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Why do I feel like I'm working very hard yet feel very unproductive? I'm a software developer and think myself very fortunate as I really enjoy writing code and learning about it and feel confident in my abilities. When I finish what I wanted to do for the day I feel fantastic and end the day on a high. However I often feel very stressed at my job as most the time I'll finish the day and feel very unproductive despite working very hard and I'm paranoid that my colleagues think I'm sitting around all day doing nothing as I often fail to deliver my work on time. I generally see myself as being a bit slow and would like to remedy either my perception of feeling slow or the reality whichever it may be so I can feel less stressed and enjoy my work more. Why I feel like I’m slow I rarely get what I aimed to do during the day done I rarely finish my story for the sprint I’ve less lines of code committed on my repo than most my colleagues A colleague once told me I have a habit of going out of scope and being a bit slow, although generally I'm a bit paranoid others think it too. What I've done to try and remedy feeling unproductive Implemented GTD via Evernote Use the Pomodoro technique every day Come in earlier and skip mid-day coffee breaks Learnt to touch type Learnt shortcuts for every tool I use Use Qbserve to track everything I do on my computer Use StayFocused to block all sites non work related within working hours Set Do Not Disturb mode on my phone between 9-5 Example day For the purpose of identifying where I'm going wrong for this post and for asking for help in general I've combed through my emails, Qbserve, commit and chat history to identify what I did on a day when I felt absolutely terrible when I left work yet felt exhausted from working hard. (feel free to skip this it's long) What I wanted to do that day (I finished neither of these things) Adjust my current code so one of the arrays keeps weak references to its elements using existing class in another of my companies frameworks Create spreadsheet of expenses and send it to HR Log of what I actually did Done a review of what I need to get done during the day and when I’ll do it. Attended sprint planning Looked at existing code in other framework I wanted to use to see if it’s suitable Looked online for other patterns that may be neater Looked at where it’s currently used and determined it would be too much work to transplant this. Converted array I was working with to a Set Wrote an email to our architect to check what framework Moving a duplicated class from one app and one framework in to another framework, unifying the functionality and adjusting the import Researched if there was a way to move this class without losing it’s git history Went through emails Messaged HR about my stock options which appeared to have evaporated Moved code to another prototype framework at architects request Tried to debug why code wouldn’t build and identified it was likely the new framework to blame Discussed problem with Architect Moved class back to the original framework I moved it to and adjusted code again so it would work there Reviewed stories to be groomed prior to backlog meeting Attended backlog grooming meeting Manually tested if current code works Researching if there’s a way to reverse popping a git stash Abandoned reversing the pop and fixed the conflicts between my uncommitted changes and stash Fixing a test that was already broke in a prototype framework I needed to move my code too. Moving all the framework I’m working on and the app that uses it to master to test if a bug I found is my doing Looking up the right person to contact about the bug in production Creating screenshots and a guide on how to reproduce the problem then emailing it. Partially went over a PR a colleague had done for me containing tests for some of the code I’m modifying and determined I’d need a longer look Attempted to remove what I thought was an unnecessary protocol Attempted to debug code, looked up problem and realised protocol was necessary Integrated new class in to my existing code Reversed array back to an array after realizing I’d need to modify the Weak array to be hashable and didn’t have time. Attempted to find clean way to automatically review nil references from array periodically and implemented it Wrote prints and placed breakpoints to attempt to see whether the array removed the weak references when deallocated but the app I was testing on would never use them. Attempted to build another one of our apps that would be a better test but it wouldn’t build and gave up. Reviewed my branch prior to creating a PR Updated documentation Wrote a list of improvements for the branch to do tomorrow morning Total time spent on every website or application I spent longer than 5 minutes on <Q> As stated in the question, it could be that you are slow, or it could be that you perceive yourself as slow, when you really aren't. <S> I'm going to address the second option. <S> For instance, assume that you correctly estimate that a task will require 5 days of development - <S> that doesn't mean you will be able to deliver it in 5 days. <S> You need to account for reviews, planning, meetings, writing emails, updating documentation, merging code, testing, helping others, etc. <S> Depending on the developer, and the team, this might easily double, or more, the amount of time required to deliver it. <S> Then there is the question even of your initial estimate <S> - did that 5 day estimate assume that your first design or approach was correct and that you wouldn't need to redo things? <S> Did it assume that there would be no tricky bugs that might take significant time to solve? <S> Did it assume that you completely understood the task, and that you wouldn't need to spend anytime making sense of a poorly written spec or documentation? <S> Try to see if the issue is with your estimates, rather than your speed, and if so, start working on improving the accuracy of those estimates. <A> It's counterintuitive, but just because you're doing things it doesn't mean you're being productive. <S> Being productive implies you're making progress towards some goal. <S> The activities you've listed don't really align with one clear goal. <S> A colleague once told me I have a habit of going out of scope and being a bit slow, although generally I'm a bit paranoid <S> others think it too. <S> Certainly as developers we may see other things that may be nice to do like refactoring some code, adding more comments, etc. <S> If you can do some of those things without increasing the scope of your ticket too dramatically, then you should consider them. <S> Otherwise, you should note them either for yourself or add tickets to your team backlog to come back fix them. <S> But the point here is to try to keep your activities aligned with a single goal. <A> I think there might be three issues at play here. <S> There is something to be said about the fractal nature of software development itself. <S> By fractal nature, I mean that the more you zoom in on a particular problem, the bigger the problem actually becomes. <S> And that part isn't your fault, it's just the nature of the problem space itself. <S> See the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coastline_paradox <S> One other issue is your perfectionism. <S> And the last issue may be that your coworkers may just be better at putting off work that they just found out about, until it gets formally reassigned through a planning/grooming meeting either to them or to someone else.
| You might want to work on refining your estimating skills - to get better at estimating both how much effort something requires AND how much effort you can actually get done in a work day. One reason you can perceive yourself to be slow is if you are not accurately estimating how much time something can take: if you think something is going to take 5 time units, and it ends up taking 13, you might feel like you are very slow compared to the estimate, but it quite possible that the estimate was wrong, and that you weren't slow at all. When you get distracted leave yourself note to look at it after you are done with the current task.
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What do you tell an employee that is having contact with a former employee regarding communications about company business? We had a termination/resignation option for a behavioral employee and they chose the resignation option. She is now contacting current employees seeking information of business details.What should I say to this current employee? <Q> You asked, What should I say to this current employee? <S> You tell them that unless they have been given clear, explicit, written permission to share company information with the public, they should not give the ex-employee any information and instead should tell the ex-employee, <S> Sorry, we aren't allowed to share that information with people who are not employees. <S> And then they should stop communicating with that person - at least, about anything even remotely related to the workplace. <S> Further, if your company has a person or department responsible for communicating with the public (i.e. a public relations person, or similar), or someone responsible for communicating with ex-employees (HR), you can instruct your staff to follow company policy by directing ex-employees to those parties for all communications. <A> It depends on what you are trying to achive (and how well you know your employees/ how many there are).A brief converstaion or formal email may be suitable, depending on your circumstances. <S> Something like: <S> We have had reports that a former employee is contacting current staff asking for confidential business details. <S> Please do not discuss confidential business details with anyone outside the company. <S> Please ensure you use work email accounts, not personal email accounts for all business-related emails. <S> If you think there are some friendships the former employee may try to exploit you could include something like: <S> If a former colleague is asking you for such information then feel free to blame me for refusing to answer " <S> Sorry I've been instructed not to discuss that outside the company" <S> Unless you think there are legal serious implications (and work in a high-trust culture) I wouldn't ask for reports of people being approached, as people may find this distasteful. <A> You won't be able to stop former employees or other persons from contacting your employees. <S> If they are asked to reveal these details you can ask them to respond with something like: <S> I am not allowed to disclose that information. <A> If you are 100% certain that this is taking place, I would suggest you tell the employee that while it is okay for a relationship to be maintained outside of work, the business or company related information is confidential to anyone outside the company. <S> Did any of your employees sign confidentiality agreements or NDA's? <S> If there is not a current policy, you might want to consider implementing a policy of conferring with HR.
| If you don't want your employees giving out business details then you need to speak with them and let them know that certain company details are not to be disclosed to non-employees.
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How to applaud in a teleconference? Suppose a work culture/environment where, in an in-person meeting, if a presenter does a good job, other attendees express appreciation with applause/clapping. Suppose now that the same meeting happens with (a) several or (b) all of the participants joining remotely via teleconference, many using headphone + microphone headsets. If there is a large cohort physically co-located, they can continue with the traditional clapping/applause method. What is the best way for remote participants to join in a similar expression of appreciation, and is there a good alternative when all participants are remote? Simple silence doesn't seem to provide the same social function. <Q> Suppose a work culture/environment where, in an in-person meeting , if a presenter does a good job, other attendees express appreciation with applause/clapping. <S> and What is the best way for remote participants to join in a similar expression of appreciation, and is there a good alternative when all participants are remote? <S> As you said, when it is in-person things are different. <S> In such context an applause will make sense and have a meaning. <S> When remote things are different. <S> Usually there is no room for applause for several reasons, most of them practical. <S> Several people clapping to their microphone will surely saturate the audio of the call, not to mention that it will not have the impact an in-person applause has (clapping alone in your desk looking at a screen is also an interesting image). <S> If you feel like thanking or express appreciation to someone and you are remote, you could consider writing some words on the call chat. <S> In a way, this also depends on your company culture and practices regarding remote presentations, and at the end of the day you should go for what is best for you and your context. <S> Perhaps you already have some handbook/practices regarding remote conferences. <A> Shouldn't you be muted to prevent unpleasant feedback? <S> Every conference call I am on, participants are generally asked to mute themselves to reduce the feedback, static, and background noise. <S> Such an approach essentially precludes applause. <A> It's generally best for people to stay on mute when not talking; noise on VC is more disruptive than noise in an in-person meeting, because of issues like not everybody getting the same volume. <S> My usual response is to stay on mute, but clap visibly for the camera.
| You could also consider just saying "Thanks a lot, good job" to your microphone when the presentation ends.
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How bad it is to be unemployed for some months? So, I'm a software developer that soon will stop working, because I will move.My situation is, where I'm working now, I don't have an employee contract, I'm a worker for hire, I have a company on my name, and because laws in the country and bureaucracy, I will stop work in January to pay every tax to the taxation authority in February, so in March I can ask to close the company on my name(it's not worth to let it open, I will have to pay to keep it open, because... bureaucracy.). And just to clarify, I have no employees, it's a single person company, I'm a micro business. So after all this bureaucracy, I'm going to move with some luck, in the end of March or maybe, beginning of April. After that, in the country I will go, I did some research and I have to apply there for the stays visa and stuff like that and it takes more than a month to me to be able to work legally. So how bad is this, to be out of work, let's say, from February to May? About the moving, it's because my wife, we are going back to her country and I'm doing this "career sacrifice" for her because she got a job offer. edit: I will be moving from Brazil to Croatia. <Q> It's 3/4 months - really not that much in the grand scheme of things, but do something constructive in that time period, don't waste the time off. <S> Companies will like to see you've been proactive. <A> If you're asking about this looking bad in the eyes of a future potential employer, it seems totally reasonable to be out of work for a few months while you move to a totally different country. <S> I wouldn't expect anyone to hold this against you or consider it negative. <S> If or when you start looking for work in your new location, your employment history on your resume will show this gap - but it will also show that you moved, since your past employers will be in a different location. <S> You can always call this out on your applications or cover letters are you apply for new jobs, if you think it won't be obvious for some reason. <A> As a Recruiter, I would never hold such a reasonable explanation against a good potential hire. <S> There are gaps in employment often times for logistical reasons and even if the gap is longer than a few months, I have hired many qualified people who were waiting for proper work authorization or experienced circumstances that interfered with continuous employment. <S> If, however, during the down time you can continue to use your skills avocationally, it will keep you sharp when you start to interview! <S> Good luck!
| As long as you have a good explanation for why you weren't working for that period (which you do) there shouldn't be an issue.
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What level of software engineer position does not need LeetCode-style coding problems in the interview? Coding problems (LeetCode-style) in the interview process for software engineers has become a tradition in the industry. However, is this still necessary when hiring for higher level positions like, L7+ in Amazon/L6+ in Google/67+ in Microsoft? As far as I know, the focus of the daily work and ability for engineers in this level of positions is almost about architecture design, project management, team management, maybe even about making business decisions, coding (if they do) just rarely happens in their daily work. So I would like to know:1. Does coding problem always necessary for all levels of software engineer position? If not, from which/what level of position?2. For this kind of positions, what will be the focus and problems for their interview process? --2/4 update: I agree with that any engineer should be verified with their coding skill, but the tool should be some kind of real-world-like problems, instead of problem like "Merge two linked lists" or "Number of Islands". <Q> From what I have heard, they can exist at every level <S> I have a friend who is a very senior developer. <S> He interviewed for an architect position where he would have overseen several different tech teams. <S> He successfully passed 4 rounds of interviews with them on microservices, employment, management, cloud, design patterns, etc. <S> His final round included one of those algorithm/coding tests. <S> He got eliminated as he couldn't code quicksort by hand from memory on a whiteboard. <S> This was for a position that was going to have him away from day to day coding. <S> One of the problems is that talk is cheap. <S> I have read half a book on microservices and have learned to talk reasonably intelligently about them. <S> I have never actually built such a system. <S> I just read a few chapters and picked up terms. <A> It's entirely company by company basis. <S> I recently changed jobs (over 10 years experience) and about 2 in 10 positions I applied to wanted me to take one, so there are places that don't require them. <S> Not requiring them is nothing to do with how many years you have. <S> It's usually just company procedure. <S> Unfortunately these tests don't suit everyone. <S> I do terrible on them because often they have questions requiring you to know the 'exact' syntax, and as I jump between about 4 languages a day, that proves quite hard. <S> When I interview now I just say from the beginning that I wont take a technical test. <S> Instead I suggest a face to face interview where they can ask me any technical questions. <S> That way I can be judged for my understanding and approach, rather than failing because I don't remember the exact syntax. <S> Be aware if you do refuse the test and suggest an alternative <S> , most companies aren't flexible enough to accommodate that, so only do it if you're not desperate. <A> Coding problems are more of a company thing: there are companies that do not do them (although this is increasingly rare) and they don't do them. <S> Companies that do coding questions generally believe in them as a way to sanity check candidates, even though it's known to create false negatives. <S> (Companies are generally okay with false negatives in their hiring process.) <S> Edit: <S> the exceptions I'm familiar with for high level employees are basically when an individual is being hired for skills they are well-known to possess and the company is more wooing / partnering with them than screening them. <S> For example, I've known of people who were hired to run specific projects because they are known to be experts in the field. <S> These are the only exceptions I've known of to the general hiring process. <S> I can confirm that at companies where I have either worked or interviewed have used coding questions for interviews of senior employees. <S> Some places I've worked have even periodically trained interviewers to make sure the coding questions are hard enough. <A> As someone who does technical interviews for a internet company I doubt that Amazon or Google would hire someone as an senior engineer in any capacity that the interviewers feel wouldn't be able to pass an entry level coding test. <S> Given that there is only so much time to do interviews, the focus for higher level engineering roles might be more on architecture and system design, though. <S> A good interviewer would still figure out, if the candidate would be very rusty in actual programming. <S> In modern software development companies anyone in a technical will be expected to code from time to time or coach people on there coding. <S> E.g. an architect would have to be able to show how her architecture is implemented. <S> Project management and team management however are not necessarily done by engineers, so you might want to apply as project or people manager, where a tech background might be expected but not actively tested.
| Companies that do coding interviews do them for virtually all candidates, even when the person might be doing work that is well beyond what can be covered in coding interviews.
