future. <S> Whether to restrict such a rule to private or also company phones will have to depend on how noisy your office in general is, how well one can rely on vibration alarms and how reachable everyone needs to be.
| If you don't want to single out this particular co-worker due to his particular ring-tone, address the issue in general form on the team level .You
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Is it okay to work on personal projects outside of work? Okay, I have looked for a solution to my specific problem but have only found solutions for working on personal projects at work or on sick days - which is not lining up with my problem. I'm a junior developer, recently finished school about a year ago. I am now working full time as a junior developer at a small company. This is my second FT dev job after college. Side note: Prior to working here, I worked at a previous company that was not a good fit at all (i.e. they'd send me emails at 7pm on a Friday night and ask me to get the job done by Sunday night which I was not happy with) and management let me go. During the last couple years, I have spent a great amount of time developing a personal portfolio - building websites, features, and open-source libraries (gems) for learning purposes and to use it as a discussion point in CV and at interviews. This has quite entirely worked to my advantage as it has strengthened my skills and gives me something to talk about in my CVs and interviews. Since starting work here, I have (on my own time!) been actively developing projects outside of work to keep my skills up in that language and framework (Ruby and Ruby on Rails). My company uses an entirely different framework and language (Qt and C++). Moreover, my personal projects are in regards to personal interests like recipes, color schemes, the Bible, skateboarding, learning how to use Vim etc. All of my git repos are public and I only work on these projects after working hours are over (i.e. when I'm at home and not working). At the company where I wasn't a good fit, they would always inquire as to what I did last night or over the weekend. And of course, since I believe honesty is the best policy, I would tell them that I worked on my personal projects because they said when I first started working there that it would be entirely okay to keep developing personal projects on my own time. I soon found out that they didn't like that at all and was basically told to keep my mouth shut. And they'd continue to ask me what I did over the weekend or the night before...which I just started having to lie or keep my responses vague. In a nut shell, the senior devs gave me the impression that personal projects on my own time was definitely not okay. However, I am at an entirely new company and I'm still continuing to strengthen my skills with my personal projects outside of work. My question is, is it okay to continue to develop personal projects outside of work? I only wish to keep my skills in this one framework up because (a) I've been working on personal projects in this framework/language for 3.5 years now and (b) I really like to program in my spare time EDIT: Nobody at my current company asks about my personal life and of course I'm not just going to tell others that I've been programming outside of work because I feel that that's not the right thing to do. <Q> There are a few conditions which must be met for this to be no problem: <S> This should not affect your professional performance. <S> If it becomes clear that you are tired and unfocused in the morning because you are doing GitHub commits at 3:30am the night before, then it is a problem. <S> You should not use any proprietary knowledge from your work at your employer (i.e. rewriting a company-specific algorithm in another programming language) <S> Your contract should not have an "all code written belongs to us" clause, in which case you should consult a lawyer about the scope of the clause. <A> You are educating yourself and it doesn't cost your employer anything. <S> I would say that the caveat is that you cant let the work you are being paid for slip; that is when it becomes a problem. <S> The other thing worth mentioning: while a company can't own your education per se, it can write an employment contract that says it owns the work that you do while you are employed by them. <S> So, if by chance, your side projects make money, they might come back and claim the profits. <A> Do anything you want on personal projects outside work hours <S> Note that that means PERSONAL. <S> Simply don't work on other paid work outside of hours. <S> It's just not worth the hassle; set it aside. <S> Your first company were utter idiots. <S> Forget it ever happened. <S> Aside: regarding that first company, you should have LEFT THEM the first time they idiotically asked you to do something outside of hours! <S> Now you know! <S> Aside - as a couple folks have mentioned: of course - obviously, duh - you cannot use any intellectual property from your workplace, in your personal stuff. <A> You most likely signed some intellectual property and confidentiality agreement when you started at this new company. <S> Read it carefully and follow it. <S> No doubt it covers your question. <S> That being said, many companies ask for Github links when you ask for a job. <S> Side projects and experimentation are considered good at many workplaces. <S> Your first job was not the norm. <S> (I sometime psychoanalyze people I've never met: a bad habit. <S> Still: I suspect some big shot at your old company was personally threatened by the existence of your side projects and wanted to prevent you from working on them.) <S> Suggestion: over lunch or coffee ask some co-workers, "what do you do in your spare time? <S> " Maybe somebody will tell you about a Github repo, and then you can talk about yours.
| You should not write anything which competes directly with products you work on for your employer (conflict of interest) In my experience, it has been perfectly OK, encouraged even, to work on other projects in your personal time.