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Should I declare that I have autism? will that make me fired? I work in the Netherlands as an expat, so my resident permit is related to my work. I was described by a psychologist to have autism. Should I declare that to my employer? I'm afraid that might fire me. (Maybe a stupid idea, but I am thinking about it). Any advice please? <Q> I was described by a psychologist to have autism. <S> Should I declare that to my employer? <S> I'm afraid that might fire me. <S> You can declare it to your employer if you want to, but what's your end goal for doing this? <S> Do you want extra measures to be taken in any particular situation? <S> If so then sure, declare it and ask, politely. <S> If you're just declaring it for no particular reason though, then I don't see the need. <S> In any case, incredibly unlikely they would fire you on this front. <S> I'm not aware of the specific legalities in the Netherlands - but I believe in most developed countries firing you for that reason would be very illegal. <A> They have very strict employment laws there. <S> Your company would have to go through the courts to do so. <S> And they would have to prove you were underperforming or acted with gross negligence. <S> Neither of which would be applicable in this case. <S> But what would be the reason for you to tell them? <S> They most likely do not care about your condition. <S> They only care about your performance. <A> Before you take an action, you should always evaluate: How does it benefit me, and how can it hurt me? <S> I can't see how telling them about autism is going to do you any good. <S> The only exception would be if you have problems interacting with other people and get into trouble because of that, where with autism people would just ignore it. <A> You will not be fired over this. <S> Under Dutch law you have no obligation to tell anyone in the workplace, even if you are seeking specific accommodations. <S> Many Dutch people speak about their afflictions quite openly, specifically because they feel quite protected. <S> I would advise against keeping the diagnosis private out of fear. <S> If it becomes relevant, share it privately and on a need-to-know basis. <S> The openness will buy you a lot of goodwill. <S> If you're struggling with certain situations and interactions in the workplace, it is important that you schedule a one-on-one to bring those concerns to your manager and just inform them as part of that conversation. <S> Be proactive and don't use it as an excuse when you receive feedback or criticism, that is not appreciated. <S> Were you recently diagnosed? <S> If so, then this may be a rather turbulent time. <S> What if you want to keep it private? <S> Suppose you need some accommodations and want to keep the diagnosis private, then you should ask HR to be referred to an 'arbo-arts' (contracted doctor). <S> You discuss your issues with this doctor, they consult another medical professional. <S> Preferably whomever diagnosed or treated you, or is currently treating you. <S> If that is not possible they will refer you for evaluation by a new doc. <S> In the end, the 'arbo-arts' sends his (very general) recommendations to your HR departement. <S> HR and your manager then work with you to figure out what works within that framework. <S> When should you be careful? <S> Though you cannot be fired for having autism, you can be fired* for not performing due to your autism. <S> Suppose you accept a job in a customer-facing role, and have frequent conflicts with your customers because you don't notice when they are getting angry or sad. <S> In that case, the expectation is that will reflect on these interactions and conclude that this is not the right job for you. <S> I you fail to come to that conclusion yourself, then your boss will be forced to fire you eventually. <S> Before that happens, you will typically work together to improve your performance. <S> * <S> I mean both being fired outright and not having your contract extended. <S> Firing someone is really hard in the Netherlands, but not extending their contract is easy.
| It's highly unlikely that you would be fired for that in the Netherlands. So unless you have a good reason, don't tell anything. I would recommend that you tell your manager, they'll understand that this has an impact on your mental health and self-confidence.
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My company now requires that we ask to go to the bathroom. Is this legal? I work in a call center in the US. We have call center software that tracks our time in call, between calls, lunches, etc, which management is able to see at any time. We take back-to-back calls all day. Normally, to avoid messing up our numbers (spending too much time in one mode or another) employees will change their state into "Miscellaneous" mode to finish up whatever they were doing. This is often used to go AFK for any reason, including getting water, or going to the bathroom. It was at our discretion, but we were advised to let a supervisor know when we would do this. Typically I could handle bathroom visits and getting water during my scheduled breaks, with the occasional need to do so outside of those times. However, I've noticed coworkers really abusing this "step away whenever you want" policy. As such, management now requires we ask permission to do so. If our total time doing any miscellaneous activity goes beyond 30 minutes a week in total, we are subject to disciplinary action. This is 6 minutes a day for basic human needs. I have no doubt this was motivated by time theft, but this is also affecting the morale of those of us who did not abuse the previous system. As a loop-hole, they have told us not to say we are using the bathroom, but to instead ask to "step away for a moment," no doubt for plausible deniability. My question is, can they really enforce this? Can they threaten our employment for taking more than 6 minutes a day to use the bathroom when it doesn't line up with a break? This seems highly suspect and unofficial. To be honest, I think it is an intimidation tactic to keep us scared and keep us in line. I have not spoken to HR about this yet, as I don't know how tied-in they are with this new policy. Edit Feb 2, 2020: To clear up some confusion here, the previous method of going to the bathroom during non-break periods was just a statement, with no requirement to ask, just communicate. We all did this without a problem. The new policy is that we ask permission, which implies they can deny permission. This is also assuming that a supervisor is reachable during the short time where we even have a moment between calls. Now we must wait for approval, often affecting our performance metrics. IMO lumping bathroom breaks and any extra time needed to complete a work-related task together in the same "miscellaneous" state is their mistake, and it caused this problem. <Q> Employers must: <S> Allow workers to leave their work locations to use a restroom when needed. <S> Provide an adequate number of restrooms for the size of the workforce to prevent long lines. <S> Avoid imposing unreasonable restrictions on restroom use. <S> Ensure restrictions, such as locking doors or requiring workers to sign out a key, do not cause extended delays. <S> It may also be a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires reasonable accommodations for workers with disabilities. <S> I am not a lawyer, but if this violates any regulations or laws, these would be the two to look at. <A> My question is, can they really enforce this? <S> As new york is an at-will state unless this somehow violates protected characteristics (highly doubtful) <S> then unless you have a contract which offers more protections they can absolutely fire someone for not following the new policy. <S> Or pretty much for any other reason, as long as it's not retaliatory (for example for whistleblowing) or discriminatory. <S> I have not spoken to HR about this <S> yet I would tread carefully making waves around this, your job is on the line as you are in an at-will state, where the primary remedy for you, if you disagree with terms of a job, is to go and find a new one. <S> So before you get into that, be sure you can handle the possible repercussions. <S> More so the state <S> whether how often it is reasonable to use the toilets, can it be done whenever they need and so on is still an unclear (and complicated) matter in the USA, and is decided on a case by case basis, and then it has to travel all the way up to OSHA. <A> When I worked at a call center, there were no provisions for stepping away that I know of. <S> The expectation is that when you were on the clock, you were taking phone calls, unless you were in ACW (after-call work) which was frequently necessary (to note what happened during the call), and there was constant pressure to minimize that. <S> If a person needed to be unavailable for minutes, they should log out, which required supervisory permission. <S> This was at a Fortune 500 company. <S> An example situation from the other side's perspective: I once ran some single-day testing centers for grade school children (which ranged from grades 3 to 12), and there were instructions for children to ask permission to go to the restroom. <S> I followed policy and told that to the children. <S> It almost sounded like a silly level of harshness, so I also offered an explanation. <S> Our staff is not likely to say "no" unless the restrooms are filled up; we primarily wanted that so we would know where each student is. <S> So, while the rule was technically that they would need to ask, they could generally expect a cooperative "yes" coming from us. <S> I did this for weeks, and I noticed absolutely no resistance/blowback <S> /complaining from the student body over this. <S> I realize your place of employment is a different environment (dealing with adults), but presuming that efficiency desires lead supervisors to want to know where employees are, their request (simply wanting employees to sufficiently "communicate") doesn't really seem all that unreasonable to me. <S> (I suspect they unfortunately just ended up communicating things in a way that made things seem unnecessarily sour.)
| This may be a violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)'s Restrooms and Sanitation Requirements :
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How to handle a work period where client name and details are under NDA? I am a private/personal chef located in the US. My previous employer had me sign a very specific NDA where I could not state location, details of diet, heath, salary...not even disclose WHOM I WAS WORKING FOR. In fact, they had me live in a unit downstairs so it seemed I was a tenant and I never had to be seen accessing the building in uniform daily as any other chef would. So now I find myself with a multi year gap on my resume, something that is keeping me from finding a good position. How would I express this on my resume, to recruiters and in interviews with new clients? I feel like I have already lost opportunities. <Q> They had me sign a very specific NDA where I could not state location, details of diet, heath, <S> salary...not even disclose WHOM <S> I WAS <S> WORKING <S> FOR. <S> That's not as outrageous as you seem to be making it <S> , I can't imagine that anyone hiring a personal chef would want that person to go on and put on their resume: "I worked for XYZ FAMOUS PERSON and had to handle DIET FOR PEOPLE WITH BAD GAS at their prestigious home at CELEBRITY ADDRESS HERE". <S> It is not material for your resume and <S> a massive no-no in terms of privacy, even without signing an NDA. <S> What you can put down though is something akin: <S> Personal chef to a family of four. <S> My duties consisted of preparing XYZ meals every day, catering for specific dietary and health issues of the clients. <S> And whatever else is important for a chef on their CV, but that cannot even hint at who you've worked for, just do not go into any specifics. <S> And if still in doubt, run it by a lawyer, it should not be expensive to get a comprehensive opinion. <S> On a side note, that's something you should've done before signing any document you are not 100% sure about, but as we don't have a time machine, getting that now is the second best thing. <A> Keep it simple: <S> Personal Chef: <S> June 2016 - January 2020 Cannot disclose details due to NDA <S> Worked in a southern state for an athlete. <S> During your interview just make sure to stick to the generic explanation outlined above and focus on your overall skills as a chef. <S> The interviewer might not like it <S> so they'll have to choose whether to believe you <S> but it's better than having a gap. <S> If the interviewer keeps pressuring you for details then make sure not to give them ANY. <S> It could very well be a test to see whether or not you reveal secrets under pressure. <S> You may also wish to run this by your previous employer. <S> They would certainly be happy to let you know how much is too much. <S> You may also be overthinking it and be shocked at the leniency of what they allow you to put in your resume. <A> You can still put the job in your resume, however instead of a detailed description, you would put a disclaimer like "Unable to disclose due to legal reasons". <S> This will alert whoever is reading your resume that you simple cannot discuss the details, but you were still employed. <S> Its better than having a large gap in your resume and having a generic job title like "Personal Chef" will help the reader understand what sort of role you were in. <A> Other answers are good. <S> The logic is that they have somewhat limited your employment options, getting in return excellent service and discretion.
| I would suggest reaching out to your client and asking for assistance in finding a gig.
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Started working late in my life. How to make it not sound bad? I'm from a country where its not unusual to have 'informal' jobs. We make money, don't pay taxes, its easy to get one. But later it comes back and bite us back. I'm 38 years old and applying for a position to work abroad, so I can not just say these things and expect them to believe. How can explain in my CV that I only had 2 jobs, with 5 years experience each? Can I turn the fact that I don't jump from job to job every couple years (which is also common around here) into something good? Also, i was writing an 'About me' text to quickly introduce myself before diving into details. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Like many in the IT field, i'm self taught in several areas, acquiring technical knowledge through work experience. In the past decade I've been actively working with the following technologies, both in Windows and Linux environments: dns: dnsmasq load balancing: haproxy log auditing: elastic, logstash, kibana, rsyslog mail: cyrus, postfix, zimbra monitoring: zabbix orchestration: puppet, hiera, vsphere packages/keys: apt-mirror, reposync, sks web server/proxy: apache, nginx As any IT Analyst knows, scripting is a big deal in our daily routine. To perform and automate tasks in hundreds of VMs i had to learn at least the basics of many script languages, like: bash/sh javascript/jquery php python ruby vba/vbs Besides the work experience mentioned above, the workplace experience i gained working for those companies helped me develop non-technical skills like: commercial awareness: studying and understanding how the businesses work maturity: being able to see the world out of my own bubble problem-solving: with the experience comes the chance to be proactive self-reliance: you can trust me to finish a task independently teamwork: we all have our limits, and team members can help and rely on each other for support and guidance Forgot to mention a few things that might be relevant: I do know everything I put in my resume. I never lied. both jobs were/are very well paid and in big companies (10,000 employees) in the first one they offered all training necessary to work in the IT Security field the second one trained me to work with infrastructure <Q> I'm from a country where its not unusual to have 'informal' jobs. <S> We make money, don't pay taxes, its easy to get one. <S> Why is this a problem from a resume perspective? <S> Resumes don't usually include information about whether you paid your taxes. <S> Are you afraid of your government reading it and collecting back taxes from you? <S> How can explain in my CV that i only had 2 jobs, with 5 years experience each? <S> I've had 8 jobs in my life. <S> Only 4 are currently listed. <S> I am not sure this is a concern or something you need to address before you are certain it is a problem. <A> How to make it not sound bad? <S> Why do you assume it'll be bad? <S> What matters is your claim about your knowledge and expertise and whether you're able to produce results / exhibit capabilities in the interview. <S> How can explain in my CV that i only had 2 jobs, with 5 years experience each? <S> That's an information, and needs to explanation. <S> Yes, if you have a long gap between two jobs, you may need to explain why that gap is there and what you did during that time - but otherwise, the fact that you had two jobs, 5 years each, needs no explanation. <S> Started working late in my life. <S> How to make it not sound bad? <S> Your age, has nothing to do with your overall experience. <S> Many people change their career track for multiple reasons, like boredom <S> , late realization, disabilities - there are many reasons. <S> Unless the job you are applying for has a requirement for certain age (or range), it usually does not matter. <S> EDIT: <S> As you asked in comments: I'm worried about questions like "what did you do before?" <S> or "why did you start working so late in your life?" <S> but there is no gap between the jobs. <S> Usually, that's none of their business (unless you were in Jail or something like that...), but if it's asked, tell them about your experience which you gathered from the part-time gigs. <S> Every experience, however small it is, counts. <S> It may not have direct connect with the technology / domain / industry, but each of them comes with some form of learning - punctuality, teamwork, efficiency, salesmanship - you'll surely find some positives from your previous job experiences to add to this. <S> Nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to hide. <A> As a frame challenge, you're overthinking this. <S> Potential employers usually won't know how old you are, unless you tell them. <S> Someone who appears to be in their 30's and has 10 years of solid job history wouldn't really stand out from the pack. <S> If the interviewer even thinks about your age, they might as well just assume you're 32 and started working at 22, fresh out of college. <S> Many people only list the most recent, or most-relevant jobs on their resume. <S> If someone does ask about what came before your 10 years of history, you can just say "I was working unrelated jobs. <S> " That's not really unusual in most cultures - many people work odd jobs (fast food, retail, factory work, call centers, etc.) before they find their first "professional" office job. <S> In much of the world, age discrimination is illegal. <S> You haven't told us where you're trying to move to, but, in the US for example, employers will generally hesitate to say anything even remotely related to age in an interview, for fear of being sued because of age discrimination. <S> In other words, no one would ask you why you started working so late in life, even if they'd managed to figure out your age. <S> If you have 10 years of experience, look for jobs asking for people with 10 years of experience. <S> Yes, some of your "competitors" for those jobs may be younger than you, but others may be older.
| It depends on where overseas you are applying, but as long as you can otherwise fill the space, it's not expected for the applicant to list all their past jobs. Ultimately, the important thing is: do your research, and apply for jobs where you are able to meet the qualifications. People take many paths in life, and not everyone of the same age has the exact same job history.
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What information about other interviews should I withhold from a recruiter? In screening calls from recruiters they often try to find out what other companies and recruitment agencies I am interviewing with right now. I try to give vague answers, but it does not always work. Recruiter: What's the name of the other company that you are interviewing with right now? Me : [Avoiding to give a name] It's a company that works in the field of Such and Such doing This and That. Recruiter : Ah you mean XYZ Corp? Yeah I know them well. Have you spoken to Bob (XYZ boss) yet? And other questions like, what's the name of the other recruitment agency I am working with, etc. I'm happy to be open as long as I am not compromising my other opportunities because I don't want to come across stone-walled. But something tells me that I have to be careful with this. What information should I disclose, and where should you draw the line? <Q> In general, I would only disclose information that would benefit myself. <S> This is exactly what they do, so no need to feel you are stone-walling. <S> I pretty much never mention names - only that I am interviewing. <S> Depending on the situation, I might tell them that I'm quite far in the process - or that I don't really expect anything to materialize; which ever claim seems more beneficial to me. <S> The main goal is to leave them with the impression that I cannot be pushed around or used to extract information about third parties. <A> Yes, a recruiter may need that information to avoid duplicating your application for the same post in the same organization, but for that, they can ask you for confirmation before they send out your application to any organization / post / opening. <S> If they ask, and if you're not willing to give out that info, simply ask them back: <S> "Yes, might be, why'd you need that info?" <S> If they say they have an opening (for which you might have already applied through other channel), state that you're not interested in that position for now ( <S> no need to explain / provide reason <S> - it's your choice after all). <S> If they are looking for your expected salary range - that can be discussed without knowing the company names also. <A> This applies to salary conversations particularly. <S> However, when recruitment agencies ask who else you are interviewing with, it's often for your benefit. <S> For example, in Ireland where I live, if 2 agencies submit the same CV to an organisation it is often (maybe always) discarded to avoid agencies disputing who presented the candidate - or both trying to claim fees - if the candidate is offered the role. <S> Alternatively, they may want to avoid wasting your time by contacting you to suggest roles you have already applied for through other agencies. <S> You have to assume any agency worth <S> their salt will be constantly monitoring job sites and cold calling potential employers to understand the way the local market looks. <S> I think its unlikely they are hoping to mine your limited view on the current job market to fill out the bigger picture for them. <S> When an organisation has an in-house recruitment team, if they ask if you are interviewing elsewhere its often to understand how quickly they need to move if they want you. <S> (This applies to agencies too <S> I suppose so they can communicate this urgency to the client). <S> For example, if you are actively looking, and at the later stages with another company, I will happily scramble to reschedule internal meetings so I can get you in for the next round as soon as possible. <S> If, on the other hand you are being very selective about what you're applying for and don't have other irons in the fire, then I have a bit more time <S> and I don't need to rush the department head back from a conference to meet you before somebody else snaps you up.
| In general, it's perfectly sensible to withhold information which might disadvantage you or be to the benefit of another party. I really don't know if anything good / positive can come out of the knowledge of the other organization names to which you might have applied for.
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How can I say that I have a played a key role in a company's growth? Basically I was an intern and the only employee at the company so I was the only front office staff. I was there to open and close the office when the boss couldn't, I would welcome and give information to potential new customers, etcAnd the company did gain many new customers thanks to me Id like to sayNow I don't how to say it on my resume I was thinking about something like :'Intern at XXX company - participated in the growth of a newly established company' Thank you for your help <Q> You want to QUANTIFY everything, and put it in the form of C.A.R. stories <S> ChallengeActionResort. <S> "While I was an intern at XYZ company, we were short staffed, so I took on the additional responsibilities of opening and closing the office, and received customers when the CEO was unavailable. <S> Due to this, I was able to increase our client base by 20%" <S> Or something like that. <S> Or, as writers say, "Show, don't tell". <S> You want to be able to demonstrate the benefit you gave them. <A> I think you say HOW you helped the growth, and by how much, especially if it is quantifiable. <S> While I was at Llamas-R-Us, we grew on average by 40 customers a month and my boss said that 25 of them were directly because of my help, that he was only growing by about 15 customers a month before hiring me. <S> Only say that if it is true, of course. <A> Here's how to think about this incredibly valuable experience. <S> Claim, then proof. <S> Claim: I can sell. <S> Proof: I convinced callers to the office to become customers, resulting in 20% sales growth. <S> Claim: I deal well with the public. <S> Proof: the business thrived partially because I served as its telephone voice. <S> Proof: <S> During my internship, I took the initiative to answer the telephone when the owner wasn't available. <S> You obviously will word this in your own way.
| Claim: I do what needs to be done. Was reliably the main customer contact in the office, greeting and giving customer information on llama grooming and how Llamas-R-Us could provide efficient service.
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How to deal with not answered emails? Sometimes, I —or other people I know— send an email someone —or a team— in an professional setting and never get an answer. How should that situation be handled? Should I double down after a couple of days and try to force an answer? Either trying to contact by phone or sending a second email? Isn't considered impolite and unprofessional not to answer emails, even if it's with a quick-one-phrase answers? I swear to god that I always try to be as polite as concise and polite as possible, and my language skills allow me. Last time case scenario: I sent an email to the posters of a position I'm interested in about some questions I have, and if could make them over the phone. I thought phone was easier, quicker and less dry. In the position's post was clearly stated that you can contact them to ask questions. After two days, I was able to get the phone of one of them by other channels and contact him over the phone to have a nice and short conversation about the position. Anyhow, the other one never replied to my questions. Wouldn't have been more professional to just answer with a quick "I'm sorry. I'm busy now. Contact me in a couple of days." or something like that? Some additional info: Cultural Differences I'm a South European living in the Nordics, and although I've seen this behavior all around, I think it's specially strong here in the up North. I'm not saying that in the south everyone is really polite and answer swiftly to all the emails, but I don't know. For me the impression is I'm receiving is, you are not important enough to lose 30' of my time on answering. And I mention just answering because I want to think that at least they read them. English Skills Sometimes I also think that Nordic people, specially Finns, are shy about their English skills —even when those are really good— and they delay as much as possible talk or write in English. However, I've come across with behavior also in the US, where of course, English is not a problem. PS/ As someone has pointed out my question has been partially answered here: What is appropriate email follow-up etiquette after no response? , but I'm more focus on the professionalism of the lack of response, than in the methodology to finally get an answer. <Q> Isn't considered impolite and unprofessional not to answer emails <S> Wouldn't have been more professional to just answer with a quick <S> "I'm sorry. <S> I'm busy now. <S> Contact me in a couple of days." or something like that? <S> Yes, but the costs of mild unprofessionalism are extremely low to the individual, especially when the person they are corresponding with is not their manager. <S> What gets measured, watched, and/or rewarded is what gets done and replying to people outside the daily workflow is none of those. <S> I just resend the request and usually that shamed people into replying. <A> This needs a little more clarity. <S> What kind of email and who are you sending to? <S> Send a second request (maybe cc their supervisor) or even pick up the phone and call. <S> Now for those "outside" (such as to the posters for a position) - just because you send an email does not mean you should expect a response. <S> I've been in positions (thankfully not in my current position) where I could get 1,000+ emails a day. <S> Spending even 30 seconds responding to each one would have taken 500 minutes (over eight hours). <S> I'm sorry but your request is going to the bottom of the pile. <A> I am not sure what kind of questions you are asking but it sounds like the other person probably considers them to be frivolous. <S> If your skills match the job posting then you apply; simple. <S> If they want to interview you then it usually starts with a phone call and during that time you can vent anything which you think would disqualify you from the position. <S> I'm certain that the person on the other end only wants to deal with people that are interested in the position rather than wasting time to help someone figure out whether they are interested. <S> If you want the latter then get in touch with a reputable recruiter. <S> By sending these pre-questions you are presenting yourself as a person that could be needy and requires much hand-holding which to their benefit lets them know they are better off not interviewing you.
| If the email's are send to someone withing in you organization (internal) and are related to something you need from the recipient then then of course you expect a response.
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How to get over constant comparison? I am 25. I constantly keep comparing my life with that of my peers. Most of them have moved abroad and some who stayed have gained good career progression. Perhaps if I had chosen to move abroad I would be in a better position today. After graduation I worked for a year in IT, then freelanced for a year, then enrolled in a post grad program in management specializing in finance. I am an associate business analyst, but I keep asking myself why I chose to stay and do a two year course instead of moving abroad. I keep thinking about the pay: in India for the role of BA, people are paid at around $10k per year but in first world countries it's around >$45k. I know the cost of living is less in India than in first world countries, but still I keep thinking I should have moved. There are other issues as well like pollution, population, etc. How do I stop constantly comparing and focus on my job right now? <Q> It can be hard to not be envious of people who seem to have a more successful career than you, but you have to remember: you are not those people. <S> You don't know what they've been through, or if their life would even make you happy. <S> You may be motivated by different things than they are, and you can't really ever be certain about any of that. <S> No matter how "successful" you are at your job, there will always be someone else who appears more successful - comparisons can pretty much only ever lead to disappointment. <S> So, how do you stop the comparisons? <S> The best way to avoid comparing yourself to others is to make your own career goals, make your own plan to obtain those goals, and then take steps to carry out your plan. <S> All that matters is comparing you to where <S> you want to be, not to where others are. <S> But, before you can do that, you need to decide where you want to be. <A> How to get over constant comparison? <S> There is no comparison. <S> Your peers chose to move abroad and you did not. <S> If you want to move abroad, then do it! <S> You can't control what your peers do <S> but you can control what you do. <S> Focus on what you can control and everything should work out. <A> and probably more in first world countries <S> That is putting it mildly. <S> How do I stop constantly comparing and focus on my job right now? <S> Why stop? <S> Just do your job in such a way that it keeps that option open for the future. <S> Add "may go to Canada" as part of your career goals and act accordingly. <S> Your first job is a stepping stone to your next one.
| This sounds obvious, but having your own career objectives will help you to have something to focus on mentally, and will let you feel like you can "measure" your progress without needing to compare yourself to anyone else. Don't worry about things that are out of your control.
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Can an employer take away stand-by pay if I don't miss any calls or work? I work doing snow removal and my employer offers $200 a week stand-by pay, but just recently I figured out that once I work 11 hours or so in a week my stand-by pay for the week is gone because I've made more than $200 in a week. So the only way I get it is to barely work while on call. Is that right? Or legal? <Q> You said, <S> So the only way i get it is to barely work while on call <S> Ultimately, that's what stand-by pay is meant for: to give you an income even when you don't actually do any work (i.e. when you're on standby). <S> It's hard to answer if this is legal or not without knowing where you're located, but to answer your first question, Is that right ? <A> This definitely depends on jurisdiction and work contrsct. <S> The collective agreements in Sweden usually have standy-by pay just for being on call. <S> If your services become needed during that time you get overtime pay for the hours worked. <A> Is that right? <S> It sounds reasonable. <S> They want you to get paid in some form. <S> Or legal? <S> I'm guessing if the company has been doing it that it is legal. <S> But it's best to consult a lawyer, not random internet strangers on such question as it could get you in trouble with your employer.
| You should make sure you understand what your work contract says about your standby pay, but yes - that does sound right.
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Inadvertently ghosted interview this morning. Is it worth following up with the company? The backstory On Monday, I had a quick 15 minute phone interview with a potential employer that seemed to go well. I promptly received another call after the interview stating that the company is interested in holding an in-house interview with me (today). The woman on the phone had a very thick accent and I politely let her know that I had a hard time understanding her. We scheduled an interview for what I thought was this morning but I wanted to confirm with her - she then told me she would just email me the appointment details. This included her even reading out my own email address to me, which I confirmed as being mine. I never received any email from the company and assumed that the company had ghosted me (it's happened plenty of times before so I just assumed the worst). Lo and behold, later on I check my phone (my phone was on silent as I was at my current workplace) and I received a flurry of calls around the time that I believe (?) I was supposed to be interviewed. The question Is it worth reaching out to this company to apologize or explain myself? The job isn't necessarily super important to me - there are some red flags such as questionable Glassdoor reviews, 13 employees after 11 years in business, calling themselves a start up after 11 years, etc. I'm also gainfully employed and in a senior role at my current position (which is why I am considering other options). At the same time, I don't want to burn bridges and I feel very unprofessional. Thoughts? Edit I explicitly stated in my cover letter that I cannot accept phone calls during business hours and prefer to schedule everything over email. <Q> Just tell them the truth. <S> I think the only thing you did wrong (maybe) was not following up the next day saying that you never received an email about a time to come in on the day of the interview. <S> You knew what day it was <S> and so I believe you had time to try to reach out to them beforehand. <S> It is rather unfortunate that you did not get the email, that isn't your fault. <S> It's possible that she typed in the wrong email address (since you mentioned there was a potential language barrier). <S> Here's what I would say (or something like it): <S> Good morning/afternoon [person you who talked to]: <S> I had not received any email confirmation regarding when I should come in to have the interview with you all. <S> I was not able to receive any phone calls either. <S> Please let me know if there is any way to reschedule this interview. <S> I apologize for any inconvenience. <S> Sincerely, <S> Your Name EDIT: <S> Based on your edit, you could say, "I am not able to answer the phone during the workday, as I mentioned in my cover letter." <S> They don't have to know why you weren't able to answer your phone but following up with them <S> could tell them that you're still interested and perhaps there was a good reason why you weren't able to answer the phone. <S> But they might raise their eyebrow a little and wonder why you didn't reach out to them the before the interview. <S> However, if you are not interested at all, and it sounds like you aren't, then I would email back and say the same thing I mentioned above except you can say that you have decided to focus your career elsewhere instead of rescheduling an interview. <S> It's up to you to decide if you want work at this other company. <A> Is it worth reaching out to this company to apologize or explain myself? <S> An apology is always worthwhile. <S> You may or may not get another chance to interview. <S> But at least you will have done the right thing. <A> Do consider following back Since you have received multiple calls, you should consider replying back. <S> Situations (like the one with you, or something else) can happen with anyone. <S> That shouldn't stop you for communicating. <S> Carrying an apologetic tone, and explaining may make you appear like you missed the calls intentionally. <S> At this stage, apparently there's no harm in talking further and exploring what lies ahead in the interview process and what the company has to offer. <S> Is it worth reaching out to this company to apologize or explain myself? <S> There appears to be nothing that should stop you from reaching out. <S> I think you need not carry a serious apologetic tone though.
| You can be casual and politely state that you have unintentionally missed the calls, and have called back as soon as you got the chance.
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Career dilemma for a 32 year old windows Desktop SE Currently, I am "Senior SE" in a manufacturing equipment company. I do C#,WCF WPF, C(PLC) for desktop and to control hardware. Previously exposed to C++, ABAP, Java etc. But not in depth. I am like jack of all trades knowing about different electrical electronic hardwares and SW components just to certain extent to maintain and fix bugs. I have a major in EEE and masters specialization in automation and control( Robotics, neural networks etc) with a dissertation on machine learning related stuff. My current issues are 1. " My kind of job is very limited". It is not every city.2. Pay is not good. So, I am thinking to change to machine learning with online courses and project since I have some project and academic knowledge on that. My other choice is to go in to web but it will not be a wise decision with my current experience. Did somebody experienced something like this in their career? Please share if you have any perspective on this <Q> Think of this as mid-career professional growth rather than a career restart in a new field. <S> Your training and work experience are potentially very valuable to some employer. <S> Try drafting a resume for yourself explaining how you are a great candidate for a ML job involving real world data. <S> You are! <S> Then search for job openings that interest you, and compare your draft resume with requirements. <S> That will show you what, if anything, you need to learn before applying for those jobs. <S> Then apply to a few of them for the practice. <A> In a comment, you mentioned being "biased towards machine learning as it is a hot topic <S> and I have some academic knowledge already". <S> Don't assume too much from the hot-topicness of ML. <S> It's been a hot topic for long enough to build up a large group of ML-educated entry-level developers. <S> That's not to say that you should dismiss the idea of retraining, but you should consider whether it puts you ahead of the crowd. <A> Most devices (phones, robots, doorbells...) <S> being manufactured now require a mix of mechanical, electronics, and software design. <S> You have the skills and experience to work in a design group as the person who can talk to everyone and work on problems involving a mix of hardware and software issues.
| Your jack-of-all-trades real world experience counts for a lot more than you might think, and you should give companies a chance to hire you for that skillset, before you transition from being a senior SE/EE engineer to being a junior ML engineer.