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When do I bring up unwelcome news? In the past I tended to break unwelcome news when I was expecting attendees to be least stressed & most likely to have time to discuss about immediate concerns - staying clear of any special occasions & Mondays. I suspect this was just me being selfish, avoiding any immediate backlash. Current example: A few IT tasks are going to be outsourced (reducing my workload, which could affect for how it is received). Non-gradual change is unavoidable, definitely disruptive to the workflow of at least 4 colleagues. I am planning to have a small meeting in which I take blame and train them to setup & use replaced/changed software. So far, most of my technical communication happens outside of formal non-technical meetings. So without further consideration, I would have had that conversation at short notice at the first suitable opportunity after some days off from Easter holiday, during some otherwise uneventful evening. I would like to improve my communication in this regard. My obvious goal is maintaining a healthy relationship with everyone on the long term. I may suspect I am doing something badly.. but what kind of factors should I even consider when choosing the right occasion for such conversations with colleagues ? (I understand is not quite the same with superiors ) <Q> Use the "anti-news" pattern. <S> Simply alert everyone to everything at all times, as the information develops . <S> The concept of "news" is that there is something you didn't know and now - like a small child - you are "being told". <S> Simply ensure there is no "news" for all stakeholders. <S> Surprises (even good ones) are not professional and not team-spirited. <S> You're planning a "special conversation" after Easter: at all times and in all circumstances, teams hate "special conversations" ( <S> indeed even if it's good news) because that is the very definition of being in a child-like, information-poor role, instead of being an integrated stakeholder. <S> Consider open-source software. <S> The "anti-news" pattern is much like open-source software. <S> There is zero "hiding," everyone is a stakeholder, thee ae no "child-like" information relationships. <S> In the specific example at hand: A week ago (or, whenever this information first came to hand, or whenever you even slightly contemplated it as the architect) you would just openly say to everyone <S> "Hmm, looks like we might have to change to Firebase". <S> Surprises == non-existent. <S> Do this immediately and instantly, specifically NOT "calling a meeting" or a similar "announcement" structure. <S> A great communications "trick" is very simply described: always ask questions as part of your communication. <S> ("Jane, looks like we might have to change to Firebase. <S> What would you do on that?" <S> "Biff, seems Firebase may be the way to go - your thoughts?" <S> and so on.) <S> Since you did not tell them yet, first thing when you're back at work just send a casual email to everyone, "Looks like we'll have to use Firebase for the module, anyone about this yet? <S> " or if you're all in physical range just walk over to the sofas and say that. <S> Good luck with Firebase! <S> :) <A> If it truly is a game changer, a special meeting is probably appropriate. <S> If it's just realigning your workflow and scope a little, I'd put it in a normal meeting and make sure you don't make a bigger deal of it than it is. <S> That said, it's a natural inclination to drop bombs and then hide behind a weekend, larger news, etc. <S> Don't. <S> Your job is to communicate, and that isn't just talking at people. <S> It needs to travel both directions. <S> I'd suggest a Monday. <S> This facilitates: <S> Giving opportunity for the news to sink in and percolate while being available to answer questions and discuss details throughout the work week, minimizing opportunity for them to spin too far out of control. <S> Showing right away that, for the time being at least, it's still business as usual and you still have a job to do and that you guys are going to figure this out and work through it together. <S> The uncomfortable conversations are ... uncomfortable. <S> What a fantastic opportunity for growth for you and your team. <S> It's not going to be fun, but it is important and it's a marker for how high you'll allow your ceiling to be. <S> Good luck! <A> It depends. <S> On the news, the schedule, your colleagues, the impact, the probability... all sorts of things. <S> Generally, the sooner the better. <S> Avoid the risk of someone spending three days working on something, only to find it was pointless because of your news <S> but you decided to wait until they were less stressed. <S> Don't jump the gun. <S> Even if you find out something early, if it's not certain yet, it's probably best to say nothing. <S> Prefer signal to noise. <S> A valuable skill is being able to judge what others might need to know. <S> They probably don't need to know everything, and most people wouldn't be able to cope with the information overload of everyone telling everyone everything if it was tried. <S> Just be careful not to leave someone screwed because they were lacking vital information. <S> Getting the balance right is an artform. <S> Consider regular updates. <S> In software development for example, in Scrum, there are daily stand-up meetings where you can mention "blocking issues" to the team; or this kind of news might be more suitable for the retrospective or Sprint planning sessions, which are normally roughly every couple of weeks. <S> If you're not using that process, it might still be worth setting aside a regular time slot with your colleagues to explain the state of play and share this kind of news. <S> If you are a manager or have some other leadership position, regular one-to-ones with your staff will also often be useful for things like this. <S> Use your judgement. <S> Any and all of the above might vary depending on the news and the people. <S> (Some people might want to know everything at all times. <S> Others might want to be left alone until they have no choice but to avoid it). <S> There is no universally applicable rule.