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Is it ethical to accept a clients offer to continue working on a project of my previous employer? The question is a hypothetical "what-if" question, not a choice I actually have right now. I work closely with 1-2 team members on developing a software by our company for the customer, on-site with close customer interactions, all as part of the same contracting company. My teammates have been severely slacking, which the customer definitely noticed, but hasn't pushed a red button yet. They are however very pleased with my work and productivity, and don't miss to acknowledge that. I enjoy the customer and the project I'm working on. Due to culture problem reasons I'm leaving the company soonish. As the bus factor is quite low and resting on me, i would definitely not be suprised (due to signals) if the client became so fed up afterwards, that they contact me separately and offer me to continue working on the project independently before they'd ditch my current employer. However this project is supposed to be the "entry-step" into an industry and this client for the company. I have a very good standing in my current company, which would be an good spoken reference for the future, but not a well known name. "Stealing" the project would definitely ruin that relationship, but would in turn give me a much more prominent and well-known, established reference. I'm pretty sure it'd be an severe dick move on my part - but it could be a huge gamble that could have a huge payoff. So my question is, would it be a huge ethical issue to accept such an offer? Would it even be worth it? <Q> So my question is, would it be a huge ethical issue to accept such an offer? <S> Would it even be worth it? <S> Legally, it depends if there is an exclusive clause in your contract between you and your employer, the contract between your customer and your employer and the intention of every party. <S> If a party feel it is not ethical, have serious intention and is ready to spend money on lawyers, even if you are right and again, depending of your region, it can screw heavily your professional plan. <S> A soft approach <S> I attested multiple times in past for consultants companies where I work is the employer and the customer agreed to a price where the customer would pay to hire a coworker for a permanent position. <S> If you trust the customer, you could hint that you may be interested for a permanent position and validate if the customer would like to negotiate with your employer for an arrangement to hire you as a permanent position. <S> Very important to not disclose your intention of leaving your employer but converge the idea of you willing to join the customer full time. <S> In the end, the employer may have more to gain with an accord like this because you have already a feet out and the relation with the customer is starting to erode. <S> Agreeing to a deal like this may safe their face, carry a positive relation and keep the business between your employer and the customer. <A> Whether it is ethical or not is an opinion-based question. <S> But in the real world, it will often not be legally possible for this situation to come up. <S> When a company takes temporary employees from another company, then it is custom practice for the contract to contain a non-poaching clause. <S> Such a clause forbids the client company form making any job offers to the employees who worked at their project for a couple months to a couple years. <S> It's not always clear how enforceable such clauses are. <S> The legal opinions I found about this on the Internet are all over the place, and of course vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. <S> But you can expect the client company to stick to the agreement nevertheless and not try to poach you. <S> At least if they expect to ever again make business with your current employer. <S> Or anyone else in that industry, if it is a small one where word of mouth spreads quickly. <A> Have you signed a non-compete agreement with your current employer or is there language in your contract? <S> As you will see in many questions on this site, non-compete agreements are generally not enforceable when it interferes with your opportunity to earn a living in your chosen field. <S> However, in my experience, they can often be enforced when you are "stealing" business or clients from your prior employer. <S> The way you are describing your situation certainly seems to fall in this area. <S> IANAL, but ethics aside <S> , I think you need to review any agreements you have signed and potentially consult a lawyer before proceeding. <S> While that isn't directly your problem, if your current employer pursued that, you could lose the new job as a side effect.
| You also need to consider whether the client has an agreement with your company not to poach employees. I would try to avoid any conflict. Ethics is too broadly defined to have a specific answer, but there is possibly a contractual problem with your situation.
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How do I approach a difficult conversation with a colleague? I have been tasked to work very closely with a slightly more senior colleague at work, he is pretty much overseeing everything I do at the moment. I find it very difficult to work with him because he questions everything, makes me explain everything I do and every decision I make, explains everything to me (even the most basic stuff in the world he will spend ages explaining to me) and whenever I arrive at a conclusion he pretty much redoes all the work to validate it. I have anxiety* and get stressed out when talking to people, and pretty much know that I can't continue working with him in the manner that we are, so I am looking for ways to deal with the situation. I can see 2 reasonable things: Talk to this person directly Talk to our manager I am terrified of both because he is more senior, I am in a tenuous position due to being on a secondment that has already expired so I am effectively without a job title (I have contractual stability, but that contract if for a job I really don't want to go back to) and because I get scared talking to anyone, nevermind the potential to upset the entire apple cart at work since he is a popular person. Does anyone have any advise on how I should approach this kind of problem? Please don't say 'get help for your anxieties' because I have been doing that for years, and don't suggest finding another job either, because while that is an option I like what I am doing and the company I work for at the moment. *for a bit of explanation; I can usually function ok at work, but in normal conversation where people can say unexpected things I freeze and panic and can barely think of an adequate reply. I have no capacity (or will for) small talk as a result and I avoid pretty much any such social situation (work is usually ok because the subjects are more controlled and purposeful). I am also terrified of upsetting people, and can remember now (at 37) people I upset as a child and whenever I do I get emotional, sometimes to the point of tears. I know that if someone had a problem with the way I do things it would upset me, and I don't want to risk upsetting anyone here, but that is difficult when the problem is related to a person's personality. <Q> They probably have the good intention of training you and helping you develop in your profession. <S> Or, maybe they have a common superpower: explaining the obvious. <S> In that case you can call them Captain Obvious. <S> (joke) <S> If you can stay calm for this conversation, that is best. <S> You should consider asking, "what can I do to convince you I can work more independently? <S> I will, of course, come to you when I have questions. <S> " <S> You can also say, "sometimes you give me explanations of things I already know. <S> Before starting an explanation, can you please ask me how much I know about the topic?" <S> I personally have worked with lots of people new to my profession. <S> I have learned to ask "do you know how xyz works?" before starting to give a mini-lecture. <S> It took me a while to learn to ask that question, though. <S> So respectfully ask this senior person to back off and give you more autonomy. <S> You can even say, respectfully, that you get irritated when they micromanage you. <A> “... he questions everything, makes me explain everything I do and every decision I make, explains everything to me (even the most basic stuff in the world he will spend ages explaining to me) <S> and whenever I arrive at a conclusion he pretty much redoes all the work to validate it.” <S> Sounds like he’s making attempts to coach/mentor you and trying to make sure that you’re working with the correct assumptions and having a sound thought process that led you to your conclusion. <S> He doesn’t know what things you know and what you don’t <S> so he’s making sure that both of you are looking at the same thing from the same perspective (albeit time consuming). <S> Same thing with the thought process behind the conclusion. <S> One way to get in front of this is structure your statements like this.... <S> “ I’m thinking of X as the approach to solve Y as it would fit (the list of assumptions and relevant data that you had to arrive at the answer)” <S> That would allow him to get a better feel for what things went into your answer. <A> You need to talk to him first . <S> Start explaining to him how much you appreciate the conversations and explanations about these programming topics. <S> After that, just say to him that are some topics that you have knowledge enough to be independent <S> and it's not necessary to explain to you again <S> (nominate some of these topics). <S> Say that already asking for his forgiveness, because you was not able to say that before, but would like to make the things clear now. <S> About your anxiety problem, write these things on paper before talk to him and read it for you sometimes. <S> On a natural conversation will be difficult to say the exact things that you wrote, but will help you to remember your arguments when talking to him. <S> This is the first step. <S> Probably you will not able to resolve all these problems on a single conversation, but I think that these tips can help you to make this relationship better.
| I suggest you talk to your senior person. Quote some parts of the conversation that you already had with him to show that you are paying attention on what he says to you.
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How to handle rejection of evidence in a work conversation? Sometimes I report an issue, with my complaint supported by hard evidence (emails, documents, witnesses) but I do not get acknowledgement of the matter from a manager. Example 1: not being paid on time, ever, but a random number of days after the date (e.g. contract says 27th, I get paid the following week). Example 2: colleague guilty of omission or blatantly lying, supported by data, emails and witnesses (e.g. "I pushed my new code yesterday", github doesn't show anything for the last week or for today) In some cases, I report this to my manager and he just says it's not a problem, or it's not... anything. Example 1: "I am being paid late, it's been like this for six months, here are the statements", "you are being paid anyway" Example 2: "code was not submitted, and we were planning to review it today", "then you have to change your plans, if it was urgent you should have prepared a plan B ahead of time" The question is: How to handle a conversation where your manager does not address the evidence presented for a complaint or report? <Q> Not to be flippant, but the way to handle this is by getting a new job and quitting. <S> Pay being consistently late is a pretty big red flag. <A> Example 1: not being paid on time, ever, but a random number of days after the date (e.g. contract says 27th, I get paid the following week). <S> Do you have the contract in hand that says you will be paid on the 27th? <S> Also keep in mind there are a lot of factors to consider here that could be out of your employer's hands. <S> The 27th can fall on a weekend or holiday as well. <S> For example, if your company uses an outside payroll department, it could be that they submit to them on the 27th <S> but it takes them a business day to process and submit. <S> Also, the company I work for uses this payroll company that deposits <S> every Wednesday then I see it in my bank on Friday. <S> Example 2: <S> colleague guilty of omission or blatantly lying, supported by data, emails and witnesses <S> (e.g. "I pushed my new code yesterday", github doesn't show anything for the last week or for today) <S> This isn't really your problem. <S> The one thing anyone hates is a tattletale. <S> Someone who tries to point out other people's fault or get them into trouble for no good reason other than just being annoying. <S> My advice is to present material factually as possible. <S> Do you work, and let others do their work. <S> If both your work need to coincide with each other, then be factual about it. <S> Github has an excellent commenting and pull request logging than other systems out there. <S> Simply make your PR, state you are waiting for commit from person X, then you're set. <S> If your coworker is late for reasons, then your manager would see that in the comment. <S> The evidence is right there for them to see and take action upon. <S> No need for you to point them out. <S> If you're asked why the product was late, say you made a PR request and was waiting on X <S> and he committed the following day. <S> Then end it right there. <S> Don't try to make your coworker look foolish or say he's lying to everyone. <A> How to handle a conversation where your manager does not address the evidence presented for a complaint or report? <S> This will leave the manager fewer chances to wriggle their way out of unpleasant question (assuming a malevolent manager), or this will save both of you some misunderstanding (assuming the manager genuinely misinterpreted the intention of those reports). <S> So you could try: <S> I am being paid late, it's been like this for six months, here are the statements. <S> Could you make sure I'll be paid on due date in the future? <S> Code was not submitted, and we were planning to review it today. <S> I want the guy who lied about submitting it yesterday fired. <S> (just guessing here, because frankly it's not quite clear to me how you wanted the manager to handle it, once it's already happened) <S> TLDR: <S> A clear request would make it more difficult to give a dismissive answer.
| My advice is to go to your manager explain you are expecting to get paid on the 27th as per the contract and want an explanation as to why you aren't getting paid on that day. When reporting an issue you should, if possible, clearly state how you want this issue to be fixed .
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How do I filter out low-paying Job Offers on Linked in I am a software developer in a senior role and my company pays a good salary, but there still room for improvement.Recently I started more seriously to recruiters on Linkedin.My problem is that I have a lot of recruiters being saying they are interested in my profile, but most of them either want to hire me for a lower position than I currently hold, or are offering me less money without any other real incentive to switch companies. How can I effectively filter out companies that don't that are below my current salary expectations? So I have been thinking about the following approaches: Tell them my expected salary upfront. While I think this would work to filter out cheaper offers early on, it would also put me in a bad position for negotiations later on. Just directly ask about what they are intending to pay. While I like the straight forward approach, I don't think companies would give away their upper limit of the budgeted salary. Also it might appear that I am only interested in money and therefore not the right fit Another way would be to assume that any company that doesn't directly advertise their high salary or is a known player just won't pay me enough. This is the easiest approach, but I might lose out on a lot of opportunities because I don't know the company. I also could be looking for job roles that are more senior to my current level, assuming that more responsibility is more pay in any company. But this could easily be wrong in both directions. Of course, salary isn't the only criteria for me, but it appears to be the easiest way to filter out a lot jobs early on, as most companies seem to be offering less then my current employee and salary is a very easy number to compare (opposed to "fun work environment" or "growth opportunities"). How can I effectively filter out job, that I know I wouldn't take anyways, without closing the door to serious offers. <Q> Tell them my expected salary upfront. <S> Do almost exactly that, but instead state your minimum salary. <S> If you are not interested in accepting offers below that amount then that's the right way to go. <S> And when some recruiter contacts you, one of the first things to confirm (within the first 5 minutes of conversation) is that they are aware of your minimum salary and that it's not really negotiable down. <S> I've done that before, cuts away a lot of time wasters, and saves my own time when only down the line we find out to be on entirely different magnitudes of salary expectations. <S> Ones that just cannot work. <S> This sum shouldn't be your dream salary either, you can and should negotiate up from that point. <S> The minimum salary is just a sum under which you are not accepting offers and merely a filter for you, and the employers so everyone can make better decisions before committing any serious time. <S> Also it might appear that I am only interested in money and therefore not the right fit Not at all! <S> People work for money. <S> They have bills, expenses, and lifestyles to sustain, and companies that you want to work to understand it. <S> While passion, environment and all that is great, in the end, if the job doesn't pay enough to keep you happy, you won't stay there long. <S> I don't have scientific studies to back it up, not to any worthwhile credibility at least, but that has been my experience from the last 20 years in the IT industry. <A> 2 options: 1) <S> State your minimum salary upfront. <S> This is my standard message to recruiters: <S> Hi [Recruiter], <S> I'm always open to considering new opportunities. <S> My minimum compensation to consider taking a new position these days is £xxx,xxx. <S> If that's compatible with your job spec, then please send it over and we can arrange a time to discuss further. <S> 2) <S> If you decide that stating a minimum salary will compromise your negotiating position, then you could instead go with: <S> Hi [Recruiter] <S> , Thank you for reaching out. <S> Could you please send me the job spec and the salary/compensation range for this position. <S> If it looks interesting then we can arrange a time to discuss further. <S> And then if they push back just stick to your position <S> : You won't progress until they give you the information you need to decide if it's worth pursuing further. <A> You should definitely ask these recruiters what is the compensation package of the role they are offering you. <S> If the salary doesn't match your expectations, tell the recruiter straight away, so nobody wastes anybody's time. <S> If asked, you may provide a lower bound for your salary expectations, which may be adjusted depending on the company and on the project. <S> Recruiters are paid on commission, so they won't have an incentive to try to sell you a role which clearly doesn't match your criteria (you can still block those who keep sending random job specs). <S> The only downside of stating your salary expectations is not that you may look as somebody who is only interested in money, but that the recruiter may use it as an upper bound during negotiations. <S> When you talk to a professional, let it be a doctor or an accountant, among the first things that are discussed, there is their compensation. <S> It should not be different for you. <A> How can I effectively filter out companies that don't that are below my current salary expectations? <S> As mentioned in the other answers , by being straightforward about your requirements, including the remuneration. <S> So I have been thinking about the following approaches: <S> While I think this would work to filter out cheaper offers early on, it would also put me in a bad position for negotiations later on. <S> Alternatively, ask for their standard payout for that particular role. <S> That way, you don't need to give out a number first. <S> -Just directly ask about what they are intending to pay. <S> While I like the straight forward approach, I don't think companies would give away their upper limit of the budgeted salary. <S> Also it might appear that I am only interested in money and therefore not the right fit <S> No company / recruiter will start the discussion with the upper limit for the pay, they'll always start with the lower limit. <S> It can only only go up then, based on the negotiation. <S> There is no denying that after all, the pay is one of the key aspects for accepting a job and if an applicant is not satisfied with the payscale, there's really not much point in taking the discussion forward. <S> -Another way would be to assume that any company that doesn't directly advertise their high salary or is a known player just won't pay me enough. <S> This is the easiest approach, but I might lose out on a lot of opportunities because I don't know the company. <S> I don't see how this helps. <S> I also could be looking for job roles that are more senior to my current level, assuming that more responsibility is more pay in any company. <S> But this could easily be wrong in both directions. <S> Yes, as you correctly thought, the roles and responsibilities are not very standard, and most of the times, they do not directly indicate a link to pay scale. <S> This varies widely depending on the organization - <S> so it's not a reliable way either.
| - Tell them my expected salary upfront.
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How to build trust as a new company? just curious... how companies build trust to other companies to offer services(cybersecurity) when your employees don't have certifications, but they are powerful employees. let's take the case of Google, Facebook . why small companies or less big tech doesn't work this complex strategy? how to make to work this strategy on new companies? would it work as employees contributing to the infosec community, and writeups, GitHub tools, etc? is it possible to achieve this strategy to build trust in companies having powerful, and exceptional employees skills without having certified employees, but train them with courses? <Q> Some sort of professional credentials or other evidence could help. <S> Think about what makes your employees "powerful and exceptional". <S> Determine what you could offer as verifiable proof of their ability, other than just your words. <S> Testimonials from satisfied clients are often effective. <S> Sometimes a free trial period can demonstrate ability, as could a money-back guarantee. <S> Publications are a common way to demonstrate competence. <S> Presentations at industry conferences can show mastery of a topic. <A> The only way to accomplish this is to have personal connections with the company. <S> Or friends or relatives. <S> It is actually reasonably common in some locales, more common than not many places, but more so with govt than the private sector in my experience. <S> But it's also fairly common anywhere for relatives or close friends of a companies owners to get lucrative contracts despite not having the best or qualified services. <S> Sometimes a company will hire an executive or project manager, just because this person has the professional or personal contacts to get them the contract(s) they want. <A>
| While certifications may not be required, you still need to convince potential clients that your team will be effective. Either through a professional network where your company and employees are known. There is really one way how a small company can make a big company trust it: If you have contracts where violating that trust means the people at the head of the company are going to pay for it.