| Giving colleagues an opportunity to discuss among themselves in a positive atmosphere where you're available to monitor mood and be there to address concerns, encouraging productive dialogue and setting them straight or at least back on task when appropriate. Spread the word straight away as it happens. Don't "break news". Everyone at all times and in all circumstances hates "news" . I think this depends a little bit on just how disruptive this news is.
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How to make sure my company does not own things which I created outside of work? I'm currently working third year in company that produces electronics devices (from design to end product), I'm not involved in designing, I'm just assembling them. My hobby is electronics, I don't sell anything, just do this for myself and I usually publish full documentation on the Internet. I unsure if I signed some documents about company owning stuff I create outside of work, but I can't find anything like this in documents that I have.What is the best way to resolve this? I'm living and working in Poland. <Q> If you can't remember what you signed, ask your manager: <S> I have some hobby electronics ideas I want to work on at home, on my own time, with my own equipment. <S> That's not a problem, is it? <S> I don't want to sell them, just put the documentation on the internet. <S> Of course, none of our designs or plans are included in this; it's things I'm working on myself. <S> That's ok, right? <S> [If you were doing this before you got hired, you can mention that, and even describe an example of one you did before you were hired. <S> But don't give out the URL because that will quickly lead to them discovering you've been doing this all along.] <S> Thing is, if your boss says, no, it's not ok, what will you do then? <S> Because it might not be ok. <A> This contract, in the US anyway, is called an "Intellectual Property and Confidentiality Agreement" or something like that. <S> When you're signing stuff on your first day on the job, they put this one before you and ask you to sign it. <S> It's possible that they don't ask assembly workers to sign these things. <S> They definitely ask engineers to sign these things. <S> It's a big deal to the company. <S> They probably would remind you to sign it if you didn't. <S> Go read it. <S> It may cover anything you invent or develop on company time and/or using company resources (computers, lab equipment). <S> It may cover anything you invent or develop in the company's field of business while you are employed by them. <S> It may mention how to work out exceptions. <S> You will find the rules spelled out clearly. <S> Most companies encourage creativity in their employees, so don't be afraid of having them find out about your personal projects. <A> It is a little difficult to see OP's main concern in the question <S> but I feel like I can make a suggestion or two. <S> Everyone reading this should have a pretty intimate knowledge of their employment contract at all times. <S> With a few exceptions, what is written on the paper you signed is all that matters in these situations. <S> Im not familiar with the culture in Poland <S> but, if it were my company, the assembly line employees would be under the same kind of IP clauses as the engineers. <S> You never know who could put a proprietary component in their pocket and walk it to the competition. <S> Also, while I applaud the open sourcing of the things you learn in your hobby, I would suggest extreme caution. <S> "Check out this neat trick I learned at work" on a YouTube channel could have you blindsided with a revealing secrets lawsuit years later (extreme example).
| If you kept a copy of everything you signed, this will be in your file.
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Providing direct feedback to a product salesperson I work in tech in a decision making capacity on an Analytics team, and have just moved positions in the last couple of months. In my former role, I inherited a team using a data analysis product, well known in our field, that seemed well suited to the needs of the organization from a reporting / analysis standpoint. However, our experience with the product was not good, support was lacking, the product itself was expensive, and new features the product released seemed like they were taking the organization in a direction that would not make it any more useful for us. The software would periodically ask for feedback on how we were using it, and whether we'd recommend it to peers. I took every opportunity to provide a low rating and some reasoning each time I was asked, but didn't specifically speak to our representative due to being busy with other tasks. The product still worked technically for our use case and it didn't seem worth creating an issue based on our frustrations with the product. There were bigger fish to fry. Now, in my new role, a salesperson for the same product has found me on a networking site. They know my former role and that we were customers, and have reached out to ask me to set up a meeting with my new employer. I am in a position to recommend new software and solutions in my new role, but obviously I'm not at all interested in recommending this product to my current employer. We already have a suite of data analysis tools, which, while not perfect either, are an improvement over the product on offer. Now, here's my dilemma. I've been bugged in many roles by persistent salespeople who want to get a conversation started. I don't blame them, although I find it distracting and would prefer to avoid having multiple conversations to convince them I'm not interested. In this case, I can supply a laundry list of reasons why I was dissatisfied with their offering in my former role, and I feel like it would be quicker to just explain that my prior experience was not a good one, and that I would not under any circumstance recommend their product, rather than remaining vague and giving my usual answer (something along the lines of "we already have a satisfactory platform implemented", which doesn't sit well with salespeople who want to convince me their product is superior). Is there any reason why I should avoid being honest and explaining that I'm a dissatisfied customer? I don't think it reflects poorly on my current or previous employer, and I'm not speaking for anyone who would like to consider new products in this area as it's ultimately my decision, but I paused on the send button and want to make sure I'm not about to make a mistake. <Q> Is there any reason why I should avoid being honest and explaining that I'm a dissatisfied customer? <S> Yes. <S> It invites a back-and-forth discussion that takes too long. <S> You take a risk whenever you communicate with an outside party. <S> Unless you are the owner of the company, it's safer to ask for permission to send feedback in the first place. <S> Assuming you asked for and received permission, which takes time, you now have to send a reply to the salesperson. <S> You are now a lead. <S> The salesperson will have an answer for every objection you have. <S> The problems you saw were fixed in the latest version. <S> They have fired all of those terrible customer service reps. <S> They have hired a new team of software developers that know exactly what you need. <S> Salespeople are rarely interested in feedback -- they have one goal, which is to sell their product. <S> It's their job to generate orders, even if the product has weaknesses (most do). <S> It's not like if you tell them the product's problems they won't sell it anymore. <S> The company has other teams devoted to user feedback. <S> Don't try to serve as their quality control for free. <S> By providing feedback you are almost implicitly saying "If you fix all these problems I will buy your product." <S> Which is probably not the case. <S> By providing feedback you are also implicitly asking them to give you updates when the product changes. <S> Simply saying "no thank you" -- or not replying at all -- <S> requires no explanation or further action, and lets you carry on doing your more important work. <S> And it's not dishonest. <A> You can be completely honest without engaging with the salesperson beyond a "to the point" email. <S> "We already have a satisfactory platform implemented. <S> We're not interested in looking at anything else at this time or in having any further conversations. <S> Thanks for reaching out to me." <S> Then simply delete any further email communication from this salesperson. <S> If they call you simply let it go to voicemail and then delete the message. <A> Whether it's worth to talk with the salesperson depends on what you can gain with such a conversation. <S> You don't want to buy the product <S> the sales representative wants to sell you and even if you would need another data analysis tool, you are sure you don't want this one. <S> That leaves you with basically two main possible motivations: you either want to let off some steam about your bad experiences with the tool or you want to provide some constructive feedback. <S> Letting off steam brings you nowhere. <S> So this would be a waste of your and your employers time. <S> If you want to provide some constructive feedback a salesperson might not be the right person to talk to, but on the other hand, depending on their internal structure, sales might regularily provide feedback to the product team about customer opinion. <S> If you are truly interested in improving the product with the hope it might be more viable later, you can contact the salesperson and make very clear that you are not interested in buying the product but that you would be willing to give some feedback about it. <S> If he's still interested to meet (or to send some other person to take your feedback), you can have a meeting. <S> If you have the impression that he agrees to meet just to use it to get a foot in the door, don't do it. <S> If you're in doubt about his intentions, it's probably not worth your time either.
| Even if your comments are negative, the fact that you reply at all creates an opening for the salesperson. You're under no obligation to provide any explanation as to why you're not interested.