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I graduate this semester. How should I answer "do you currently have a bachelor's degree?" I am graduating in a little more than 2 months. I have started looking for jobs and sending applications to the ones I am seriously interested in. One of the online applications had a question that said "do you currently have a bachelor's degree?" with a combobox of "Yes" and "No" as the only options. I selected "No", and about 5 minutes after I submitted the application I got an email saying I had been rejected for the position. Because of how quickly it happened on a Sunday, I'm assuming it was an automated response based on the information I entered into the form. How should a soon-graduating student answer questions like these? "Yes" is technically a lie, but "No" excludes very critical information. Edit: my resume does say "Expected" for my graduation date, so it should be clear to anyone that looks at my resume that I am graduating soon. <Q> I was a recruiter/resume screener until I moved into operations. <S> Put yes, or else your resume won’t be read. <S> Most of the time the form itself is not read. <S> We have your resume which would tell us if you have a degree, so why do we have the form? <S> So we can auto-reject you based on the details you put there. <S> The form is meant to make life easy for us. <S> All the talent management systems I have worked with have this ability. <S> On Indeed, the one I used most recently, they have an option to only view those who answer yes to having any numbers of skills and just automatically screening out anyone else. <S> Those questions decide if you resume gets read or not. <S> At another company, we did keyword turf cuts, I.e. added keywords until we got about 50 resumes, skimmed them, and forwarded 20 to the hiring manager. <S> My nephew did his engineering internship there <S> and I got him to the final round by having him paste all the keywords for the job into a 1 point font skills section at the bottom. <S> At another company, any applicant who left out the awards and scholarships section got thrown out for lacking initiative. <S> If you put student of the month from high school in there, you were ahead of over half of applicants and your resume would get read. <S> A friend at an oil and gas company had a great story of how one engineer got an interview <S> and then the job because he put “crude prototype” into his resume and “crude oil” was used as a search term. <S> The company that I am with now has a job posting out for dev ops people with mandatory knowledge of a pile of web technologies like Spring and Node.js. <S> Most of our developers (who make 20-30K more) wouldn’t meet the qualifications keyword searching their resumes. <S> The dev people tell me that it isn’t part of the expected devops job. <S> Yet the form asks how many years of Spring experience one has. <S> We are using Indeed and have the screening on. <S> Just put yes. <S> I would say close enough were I hiring. <A> I graduate this semester. <S> How should I answer <S> “do you currently have a bachelor's degree?” <S> Since in fact you do not currently have a degree, the only truthful answer when given <S> only Yes or No choices is "No". <S> If the online application form allows for comments, then you can clarify your answer there. <S> Otherwise, make it clear in your resume when you expect to graduate. <S> If the company wishes to interview not-yet-graduated candidates, they will not reject them solely for answering No to this question, and will simply look into the resume for your expected graduation date. <S> Never lie on an application. <S> If you lie there and the reader finds out, they will assume you lie all the time. <S> Most managers don't like to employ liars. <S> If you still have any doubts, call the HR department, explain how close you are to graduation and ask if you should reply "Yes" in your case, even though you know it is not currently true. <S> They will indicate how flexible they are with this question, or if they truly require someone who currently has a degree. <A> I will put "Yes". <S> Resume needs to be truthful but you cannot have a technicality work against you. <S> You simply would have to explain (like you already did in CV) when you are interviewed. <S> It is also possible, someone will take a look at your resume or you are called for the interview only after you graduate and in that case it wont even be a concern. <A> When the recruiters came to my university, several noted that if you were looking for full time positions after graduation, you should put that you have a bachelors degree as you will by the time the position is expected to start. <A> One thing you could do is call HR and ask them when they usually have a class of new graduates join their company. <S> It could just be a timing issue. <S> If it's not that, I would suggest you contact the hiring manager directly. <S> Do whatever you have to do to get his contact information. <S> Use LinkedIn, alumni network, multiple cold calls, etc. <S> Tell the hiring manager what happened. <S> If the hiring manager wants your resume included, it will be included. <S> If the same thing happens again with a different company, you should email the hiring manager and ask that question to that person directly. <S> "Should I say 'Yes' or 'No' regarding the degree question since I'm scheduled to graduate this semester? <S> My current GPA is 4.0" and include a link to your resume. <S> Obviously, only mention your GPA if you have a good one. <S> My point is that you should use that message to try to assuage any worry that you might not graduate on schedule.
| This advice might vary by company, but my two friends who have worked in HR say that you should say you have a degree or else your resume is going to get tossed automatically.
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Is a bad HR communication a red flag? I moved to a new city and I've spent last weeks looking for a job intensively. After a long application process with several interviews over several weeks (it's a temporary position, I was surprised the process took so long and was so complex), I got an offer last Tuesday around noon. They told me they wanted me to start on Feb. 13th (this Thursday). As I was in several other recruitment processes I asked for a few days to make up my mind. They told me they needed my decision by Friday early morning given I would be starting shortly. I called them earlier than that, on Thursday morning telling them I wanted the job and starting on Feb 13th was OK. Additionally I wrote them an email. They told me to wait for the contract to be sent immediately. At this point I still didn't have any written offer, nothing in writing, just what we verbally discussed. I waited on Friday and yesterday, didn't want to be impatient. Nobody contacted me. So yesterday afternoon I contacted them by mail asking for an update since I still haven't heard back concerning the contract. Got no reply. Today in the very morning I needed to call them twice. They didn't call back after the first call. The second time the reaction was: "You are starting on Febr. 13th. Oh, it's this week? So sorry, let me check it". They were so surprised I got the impression that if I hadn't contacted them (several times...) they would have never contacted me again. It's just now that I got the information I can start next month as they haven't got some signature. The HR told me they could try to keep the date Feb. 13th but given that in my country you need to do some formalities before starting and normally need at least 2 days to arrange them, that's totally unrealistic. I now got invited to the last rounds by two other companies offering the same or better conditions and I'm not sure whether the process at the company described above was a red flag or not. Would it be unfair if I now ask them for a week or so to sign the contract since I want to consider other opportunities? It's a white-collar job at a big company. <Q> A "promise" of a contract is not a contract. <S> If you have not signed anything, you are not bound by any contract. <S> You only hurried to provide the verbal confirmation, because of the immediate joining date they provided. <S> As I was in several other recruitment processes I asked for a few days to make up my mind. <S> They told me they needed my decision by Friday early morning <S> given I would be starting shortly. <S> Now if they are delaying the process, then it seems they don't need to know your acceptance <S> that quickly, allowing you to take some more time to think and reflect. <S> You can do couple of things here: <S> Ask them whether your joining date will still be considered from Feb 13th or not. <S> This seems to be a delay from their side in the execution of preparing / signing the contract - so they should have you covered for the promised time period. <S> However, it's equally likely that they'll just postpone the joining date after they can have the contract signed and sealed. <S> You need to take a call what you'd do in either of the cases. <S> Also, in the meantime, you can continue with the other interviews. <S> If you manage to get a better opportunity before you actually sign the contract with the first company, you can surely accept the other one. <S> Legally, there's nothing stopping you until you actually sign a contract. <S> Then, to answer <S> Is a bad HR communication <S> a red flag? <S> It might be the case that the person handling your case is plan sloppy, or is ill, or on unplanned vacation and some stop-gap person is handling the load. <S> Follow through a little more, and based on the outcomes, you'll be able to make a decision. <A> I now got invited to the last rounds by two other companies offering the same or better conditions <S> I'd continue on with these offers as if the other company's offer never occurred. <S> Until you get a written offer and a signature could you consider it valid. <S> and I'm not sure whether the process at the company described above was a red flag or not. <S> It's not a red flag but a huge red flag. <S> Whenever something is urgent, right now or the entire world ends then you should stop and ignore it. <S> It's never that important and never that urgent. <S> You expedite your moving process which could have consequences to your finances as a result of this sense of urgency. <S> Now you don't have a offer in hand and their supposedly urgent starting date is rapidly closing. <S> Would it be unfair if I now ask them for a week or so to sign the contract since I want to consider other opportunities? <S> I wouldn't even ask them that. <S> I would just continue with your business. <S> Since they didn't keep their promise, you must assume the offer is withdrawn and invalid. <A> 1) <S> An offer is not an offer until it's in writing and signed by the company. <S> As such, what you responded to and what they needed your approval on was not an offer, it was an offer of an offer . <S> You still do not have the offer. <S> 2) <S> They pressured you to give them your acceptance of their offer of an offer within a short time window, because they wanted to accelerate your start date. <S> That put you in a very stressful position. <S> Now that the stress is off on their side because they have someone on the hook, they are jerking you around. <S> What you should reply with is to confirm with them that your start date is still February 13th and that you will be paid from that date, and not from whatever arbitrary date they pull out of their butt in a month from now, regardless of whether you are working from that date or not. <S> 3) <S> This is an enormous red flag to me. <S> Whenever HR pulls a stunt like this, my go-to opinion is to say "what if they did this sort of thing in other situations?" <S> The go-to on that would be your paycheque. <S> What if they said "We'll pay you on February 13th... <S> oh wait, we have to get some approvals for your paycheque <S> sorry we won't be able to pay you until the end of March, please wait a month and a half for your paycheque". <S> That would suck, wouldn't it? <S> It seems that this is not particularly outside the realm of possibility for this company based on their culture, and you should heavily consider whether or not that is something you are willing to put up with. <S> 4) <S> You should continue job searching. <S> Since you've already set up your move, I guess you should continue searching in the locale to which you are moving, although optimally I would have said you should cancel your move (although that's probably too difficult at this point). <S> Even if you come in on day 1 and say "Sorry, I found a better job offer, I won't be working past today", just do that.
| Yes, it is a red flag - however, this one incident is too little and too early to decide about the whole organization. If you find another offer, at any point, you should immediately drop this company and move to that one, even after you've signed their offer, and even after you've started working there.
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Found a co-worker on a dating website. How do I approach them? I found a co-worker on a dating site. I've seen her around before but have never spoken and never really had any interest. However, after reading her profile, I am interested in pursuit, but am not sure of the appropriateness: The dating site charges a high fee. I'm not super comfortable paying to message just one person. Would it be considered harassment if I messaged them directly at work? (I'd find this creepy myself so probably yes?). If it is I'd just pay the fee. Would it be considered harassment and a risk to my career if I approached her on the dating website? Both of us are aware the other works at the company I should note that I'm aware of the "don't defecate where you work" idiom and how bad things can get dating a co-worker. In my case I feel that doesn't apply - we're not even in the same building, and it's a huge company. <Q> Found a co-worker on a dating website. <S> How do I approach them? <S> You approach them through the dating site. <S> On the dating site she is presumably open to being approached by other people, at work that might not be the case. <S> If the fee on the site is too much then do not bother pursuing her at all. <S> The money lost for being fired for harassment will probably be much greater than the dating site fee. <A> In my view, the dating website is a red herring. <S> Why not approach the person directly at work (without mentioning the dating site) as you would normally ask out someone? <S> Whether this is considered harassment is dependent on your culture/locale <S> (but when people become a couple in real life, someone has to ask out the other person!). <S> In Southern Europe, it would be fine to ask out a person in your workplace with which you do not work together (of course, provided that you do this respectfully and with your employer's policy on that matter in mind).Most couples do meet at work. <S> Of course, read in the Internet the usual advice for dating on the workplace. <S> You can find a lot on that in the Internet. <S> And, just to be sure: it is usually better to ask one out personally than to message them (especially if this would be through a company channel), of course. <A> Don't do this... <S> The dating site charges a high fee. <S> I'm not super comfortable paying to message just one person. <S> Would it be considered harassment if I messaged them directly at work? <S> (I'd find this creepy myself so probably yes?). <S> If it is I'd just pay the fee. <S> Your gut instinct is good on this one. <S> It would be extremely inappropriate to bring up the fact she's on the dating site in conversation - let alone actually acting on it to ask her out. <S> She's using the dating site outside of work, not during. <S> Would it be considered harassment and a risk to my career if I approached her on the dating website? <S> Both of us are aware the other works at the company <S> No <S> and Yes. <S> Would it be considered harassment? <S> If you work nowhere near her, have no ties to her or her department, and were careful to respect her boundaries (as you should be anyway); then it'd be unlikely to escalate into a harassment claim (not impossible though). <S> Is it a good idea? <S> Not really. <S> You might not work together right now, but you don't know where you'll be (or where she'll be) in the next year. <S> Even if you're completely unfazed by working with somebody you wanted to date - she might not be. <S> I'd strongly recommend you treat your current workplace as the biggest compatibility red-flag you can. <S> If in all other aspects you think you might be interested in her; hold the fact you work together against it <S> - it's not worth the risk. <S> It's not romantic to consider; but the reality is she is no more likely to be "the one" than the many other potential romances you might pursue. <S> All good relationships are built over time, without ever being a perfect fit. <S> Ignoring that you ever saw her profile is not going to hurt your chance to have a romantically fulfilling life - but it will do a lot to protect your career. <A> One big problem is that just because you found her photo in a dating site doesn’t mean <S> she is on the dating site. <S> So if you approach her outside the website, it may be complete news to her that she is on that site, which might end up highly embarrassing for everyone. <S> The more attractive she is (to someone who is looking for romance and is wise enough to know that supermodels are not on these websites), the more likely that it is a fake. <S> Especially when you are charged significant amounts of money for contact information. <S> PS Naive commenter doesn’t know how this works. <S> He signs up, he pays, and lots of lovely women on the site unfortunately just found a partner and are not available anymore. <S> That’s when the site is scamming. <S> The other possibility is that a scammer signed up, numbers are estimated 25%. <S> Does she have photos on Facebook? <S> Open season for scammers.
| More simply, even if you got the information that she's potentially looking for a partner via the dating site; sending anything like this during work, especially via work communication, is completely unsolicited and inappropriate.
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Should I fight for appropriate evaluations with an at-will employer? The idea of being an at-will employee scares me since I am the breadwinner for my family. Recently I received some wrongfully objective lower scores in an evaluation which could impact my annual pay raise, but also my overall performance at the company. I brought my concerns to my manager who disagreed and is sending to his manager for review. My concern is that by fighting for an appropriate evaluation score I am making myself a target for termination in a company where complacency seems to be valued over capability. And that there would be no recourse for me to act on if terminated because I disagreed with my evaluation. Is it safer/better for me to just keep my mouth shut and take whatever is thrown my way even if it affects my ability to move up in the company or get raises? (Fun fact: I once had a supervisor advise me not to give the department negative scores on a survey because too many would make the department look bad unnecessarily). <Q> Consider that at will works in both directions. <S> If your employer doesn't like you, they can get rid of you (as long as it's not for something protected, like age, race, etc). <S> Similarly, if you're unhappy with your employer, you're totally free to go work elsewhere without repercussions. <S> Of course, reality is often more complicated than that, but it can be freeing to remind yourself of this truth. <S> People are sometimes afraid of job changes (whether they were voluntary or not), but a change from an employer where you were clearly not a good fit can be a good thing. <S> That said, to get back to your actual question, Should I fight for appropriate evaluations with an at-will employer? <S> You're right, "fighting" for a different evaluation may put a target on your back. <S> But that's really true regardless of the fact that you're in an at-will state: it would just be a different target if you weren't. <S> Also, since your complaint seems to center on performance reviews, it may be helpful to actively engage in the feedback you're receiving, even if you disagree with it at first pass: <S> Can your boss give you specific, objective pointers on how you can show improvement in the future? <S> Are there things you may actually be able to learn about yourself from this feedback? <S> Even when you're sure <S> you're right about an incorrect performance evaluation, it doesn't hurt to ask these things as a gut check. <A> You are ambitious and want to advance. <S> That is good. <S> Most companies like it when employees want to take more responsibility. <S> Instead of "fighting" for your advancement, I suggest you ask for advice. <S> "What can I do to prepare myself for more responsibilities here at Initrode?" <S> If you can find a mentor who is not your manager, that might be helpful. <S> A mentor can help you navigate your company's culture. <S> Your manager also might be able to give you some helpful advice. <S> Keep in mind that most people love being asked for advice. <S> But you should be willing to hear that your chances of advancement in your company are not good. <S> In that case, it's resume time. <S> Also keep in mind that almost everybody is an employee at will, and that it's expensive and time-consuming for companies to replace and train competent people. <S> They won't sack you for being ambitious, unless the company's culture is really broken. <A> whatever comes out of the current situation, this company seems to be a bad fit for you in the long run. <S> Do whatever keeps you employed while searching for a company that's capability-driven, there are many of them out there. <S> Good luck!
| If capability isn't valued and you feel yourself capable, then you should start to look for other employment opportunities. Unfortunately, we can't answer that: it depends on how much you care about receiving appropriate evaluations.
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How to deal with a temporary manager who is just not that smart? My department is between managers and the boss has got their spouse to fill in the role. It could be a couple months before a new manager is in place. In the meantime, how do I handle this situation? We have a lot of work to do and the spouse only works alongside us occasionally. From my experience they state the obvious a lot. Not only that but they go into huge speeches to prove their point (which we all agree with and figured out ages ago.) This may seem like a small thing to ignore for a few weeks but really every other statement becomes this huge speech that holds us back, is sometimes utterly wrong or right and obvious, and I don’t know what would be a professional way of dealing with this. <Q> The best way to deal with a temporary manager is to "Yes" them to death, do what you need to do, and let them save face at every opportunity. <A> The spouse knows they haven't been selected because they're competent; they've been selected because they were available, and for lack of a better option. <S> They need to keep up the illusion of competence, while knowing they can't really be productive in any way for lack of experience, and they don't have the knowledge to find things to improve. <S> They're insecure and feel the need to hide this somehow. <S> So, give that person a way to feel they're a success! <S> Delegate tasks to them. <S> Yes, they are your manager, not vice versa, they should know what they have to do themselves, and what to delegate to you. <S> But they lack the skill and experience to do that. <S> Find things that you'd expect a manager to do, even (and especially) if you could do them yourself, and ask your manager to do them, or for input about how to do them. <S> Ask them to organize a meeting, to get some info from another department to whose employees you're not supposed to talk directly, whatever - this depends a lot on your company size and culture. <S> When this works out, thank them for how they helped you do your job. <S> Make sure you don't sound ironic or sarcastic; remember you have more time to spend on your job because your manager does their job. <S> Give them the opportunity to succeed, help them feel comfortable and secure in their role, and they won't feel the need to show off all the time any more. <A> It's only temporary. <S> Be nice to them and try to help them out. <S> Firstly it's boss's family and secondly there is zero need to antagonise this person. <S> It's just a temporary position for them, not worth a lot of bother <S> but the people will be remembered.
| If it's blatantly obvious, just thank them and do it. If it's blatantly wrong, don't contradict them publicly, just say "I'll look into that", and then tell them privately, and explain to them that you didn't want to contradict them publicly. Give that person something to do. Most of all, be patient, the person is trying to help
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How to gracefully refuse customer request? We are a small team of developers making and maintaining a software product with a high number of users. We are also in direct contact with users who ask us many requests about the product. We don't have access to business information (what kind of deal a specific user has with the company that employs us). We don't have enough resources to address all the user requests, and will have to refuse some of them. We treat in priority the requests that seem easier to comply with ; or that could benefit most users. How can we gracefully notify those users who made requests that we will not be able to process? How to tell them that what they asked for is not possible ; while avoiding frustrating them? <Q> We don't have access to business information (what kind of deal a specific user has with the company that employs us). <S> This is the key thing. <S> The obvious thing is boot the request further up your managerial tree until it hits someone who can make that decision for you. <S> In fact all change requests should be filtered through someone who is aware of the contractual requirements before you even start to work on them. <S> As while you may think that an item seems reasonable, it may be totally out of the scope of what your customer has paid for, and by working on it you are effectively giving away free work. <A> Pass information up, and receive decisions that come down. <S> You should record all the client requests in an issue tracking system, but place them into the backlog (so they aren't worked on). <S> The project manager (you should have one, of some sort, I hope) will review the requests on a regular basis, and decide which ones should be worked on. <S> That PM is the person who should have the business and contractual knowledge (from the client) and techncial knowledge (from the request) in order to prioritize the work. <S> Once you have that type of workflow in place, you never have to say no to a client - you always say that you'll ticket it, and Ms XYZ will prioritize it. <A> The golden rule: <S> The customer is always right - if the customer pays for it. <S> If your manager comes to you and tells you that the customer is paying for a feature or a change, and tells you to do the work, then you do it. <S> Otherwise you don’t. <S> Find out who in the company can make a decision whether work will be done at all, and for what price. <S> Then when you get a request, you say politely “I’m sorry, but this is something I cannot decide. <S> Please contact so-and-so about it”. <S> PS Just because the customer is willing to pay doesn’t mean they get it. <S> Someone quite high up needs to decide about the company’s strategy. <S> Any request costs money, not just for the work done, but also for all the other work you should do instead. <A> You have information they need, and they have information you need. <S> You need to know what you should do for the clients. <S> The sales folks need to know what you could do for the clients, and how hard (read: expensive in salary hours) it would be. <S> You don't want to sever all contact with the customers. <S> It's good if developers have a clear idea of what the customers actually want to do with the software. <S> But you do need to get the sales people involved more. <S> Handling your problem, is part of their job. <A> That needs to go to them. <S> However, I want to add a warning. <S> Be careful just handing off the decision on whether something gets added to the salespeople/management. <S> Management might easily agree that a button should be moved a couple pixels over. <S> That couple of pixels may seem trivial for them, but could require adding the ability to add a custom style sheet for each client. <S> Moving from a one to one relationship for items to a one to many relationship is something that many non-technicals see as 5 minutes of work. <S> It isn't. <S> Highly complex requests are going to have to be refused anyway, but it will be a lot less graceful if sales agrees and then development tells them it cannot be done. <S> Try to get sales to check with the development team before they approve a new feature in an agreement.
| Get together with your sales people/whoever manages the business side of the contracts for which you do the development. Unless you know the contractual details of a customer you can't make a decision as to how to reposed to a customers request. I agree with all the other answers on that you need the contract info to make these decisions and pass the negotiation of features onto whoever is handling those. A feature might be impossible, it might be a security problem, or it might require that so many variants of the software be created that maintenance becomes exponentially more difficult.
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As a front end developer, what am I supposed to do if the APIs keep crashing? As a front end developer, I feel frustrated every time the back end crashes, stops responding to the APIs or makes the front end crash when an API doesn't honor its contract because of missing data. Every time something like this happens, I get thrown off and I don't know what to do. Creating mock responses and then working on it seems viable to some extent but what am I supposed to do when this happens all the time? Should I keep making mocks? <Q> Should I keep making mocks? <S> Yes, keep making mock functions to test what you're doing. <S> Don't think of this as a waste of time you have to do because the back-end crashes, think of it as invaluable testing for your work. <S> Unit tests save massive amounts of time on code maintenance: when something breaks down the road, you can run against your mock code and verify that your inputs are correct. <S> Both of these are valuable going forward and will help with your current predicament. <A> Perhaps you can produce logs in your (debug) frontend environment that show the precise, quantifiable ways the APIs fail to honor the contract: <S> How often? <S> On which API methods? <S> Do all of them fail or are maybe some of them buggy? <S> Under which circumstances? <S> Is there particular input data on which the failures happen? <S> If the backend is run by another team/department in your company, this gives you something solid to discuss with them (or that can be raised by your team lead). <S> Having actual quantitative data makes your concerns more valid in the eyes of a lot of people. <S> And the logs will be helpful for the backend team in diagnosing the causes. <S> If the API backends belong to an external service, you can still raise a ticket with them. <S> If that doesn't pan out, the data gives you something on which to base decisions of whether you want to keep using that API, or maybe avoid specific functionality. <A> I assume you are working with a back-end developer that is building out the API at the same time you're building the front-end? <S> If this is correct, then let them know of the issues and how its affecting you. <S> If it continues you raise this with the manager. <S> You shouldn't have to put up with this repeatedly. <S> The back-end should only be releasing sections of the API to you after it's fully tested and working. <S> Also, an API should never crash your front-end. <S> Your front-end should always fail gracefully. <A> Creating mock responses and then working on it seems viable to some extent but what am I supposed to do when this happens all the time? <S> Should I keep making mocks? <S> This is a case where you should consult with your manager or leader what to do, and how to handle this situation when it arises. <A> Because most likely the data model is in constant flux, mock responses could mean you are building a front end to a data model that won't exist in a couple of months and refactoring will be a pain. <S> My suggestion is to sit with the backend dev and try to advance the shared data model as far as you can together, pair programming and lock it down for a minimum period. <S> I code both the front end and back end and any model changes are a real pain, so I know exactly what you are experiencing as I am doing it constantly to myself
| You can propose a course of action when consulting with your manager (like keep making mocks), and work on from that. Logging is another great way to deal with this: make your code able to record exactly what you're passing to the back-end and verify that it is correct.
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I am afraid of dealing people smarter and more skilled than me! I have a dream to create a robot making company. I have graduated in AI field and have some ideas about it, but as the robot making is a multi deciplinary work and needs Electrical and mechanical engineering knowledges as well, I don't know what can I do for those parts? I mean how can I hire proper electrical/mechanical engineers? How should I lead them when I don't have skills in their field? Even if I do hire CTO guys to lead them, how can I evaluate those CTO guys's work and understand if they are screwing? <Q> There's two parts to this question. <S> First part: <S> "I am afraid of dealing with people smarter and more skilled than me!" <S> Uh, no. <S> Terrible way of looking at it. <S> If you're a manager, your goal should be to hire as smart, as competent, and industrious of people as you can. <S> If you don't do that? <S> Oh, sure, you'll be smarter than your underlings... <S> but your team will suck and your performance will suffer as a result. <S> If it helps, picture it this way: <S> Alice Q Genius and Bob Mehville both are looking for a CTO job. <S> You decide to hire Bob... and Alice goes to work for another company, quite likely a competitor. <S> Which company fares better - the one that got the 'meh' CTO, or the one that got the whip-smart one? <S> Clearly the company that hires Alice is going to be better off - which is doubly worse if that 'other company' is competing with yours. <S> And imagine if Bob Mehville thinks the same as you, and it comes time to hire some developers/engineers/whatever, where everyone is 'not quite as smart' as Bob? <S> Care to imagine what talent your company would be losing, simply because management doesn't want smart employees? <S> The second part is this: "how can I evaluate those CTO guys's work and understand if they are screwing?" <S> My boss doesn't know C#. <S> He doesn't know SQL. <S> He doesn't know the APIs of the vendors we work with. <S> Or <S> any of that. <S> But that doesn't mean he doesn't make sure I'm not goofing around all day. <S> All he has to know is: <S> What's Kevin generally working on? <S> What's the timeframe of his current tasks? <S> Are the clients happy? <S> That's the part that I think you're missing. <S> You're viewing this as "I'm a AI expert and I want to run an robotics company - <S> but I don't have the engineering knowledge!" <S> If you're going to run a company, your important skillset isn't the nuts-and-bolts of AI: it's how to manage people and how to navigate the business world. <A> It’s not expected that you have in-depth knowledge of every skill your subordinates/partners possess (though it helps to have at least a high level understanding of what they’re doing.) <S> Don’t confuse leadership with micromanagement. <S> As Steve Jobs put it, "It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do." <S> I am afraid of dealing people smarter and more skilled than me! <S> You need to get over this fear right now if you want to be successful in business. <S> First of all, different kinds of people are better in different areas. <S> You can't possibly expect to be the best at everything. <S> Secondly, the success of the company is more important than satisfying your own ego. <S> The last thing you want is for the people you hire to not show their best work because the boss is afraid of getting outshined. <A> A business like that isn't going to be easy to setup. <S> Not only will you need engineers but you will need legal, marketing etc... <S> The majority of your staff will be doing things you don't understand yourself. <S> You hire people with proven experience (via portfolios and references) and trust them. <S> You will know if they aren't performing by the results they produce. <A> As other answers have pointed out, you'll need management skills more than you'll need engineering skills. <S> But you'll still need engineering skills. <S> Even if you have great management knowledge, I'd bet the amount of competent managers in the IT space without tech experience are far less than those who have worked first in a technical role. <S> It's nice to dream big, but you also need to ground those dreams in reality. <S> If robotics is really your dream, I don't think you should have any issue with working in industry (at least at first), hopefully alongside those interdisciplinary people. <S> When you have a more complete grasp of things, you'll be able to better achieve your dream.
| No, the skillset you're missing isn't engineering: it's management. In general, you want to hire people who have a proven history of success in the role you hire them for and who share your vision for the company.
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Negative reviews on Glassdoor look like I wrote them I work at a small company of about 50 employees. Recently, our HR guy mentioned that there are a couple of very negative reviews on Glassdoor. The problem is that they look like I wrote them because they address the very specific problems I have with the company. My colleagues know about them as I have told them about it and they start to distance themselves from me as they think I wrote those reviews. I haven't written those comments but I am afraid that they will backfire at me as I'm currently looking for a new job. How should I deal with this situation? Just telling everyone that I haven't written them or be quiet? <Q> How should I deal with this situation? <S> Just telling everyone that I haven't written them or be quiet? <S> Maybe you could consider stopping publicly venting about the company problems until after you have left for a new job. <A> As you didn't write them, unless you are asked by someone specifically the last thing you do is start a conversation about it and claim "it wasn't me" that instantly makes everyone think it was you. <S> Don't talk about them and don't mention them again. <S> As you are looking for a new job, I assume by 'backfire' you mean, you are worried people will believe it was you now that you are leaving. <S> Stop worrying what they think, it doesn't matter. <S> Why do you think it does? <A> they address the very specific problems I have with the company <S> THEY - multiple comments SPECIFIC <S> - So an inside knowledge is presented I HAVE - and not only you. <S> You need to realize, "If I didn't write them then it had to be someone else" ergo other people in company have same/similar problems. <S> So if asked and ONLY if asked directly say <S> I'm not the only one in this company with those problems. <S> I just made a mistake of venting them out in company environment hoping something will change. <S> Do not deny the existence of the problem. <S> Deny the authorship. <S> And most important - STOP caring about it. <S> It's obvious that in your company the problem are resolved through ignoring them and shaming people who "bring out the trash". <A> My colleagues know about them as I have told them about it <S> and they start to distance themselves from me as they think I wrote those reviews. <S> Did they bring up the reviews with you or ask you about them? <S> If not, I wouldn't jump to conclusions. <S> If someone does ask you about the reviews, you can certainly respond with something like: <S> I know I haven't exactly been quiet about my issues with the company <S> but I don't feel the need to disseminate them publicly. <S> I don't know who wrote the reviews <S> but it doesn't seem like an appropriate way to vent frustrations. <S> If you don't have any direct evidence that the reviews are causing problems between you and your colleagues, it's very well possible that you're imagining a problem that doesn't really exist. <S> You're better off just forgetting about it and moving on. <S> Since you're planning to find a new job soon anyway, whatever perceived friction exists between you and your colleagues won't be a problem for much longer.
| When asked, just indicate that you didn't write them. You probably shouldn't bring up the reviews unless asked about them as it will only make you look more guilty.