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Interviewing with little intention to take the job Before I begin, I don't think this is a duplicate of either of these questions, because the scenario is slightly different: Should I go to an interview I don't intend to accept the job (if offered)? Is it a good idea to take part in a transfer interview if I have no intention of accepting the job? My scenario is different because I DO intend to take a new job at some point, and not an internal transfer. Here's a bit more context: I'm unhappy in my current role. They don't give me enough work to do (it's been over three weeks since I've had an assignment to work on), and the new manager is less than stellar since the old one quit. In addition, I recently completed a master's degree in a related field, and they refused my request for a raise. (They also did not pay for the degree--there was no tuition reimbursement). As a result, I've started applying to other jobs. I've applied to several that don't exactly meet my criteria for what I'm looking to do in the process. I would consider taking these positions if the offer was right. However, I don't anticipate either of the offers being in line with what I would want if I were to do the job. Should I continue with the interview process and see if these positions offer me what I would require if I was going to accept? <Q> An interview is a two way process. <S> Not only is the company interviewing and gathering information about yourself <S> but it is also an opportunity for you to interview the company. <S> What you should not do, however, is apply to or attend interviews for positions that you knowingly have absolutely no interest in. <S> Doing so is simply wasting the company's and your own time. <A> I don't think there's a hard and fast rule for how to behave in your situation, and arguably, it depends on your intent. <S> Your question was, <S> Should I continue with the interview process and see if these positions offer me what I would require if I was going to accept? <S> Based on your text, it sounds like there's at least a chance of these jobs working out, and that chance depends on information you don't currently have. <S> It's hard to tell if you're referring to compensation, benefits, type of work you'd be assigned, or some other detail - but it's important to note that interviews are meant to allow two parties to sufficiently understand each other well enough to make an employment decision. <S> Both the candidate and the employer have things that they're unsure about - the hiring process, but specifically the interview, is designed to make things clear, and remove doubt or hesitation. <S> So - if you're applying for these jobs and you're thinking to yourself, gosh, I wish I knew X, because then I'd know if I would be happy in this job - then, yes, you should continue until you know enough to determine if you're actually interested or not. <S> But, if your hesitation is more along the lines of, I already know X, and I'm unhappy about it, and would never take a job that had X <S> then you should probably stop, in order to prevent wasting anyone's time. <A> Yes, go to as many interviews as you can handle. <S> You don't have to answer to anyone other than yourself and your own motivation. <S> Similarly the company is under no obligation to hire you or anyone else. <S> If the job has some interesting feature, go ahead, it doesn't hurt to talk. <S> Moreover, it is very common for employers to make accomodations for candidates they find particularly interesting. <S> The job description is just a guide. <S> Your job will start changing the day you start working. <S> By the same token, the job may also change (because of your candidacy) before you even accept. <S> You won't know unless you put yourself before them. <S> Even if the interview is just practice for talking to professionals in a particular domain, that is also just fine.
| By all means continue the interview process if you are simply unsure about those specific companies and find out if these positions offer what you would like. As long as you're diplomatic with your rejection, it's fair game.
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How would you suggest I follow up with coworkers about our deadline that's today? I'm coordinating an application that an organization I work with will be sending in. There are a few applicants. I've been trying to collect materials over the past few days, but have been getting spotty responses; I recruited a new person just yesterday, and now the deadline's today. I myself am quite nervous, and don't want to project that anxiety onto everybody else. That said, I need to submit this application if we want a chance at the opportunity, but I don't have all the information I need from everybody in order to do so. How would you suggest I follow up with people to make sure we can get this application in? I have sent an email and a text message; I am now waiting on two replies. Please let me know of any strategies you've used to coordinate people on a tight deadline — while being respectful of their time as well! <Q> The strategy I see most often in my line of work (IT), is a bridge call. <S> If there is a management structure where any of the above may need expediting with approvals from someone higher up, reach out to them first. <S> Get their follow-up assistance, and, if needed, agreement to be present on the call to re-iterate the priority. <S> Most important (after the immediate issue is addressed): try to review the processes that led to the last minute scramble, and do your best to improve the workflow for next time. <A> You should have started a week earlier. <S> Then follow up every day. <S> Three days before your deadline you need to switch to phonecalls or personal visits. <A> IM and walking to their desk (if collocated) tend to be more immediate methods. <S> Many of us try to steer clear of emailing followed directly by more methods but given the time constraint you have a reason. <S> "Sorry to pester you over multiple methods, but this is very time-sensitive..." <S> Work with your boss and or theirs, probably bypassing slower methods if it truly is today you need this out. <S> Briefly lay out to them that this is time sensitive and apologize for the urgency. <S> It may raise questions of why are we only now hearing of this. <S> Whether the opportunity just came up or it was someone's fault, try to save that conversation for tomorrow. <S> The key focus for everyone's sake is to not let this opportunity slide by whilst they bicker over what should have happened.
| Schedule a call with everyone who's critical to this deliverable and hash out everything, including: who needs to provide what when they need to provide it (give yourself enough time to compile and submit) any blockers to the above It's probably too late now, but the situation seems to be that you have a deadline (and submitting applications is one of the few situations where you have actual deadlines), and your friendly colleagues are no help because it doesn't affect them. Send out what you need to everyone, and emphasise the importance of that work, and there is a deadline of three days before the application must be finished.
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