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Excuses?... Or true mental health journey?.. Time to recover? I am fortunate to have a position that I love. This position grants me the opportunity to work with professionals from different backgrounds in all fields dedicated to serving underserved families and students. My position requires me to be responsible for several tasks. One task in particular that I struggle is being a program coordinator with a large expectations. I love what I do and see so much potential for the project that I have. But there is no guidance! I received little to no trainings or walkthrough. It's been a little over a year now and I have no tangible documents to measure my success because I was disorganized. My disorganization stemmed from my lack of mental clarity. As a grad student dealing with a lot of family, personal issues, and healing from depression and severe anxiety I was literally not in my right mind. My direct supervisor is hands down the best boss I have ever had and is a role model in every way but I can tell that she is fed up with me. Indirectly, she has shared that they most likely won't choose to continue my position due to my lack of documentation. Truth is, I freeze when it comes to writing nowadays. I'm not sure when this started (sometime in undergrad, probably when depression really hit). We have barely any staff and I am required to initiate and coordinate every project, market, conduct surveys. Everything! I am so overwhelmed. I am thoroughly embarrassed with the reputation that I may leave my job with but at the same time I cannot and will not kill myself for my mental health struggle these past couple of years. I just feel so bad because I let my boss down and I failed at my dream job (which thankfully is a graduate assistantship). How do I move forward? My next task is drafting a plan on how we can move forward. My boss doesn't understand that I truly have trouble organizing my thoughts and need someone to model how to be organized. All I have to do is put my thoughts on paper, I am pretty sure she will help me with rest. But I just cannot get it out. And I miss all deadlines. I am so frustrated. I am literally ruining my own life. I love this position and I want to keep it. But I cannot survive in unstructured workplaces especially if I am not too familiar and required to be everywhere and do everything by myself. I know it's a long ramble, any suggestions? <Q> You are overwhelmed. <S> Your workload is too large/disorganised and as such you are unable to manage the amount of work you are expected to do in the time allocated for your role. <S> First; talk to your boss . <S> I know they've helped you <S> and they are the 'best boss you've had' and probably helped you in your role/career numerous times and that you feel like you don't have enough 'credit' to ask for more help... <S> but their role is to make sure you can function properly within your role . <S> You explain to them you are unable to keep up with workload which presently makes it impossible to document the parts of the role which enable you to prepare it for handover to a third party/other person, which would free you up to work on more high-level tasks. <S> It's up to them to manage the expectations of those submissions within your business. <S> By working yourself into the ground so hard you have created a 'false economy' (because the volume of work is unrealistic for a single person to produce sustainably without breaking themselves trying to keep up) and now the business needs to reevaluate what is realistically achievable in the time given. <S> With expectations reset, you now have buffer time... <S> buffer time which you can invest back into the documentation and working towards escaping this 'over-expectation loop' <S> you are caught in. <S> And on a personal note; I hope the situation improves soon! <S> Don't let a job ruin your mental health. <S> Your mental health is infinitely more valuable than your paycheck is <A> This sounds like your first position. <S> Your boss is being unfair, whether knowingly or not is hard to tell. <S> Don't let her impact on your mental health any more than you can help it. <S> Do the job to the best of your ability, if you get let go then the bosses expectations were unrealistic for a new employee. <S> But don't blame yourself, so long as you tried your best you're doing better than many. <S> If you need structure, create it. <S> That's exactly what the boss wants you to do anyway. <A> You're definitely in a tough spot right now. <S> You will get through this. <S> You can be sure of that. <S> Some observations: <S> You're not alone. <S> Almost everybody goes through this kind of self-doubt once in a while. <S> It seems to you like you're flailing, but some of that is in your head. <S> You're not failing. <S> You're struggling. <S> They are different things. <S> You can almost never go wrong asking for advice. <S> Especially from your supervisor. <S> It's her job to offer advice. <S> You need a short break, I believe. <S> Away from your work. <S> Away. <S> Give yourself some time to sleep and dream. <S> When you ask your supervisor tell her why you need a little time. <S> "I need a couple of days away to settle myself down and regain perspective." <S> Like most mission-driven people you have more work than you can finish. <S> This will not change during your career, so you better get used to it. <S> Here's what I do: In a quiet hour I make a list of all the things I'm doing. <S> Then I prioritize them. <S> Then I ask my supervisor to take a look at my priorities and suggest changes. <S> Then I do the stuff at the top of the list. <S> This program <S> you're coordinating? <S> You actually have two tasks in it. <S> One is to make your program successful, and the other is to make it so other people can run similar programs. <S> You're doing fine at the first task: you know that. <S> That second task is harder than the first task. <S> It's also a very different kind of work: you have to shift your mental gears to do the necessary planning and writing. <S> Have a conversation with your supervisor about all this. <S> Admit you're having trouble with the second task, and ask for advice. <S> Try to find some other programs in your field where somebody has done the second task. <S> Take a look at their materials (coordinator's guide? <S> evaluators' guide?) <S> and use them as a model for your work. <S> You might even consider calling the people who created the materials and asking for a conversation. <S> The world needs the kind of programs you're developing and running. <S> Be strong and be patient with yourself.
| Advise your boss that you are unable to keep up with the load. Take a long weekend or a few more days' vacation.
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Can I put a senior title on my CV if it was my job but not my official title? In my last company I was hired as a web developer. The 2 titles used in the company were: developer senior developer There was nothing official in place for progression and being upgraded to the senior title was a rare occurrence and not really based on anything. After a number of years I asked for the senior title and pay rise during a performance review with my boss and manager. I was told there was a list of criteria that had to be met. I asked what this was because my work, responsibilities and knowledge had risen above the developers with the senior title. They avoided answering. I had further conversations with the manager pointing out that emails sent by the boss to the client (accidentally CC'ed in to myself) refer to me as the "senior developer" on the project. I then had to ask a new manager why new junior devs joining the company keep referring to me as the senior developer when I didn't have the title officially. This turned out to be a mistake as the manager assumed I was a senior developer. After pushing the new manager, he admitted there was no list of criteria, and it was so they could keep me on a junior salary, mainly because sales were under quoting everything because they get a bonus based on number of sales, regardless of the project making an overall loss. My request for senior title was used as an excuse by the company to pile on more and more responsibilities with no intention of giving me the promotion. TL;DR The question is, can I put the senior title on my CV? Even though I didn't have the title officially, I was sold to clients as a senior developer, and junior developers were told by the manager I was the senior developer for my projects. The problem is if an employer checks my reference, it will look like I'm lying. So is there a better way to show I was in a senior position, that will stand out? How do I explain to a future employer that I deserve a senior's salary? Because of my title and salary recruiters won't put me forward for senior positions. <Q> The question is, can I put the senior title on my CV? <S> In this case, NO. <S> Do not "invent" new title / designation, go by what you can prove (contract / references). <S> How do I explain to a future employer that I deserve a seniors salary? <S> This will entirely depend on the factor that how much value you bring in and going to add to the organization. <S> Do not demand for a salary based on a title / designation. <S> Ask for a salary based on Job description (and responsibilities) <S> Your expertise, knowledge and proficiency Market research. <S> Basically, prove that you are worth to be paid a certain amount because of your work, not only because you hold a title. <S> Oh yes, <S> and there's no standard range for "seniors salary" - <S> I have seen people with designation "Software engineer" in one organization earning more than some "Project Leader" or "Senior Lead Engineer" in another organization. <S> Decide how much you are worth of and ask for that amount during negotiation. <A> can I put the senior title on my CV? <S> No. <S> I know it is nice to have a "senior" badge in your resume, but it is not about this. <S> You are "selling" to a potentional employer not your title <S> but: Experience <S> Knowledge Projects done Professionalism etc. <S> Consider this: Senior developer in noName startup doing Wordpress has fewer market value as junior developer at Google doing AI for search engine. <A> but it actually a good thing . <S> The previous answers are great. <S> I'll add to it that a potential employer would probably be more impressed that you assumed the level of responsibility and the leadership role that you did without having that title. <S> That shows a willingness to step-up, and who doesn't want to hire someone like that? <S> Your lack of a title can play strongly to your advantage. <S> Present it as such.
| No you can't,
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How to deal with developer with "special role" in a scrum team? I took over the job of a product owner in a scrum team (size: about 10 people) a few months ago (where I was a part of the development team for a few years before). The team is one of about 20-30 teams in a bigger project and we get directly a lot of pressure from the customer. Since our team is covering many features and components, we always try to have as many substitutes as possible for each feature. However, for one topic of the team, someone was hired (let's call him Adam) and promised a special role within the team that he should be completely responsible for these topics. Since the old product owner did not have great interest in that topic, he did not question the special role of Adam. So, the old product owner was the interface to all other teams, management and customer, expect for that one special topic. However, Adam is not very efficient in handling those "communicative" topics and spends about half of his with non-productive activities caused by the special role he got (e.g., while the old product owner and also me can take part in a phone call with management, we can answer multiple customer mails in parallel and think about priority while Adam is fully occupied with one activity, ...). When there was a priority on one of his topics, he requested people into his "subteam" and defined himself to a "sub product owner" who was doing a second stand-up, planning, etc. This caused him to develop very few lines of code in such situations (though he is calculated as fully developer). Since we now get much more pressure from the customer and the team is smaller than before (two people left), we decided to bundle all these communication to me as product owner in order to give all the developers as much time for development as possible. This was backup by the senior management.But for me it seems that Adam does not accept this. A few examples: I am having meetings from time to time with other teams when we have finished work packages they need; and the meetings are very high level (without any technical questions) as "We need you to finish A until May since we then need to begin with B", but he insists of joining because it is about "this" topics There is a project wide prioritization that we are tracked for some topics and some other topics are already decided to have lower priority (which was hard work to that such a decision). However, Adam is conducting meetings with people for these low prio topics without notifying me (leading to much unfinished work). Acceptance criteria for work packages are extended on this own without discussing that with the team and without adjusting the needed time. All in all, what is finished is good, but due to this behavior, I would say that I can only give priority for about 20% of this time; for the rest Adam is doing what he wants. The remaining team is also not so happy about this. I spoke to his senior manager (who is also mine) about the situation, but he does not want to take away the "special role" of Adam; and he fears that Adam might leave the team where he criticizes Adams. From my technical impression (as I was part of the team), the topics of Adam are not so complicated that a few people can learn and to be substitutes of these topics (which is very important in case of vacation, parental leaves, etc.). But my feeling is that Adam does not let anyone to dig deeper into this topics (not clear if conscious or unconscious). What can I do to improve the situation? My main goal is to increase the overall output of the team and to keep the atmosphere within the team as good as possible. In particular what are the disadvantages of the following ideas? Stricter tracking of Adam's tasks (or of the whole team)? Direct confrontation with the risk that my senior manager is unhappy withthat and Adam might want to leave? Insist of finding substitutes for every small topic (even if that might take longer now)? Make him personally responsible in front of the management for "his" topics? Give him topics which can be tracked more easy and which are notpopular in the rest of team? Just accept the situation as it is andsave time? <Q> Address the Bus Factor first - give other people tasks that would normally fall within Adam's remit. <S> Get other people in the same technical area up to speed on Adams work. <S> Give Adam sufficient 'make work' tasks that he can't argue with this based on his availability. <S> Once that is in place, assign tasks to Adam in exactly the same way that you assign them to other team members - take away his 'special' designation. <S> You may find that Adam decides to knuckle down (unlikely), or leave - but by that time, you'll have sufficient people trained in his area that without him, productivity might even go up. <S> Also, do not invite Adam to meetings that are above his pay grade. <S> The next time he gatecrashes one, take him aside after the meeting and remind him that he was not invited, and is not welcome, as it was not a technical meeting. <S> If he insists on being a 'sub product owner', then give him all the downsides to that pleasure also; he needs to find the budget for the staff, and schedule the workload so that it's complete within the given timeframe. <S> If not, he has to answer to you. <A> You've done everything you can. <S> and he fears that Adam might leave the team where he criticizes Adams. <S> Allude to the fact that this lack of clarity is bad for morale and that more team members (including yourself) might leave the team if this issue isn't taken care of. <A> I believe you firm need to re-organise the roles and possibly change positions. <S> Here it it <S> why I think so <S> : What’s the role of your manager? <S> Exactly! <S> (S)He should be the the PO and only work with a SCRUM master not a PO and an Adam (aka a semi PO and semi-developer) <S> What happens in you retrospective meetings? <S> Is there any? <S> Are you invited? <S> is Adam invited? <S> (We know that PO’s are not invited in retro’s) <S> Who is the SCRUM master? <S> These impediments should be cleared by a SM. <S> The SCRUM team members should be cross-functional, if your team is not, they hire some one who really is!(Now is the best time since you have two already left members) <S> The way you are developing your product is much more like the traditional project management rather than being a SCRUM project. <S> You need to re-structure the whole team. <S> And this is not only Adam’s fault. <S> Your manager plays a vital rule here if he embrace these structural changes <S> then there is hope, if s(he) <S> doesn’t I strongly recommend to change your linkedin status to “open for new positions”. <A> Just accept the situation as it is and save time? <S> This option is the one that is within your role and scope. <S> Most of the rest is not actually your problem. <S> You've already escalated your concerns and given reasoning. <S> It's out of your hands <S> so don't let it stress you out while you concentrate on fulfilling your own responsibilities. <A> You have a scrum team. <S> Usually that means you plan what tasks should be done <S> say in the next two weeks, and everyone picks tasks they want to do. <S> Also, everybody should be able to do any task. <S> I suggest that you intentionally deviate from this for a few weeks. <S> Mostly you let people pick their tasks, but you assign the tasks that Adam wants to do to other people who you trust that they will handle these tasks. <S> Then you see how it goes. <S> If your other team members cannot handle Adam's tasks, that is too bad, you lost. <S> On the other hand, if they handle Adam's tasks then you have in one swoop destroyed his special role. <S> And he now has to show that he is a good developer.
| If Adam protests, you tell him that this is your decision, that everyone in the team should be able to handle any tasks, and you expect him to pick some of the other tasks and handle them.
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Does management experience hurt or "look bad" on an engineer's resume If I've worked in engineering for 10 years, and accept a management role, does it hurt my resume/CV when applying as an engineer at other companies? My employer is giving me a choice between becoming an "engineering fellow" (50% technical, 50% leadership) role, and a $20k raise (i.e. $160k ==> $180k), and my salary caps at $240k; or a management role, which is only a $10k raise, but caps at $300k, and provides an "easier" path to becoming a director/executive over the next 10 years (engineering fellows can do this too, but it's rare). I'm concerned about economic downturns and possible layoffs in the next year, and in my experience: Low-to-mid-level managers are the first to get cut. Having management as your most recent job tends to make it harder to interview for top-level engineering roles (I've seen my own colleagues at multiple companies say "oh, he's rusty, too much management, he shouldn't be applying for a principal/senior engineering role"). Is it normal for an engineer to have a harder time interviewing as an engineer with their more recent roles being in management? Should I change my job title to "engineering lead" or "chief engineer" when applying to other companies? I've seen this sentiment at multiple companies, so I don't believe it's just hearsay. Also, should I consider turning down the promotion to management and insist on sticking with the engineering role if management insists I choose a non-technical/management promotion instead of an engineering promotion? Or is that asking to be fired by insisting on a different path/stream of promotion? Thank you. <Q> My old department lead found a job as developer just fine after getting laid off. <S> This may depend upon connections, how much development you did before becoming a manager, etc... <S> Also, I think this may depend on country. <S> I know that in Germany, older people said there is no way back from management. <S> But I think it's not as true as it used to be. <S> But that may be a local bubble. <S> If you refuse a promotion because of your CV, that might be seen negative. <S> But if you say you see yourself more suited to other path <S> X instead, a lot of people will be understanding. <S> Some may try to push you anyway, because it is convenient for them! <S> But for most people, refusing a promotion you think you are unsuited doesn't get them fired. <S> If you're company does this, you are better off without them. <S> In summary, I think you should focus on the question if the managerial path suits you. <S> If you think you might do a good job, why not give it a try? <A> As far as your opening question - "am i still hireable", you're always hireable. <S> (You can always get another management job you know, I'm told that those positions still exist even after downturns). <S> You really need to ask yourself what you want to do with your life - you'll be dead soon, well, sooner than it seems, and you'll probably wish you'd done what you wanted to do. <S> Management can be really fun and interesting, and it requires a different skillset, so initially it will be quite challenging but a real learning opportunity too. <S> Engineering will always exist, so it's never going to be too hard to get an engineering role either. <S> I'm not sure what you want to do with your life, so maybe talk to your boss about it <S> - you can show uncertainty as long as you're also showing a desire to make a challenging, interesting choice for your life. <S> Much of your question, though, seems to be "i'll be fired in a year in a downturn and i will only apply for engineering jobs once that happens", which is really weird. <S> If you know there is going to be a downturn next year, then start buying puts at the appropriate time and you won't even need to job hunt <S> If you know it's going to all up until then, start buying calls now, <S> and then you can setup a hedge fund to buy the puts in a year with your successful track record, and you'll not only not need to job hunt, you'll be hiring engineers! <S> You can also, you know, if you take the management role now, apply for management jobs after this downturn. <S> I'm told that management roles are much easier to get than programming roles, especially when you have recent management experience. <A> 10 years of engineering sounds quite low to me personally to be considered for management, so maybe you have that on your side, <S> at a future date you could say you were not done getting your hands dirty doing the real work. <S> At 32 years now of technical work, I'm done for sure and nobody replies to my resume anymore despite me doing the best work of my career, so don't leave it too late
| But as long as you have a reason why you're applying for a technical role once you have had management experience (ie I love technical roles), then you're fine.
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How do I deal with a co-worker that keeps making the same jokes, and same remarks? Basically, I work in a small company that usually will have 4-5 fulltime workers at a time in the office. There are separate rooms in the office, and I share a room with a co-worker who I will call 'Tim'. Everyone in the office is either family, or has known each other for 5 years or so, and several of those years were outside of the work environment, except Tim only came into the workplace about a year ago from now. My main problem is that Tim likes to make the same comments, jokes, and remarks on a daily basis. Because we are the only ones that share a room, it seems to only be me that notices all the strange behaviour. Once, Tim made a joke about 'getting an all-day carpark, and said did you get one?' Knowing that I didn't, I was thinking 'okay, your just trying to fit in with the friendly teasing culture, knowing that everyone else is comfortable with each other to be that way.' Although it was okay at first, the problem is he just doesn't stop, he keeps saying it every fricking day. I have to tell him several times that the joke is getting old and is completely dead, but no Tim will persist a little longer, and then do the exact same thing with another joke that I will also think is not that funny. The thing that is strangest is that Tim makes comments and whisper my name to himself such as 'Sam sucks' or 'Sam stinks', sort of like a 5-year-old. I asked him why he keeps making those remarks so randomly, but he used this as an excuse 'My dog is called Sam, so I get used to saying that'. I think that is a poor excuse, since the dog is not there, and the way he does it, seems very directed at me. Nowadays, Tim has stopped saying those remarks, but there is always something else he will say repetitively. Every time Timmy has an issue, now he uses my name as a some type of curse word, and will mumble things like 'Oh Sammy Sammy sam', when he is frustrated by things, and he is not actually talking or asking something to me. Anyways, its not just the fact that the jokes and remarks he makes are strange, but its also the repetitiveness, and persistance. I've tried talking to him about a few things before, but what makes it hard is that I am not sure of his motive behind it all. I'm also not sure if he ever understands what I am trying to say, as he will just switch from one stupid joke to another stupid one, when I call him out on it. I am not sure if the reason is its Tim's insecurity of not feeling like he fits in with everyone else, or if he just has a really weird sense of humour, or if he has some type of social/mental problem or disorder, or if he is secretly trying to rub me the wrong way as he feels threatened by my position in the company. Often he comes across nice, and actually caring, in some ways too much, because if I have a personal doctor appointment and leave early, Tim will flat out ask "Oh what is the appointment for, is everything okay?" Which I don't want to answer to him, because I still don't know him that well, and honestly it could be nothing important. Tim also has the habit of interrupting conversations that I have with other people in the office, which is really annoying, because sometimes its very obviously a conversation that should include just me and the person I am talking to, but he will jump in straight away with his opinion, sometimes before I have the chance to answer the person I am talking with. Anyways, if there is anything you could suggest, that would be great. I just want to respond to him in a mature way, that is multi-perspective, and can see the potential bigger picture. However, it seems unclear what that is right now, and I am just growing angry and tired of him, because its all constant. I'm also not keen on constantly pulling him up, each and every time he does something strange, only for him to do something else that is strange afterwards. Any suggestions on how to approach this, and best deal with this, would be appreciated? <Q> Tell them Tim is not a bad guy <S> but he distracts you and you want to perform better. <S> Use adverbs and adjectives to convey the seriousness of your request, they should understand it is of great importance to you. <S> Avoid any verbal engagement with Tim. <A> I guess\suspect he may be trying to become involved\chat at any cost - like a child who is ignored so they act up to get any type of attention. <S> I suspect this because of the repetition, as if he is out of material, the butting into conversations he is not in, the use of your name in that way to try and invoke a response, even if negative. <S> You are in the room alone with Tim, do you talk to him in general or do you work in silence trying to avoid conversation? <S> Update:I would try and establish some type of phrase you use when need to get down to work. <S> Something like "nice chat <S> but I have to get this report done now Tim" <S> and then if you are able in your work, accompany with headphones + music. <S> In a sense you need to train him that jokey jokey is okay, but when you have to get down to it, he needs to stop but removing yourself from hearing him. <A> It's possible that this is hostile behaviour, but to me it sounds more like coprolalia : a neurological condition that causes "involuntary swearing or the involuntary utterance of obscene words or socially inappropriate and derogatory remarks". <S> Coprolalia is a bit like a stutter or a facial tic, compulsive behaviour that the person can't easily control. <S> The joke-telling would fit in with this - people with a compulsive behaviour often have more than one form of compulsive behaviour. <S> We aren't psychiatric professionals here and can't diagnose your co-worker, but my first guess would be that this is a compulsive behaviour that he can't do much about. <S> As long as this is all he's doing, I'd be inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt and treat it the same way I would somebody with a stutter.
| A simple redirection of conversation as soon as you hear the joke coming may distract, and I do not know if policy allows but a bit of periodic chit-chat may be enough to alter his behavior to tolerable. It is hard to determine with a certainty why Tim acts this way. I believe, you should ask your manager to change your room/office.
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Contractor day rate - calculating based off pro rata annual 'salary' I have been working on a self-employed contract for almost 12 months. When I started, they offered me a 'pro-rata salary' of £37k. They asked to be billed by the day, and naively I just did 37,000 / 12 / 4.3 (avg weeks per month) / 5 = 143.41 However, I've realised that there's a few things wrong with this approach. Employees don't work every single day. Typically they get: 28 days paid holiday On average 5 days paid sick leave (according to this source . 8 bank holidays off Employers national insurance paid for them (currently roughly 14% about £8.6k) as a freelancer I have to pay this Pension (typically an extra 5%) - again I have to pay this myself. Payroll done for them - I have to pay an accountant for this. My question is: which of these things is it reasonable for me to account for in calculating my day rate? And also, how would you suggest re-negotiating based on this? <Q> which of these things is it reasonable for me to account for in calculating my day rate? <S> All of them, plus the biggie - at the end of the contract they won't have to pay you any redundancy money. <S> As a contractor, you need to factor in the time it'll take to find the next contract, which could be a month or two every six months. <S> All these things mean that contractor rates are 2 to 2.5 times permanent rates. <S> how would you suggest re-negotiating based on this? <S> Start by looking at other contracts in your area. <S> Call the agents if you're not sure. <A> I'm going to leave aside that fact that you negotiated poorly in the first place; you already know that. <S> Learn from it and move on. <S> And also, how would you suggest re-negotiating based on this? <S> Make sure you have enough money to walk away from your client. <S> Being able to say "No" because you have enough money to pay upcoming bills for at least the next 2 months (better 6 months+) gives you enormous leverage. <S> Now - the hard part. <S> You need to figure out what it is they need, and sell them that. <S> Your costs are your problem, not theirs. <S> If they think they need a cheap "resource" - walk away. <S> You won't get much more than you're already on. <S> Or negotiate a shorter notice period so you can keep working whilst you look. <S> Ideally the're looking for someone competent who can do the job. <S> You've been there a year; sell that. <S> They won't need 3 months for someone more expensive to get up to speed. <S> The amount you charge also depends upon how niche the work is (how likely they will find someone else, at any price) and where you are based. <S> Even a in small pond like the UK, the rates vary considerably across the country. <S> You might be happier trading a lifestyle for a lower rate. <S> I hate the term "resource", but in many cases it's entirely apposite, as many companies really do think that knowledge workers are interchangeable parts. <A> The usual rule of thumb in contracting in the US is to take your annual salary and divide by 1000, and that gives your hourly rate. <S> Multiply that by 8 <S> and you have a day rate. <S> If you were working FULL-TIME, that would appear to be a 2x increase. <S> Since, as a rule, contractors will typically have a significant amount of unpaid "on the beach" time, and will typically have significantly higher expenses <S> , this averages out. <S> If relocation is involved, this must be adjusted for cost-of-living differences. <S> If, for example, you live in, say, Dallas TX, and the job is in New York or San Francisco, your expenses will be a lot higher than they would be in Dallas. <S> Years ago, while living in Dallas, I was approached about a job in San Francisco. <S> After running the numbers, it was clear that I would need a 50% increase JUST TO BREAK EVEN. <A> As an ex-UK contractor, I second the "roughly twice your permanent salary" and <S> the Ltd Co. Get PI insurance for the company as well. <S> Your accountant will do payroll for you and can also offer all sorts of decent advice. <S> Expect to pay about 100 GBP / month for accountant. <S> But I think you will have to save that for next time.... <S> for this contract you are stuck with what you have negotiated.
| Negotiation is much easier when you can just ask for the market rate, and have a good alternative if they say no (i.e. you could take one of the other contracts instead).
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Should I answer spontaneous messages from recruiters on LinkedIn? I've been working as a software engineer for about 2 years now and recently I started to receive some messages from recruiters via LinkedIn.I understand that I can decide to answer or not to these messages, it will not be considered rude to ignore the message, but I don't really know if responding could be a good thing. I've not been working for very long and I'm still just trying to assimilate some ideas of the workplace in general, like the fact that switching jobs often can be a good thing, as well as having a backup plan in case things go south. So is there anything I could gain from responding to these messages? Or is there something I could be risking (like getting spammed by other recruiters)? <Q> Generally speaking, you can't lose anything by being nice to somebody in your professional life. <S> If you're not interested, don't ghost them, just tell them in a respectful way and never burn any bridge. <S> You might be in a situation later where you'll be the one contacting them or they will be working with you (the world's a small place in IT). <S> So, when I'm not interested, I answer something like this: <S> Hello <S> Mr <S> / <S> Mrs <S> I'd like to thank you for the interest you're showing in my profile, but I'm not open to new opportunities right now. <S> I hope you'll find the person you're looking for, Regards, [...] <S> It doesn't hurt to be nice and maybe someday you'll be looking for a job <S> and you'll contact them again and they will see you were professional and respectful by looking to the past message. <A> When a 3rd party recruiter contacts you right out of the blue <S> they are either: Trying to fill a position and your profile might fit in the requirements space. <S> Trying to gather resumes/contacts for a position they will be trying to fill next month. <S> Trying to increase their contacts for unknown positions in the future. <S> Unless they are actively trying to fill a position now, once they get your information, they will move on to other things until they can use your resume. <S> They might never use it; they may only use it to fill a quota: find me 10 resumes...; or they might forward your resume as a solid opportunity. <S> These relationships aren't sticky. <S> In a comment to the question you say: I'm more curious about what positions could be offered to me <S> They are not offering a position. <S> They are offering to maybe forward your resume. <S> You might not even get an interview. <A> I usually ignore emails from recruiters, unless actively looking or they are someone I definitely want to do business with in future <S> (e.g. operate in a specific niche, locale or industry). <S> And I have a separate account specifically for this purpose. <S> My reasoning is that these people are selling, and don't want to waste time on anyone who doesn't want to be sold. <S> Having said that, with LinkedIn they mostly get a limited number of messages/month, so are unlikely to waste them on totally unsuitable candidates. <S> If someone has taken the trouble to target me, I generally respond as appropriate. <S> Your fear of spam in this case is unwarranted.
| If you are not actively looking, or don't see your self looking in the next month or two, there is no need to contact them at all.
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What questions to ask about organization/structure in an interview I'm a senior engineer in a small, but regionally established, IT company. I perceive it as rather hard to make progress due to a lack of transparency, coordination, and organizational structure; in fact, we are a group of individuals with decent technical skills, but with largely uncoordinated efforts . I think that similar problems can be found in many (IT) companies; small company founded by a technical person who neglects his managerial tasks as far as possible.It is not a terrible workplace, but I am actually looking around for jobs that might provide a better environment . I recently had an interview with a company (startup, ~30 people) that has sounded rather interesting for my line of work, salary would be above average, stock options, and the first interview was positive. In the first session of the interview, I got to talk with the engineering team I would work with (two people, aiming for 6-8 till the end of this year). They seemed skilled, smart and kind. They warned me that the team had shrunk from 8 to 2 mostly due to frustration about mismanagement. However, they were positive about recent changes: CTO and founder is replaced by project managers, a CEO was hired to get the management work done. In the second session, I spoke to that CTO and founder. I noticed afterwards, however, that I had learned nothing about the company culture. When I was cautiously asking about the engineers that had left the team, he briefly mentioned that one or two of them had actually just changed team (rather than leaving the company), and changed topic. When I asked about how communication works across teams and across locations (two), the relevance of my question seemed to be unclear to him and the answer went along the lines "they use Skype etc". My conclusion was that he was friendly, and probably a good engineer too, but certainly not a good manager ; as indicated by the engineers. I told recruiter that the structural part of interview felt too vague to me to make sure this would be an improvement over my current job. I am afraid to end up in a mess, requiring long hours and other unnecessary stress factors that can be caused by bad planning. They have now offered me another interview with the CTO/founder so that I can ask more specific questions about my concerns. Now I am wondering about what I should ask specifically to get a good picture. Roughly, I would like to get clarity over issues such as: HR: goal setting, feedback culture, hiring process transparency: do I get the information I need in time in order to do a good job expectations: what does a typical day look like? management: how do they work now, how specific are the announced changes, how open are they for changes coming from the engineering teams? Is there something like a Joel test for management/organizational issues? I feel like there have been many signals that indicate that it might be as messy or even worse than my current job. On the other hand, I don't want to wash away a potentially good job opportunity because they are not easy to find: good engineering team, good product, funding, growing potential for the company and myself. Any tips on how to get the best information out of that talk? <Q> You're handling this exactly right, by persevering in getting your issues addressed. <S> Here's one suggestion. <S> There's stuff you don't like about your present job. <S> Describe some of that stuff, in general terms, and ask whether this other company has similar problems and how they might cope with them. <S> Be vague about which company you're describing. <S> For example, I worked at a place where I had great co-workers, but we somehow weren't very effective as a team. <S> For example ( give a real example here ), Carl and I worked on the same problem without knowing we were both doing it. <S> If we'd known, we'd have worked together and come up with a better solution faster. <S> I put a high value on good teamwork. <S> Do you have problems like that here? <S> If so, how do you address them, and what do you need from somebody like me to help build teamwork? <S> Another question: <S> What are your biggest concerns about your development organization these days, and how do you address them? <S> A third: <S> It sounds like you're planning to do more hiring. <S> What's that process like? <S> How do you expect me to help if I come work for you? <S> A fourth: <S> I'm interested in the company's culture. <S> What's the vision of you and your co-founders about the culture, and what are you doing to make your vision into reality? <S> or maybe Your help-wanted web site describes your company's culture as blah blah yadda . <S> What can new hires like me do to help strengthen that culture? <S> Any of these questions would be a great conversation-starter about your concerns. <S> The point is the conversation and what you learn from it, not boilerplate from a hiring FAQ. <S> Be patient, because this kind of stuff is always a work-in-progress, especially in a young company. <A> At a startup this early stage, the only thing that matters is the individuals you'll be working with. <S> Focus only on them, and if you feel you'll work well together. <S> Things like organisational structure and culture don't really exist yet. <S> To the tiny extent they do, you'll have an instant and ongoing huge influence on them anyway when you join. <S> For example, communication - you'll be working with 2 other engineers, so just communicate with them however works best, even differently with each individual. <S> There aren't crystallized norms around this stuff in a small startup. <S> Generally nobody will tell you what to do, you set your own norms. <S> So, onto the individuals: I got to talk with the engineering team... <S> They seemed skilled, smart and kind. <S> My conclusion was [the CTO] <S> was friendly, and probably a good engineer too, but certainly not a good manager; as indicated by the engineers. <S> On the surface, this isn't great. <S> You should weight the founder much more than a peer: 1 bad founder comfortably outweighs 2 good peers at face value. <S> It's net negative. <S> If I were you, in the further talk with the CTO <S> See if you leave with a better impression. <S> If you don't, weight that highly in your decision to join. <S> Once again - in a startup it's all about the individuals . <A> You are looking for big company processes and structures in a place that clearly is too small to have them. <S> I work in a bigger company than the one you are describing and most of their processes are make it up as we go and violated on a daily basis. <S> I had a job recently at one of the largest global IT companies and boy <S> did they have processes. <S> They had about 3 managerial staff per developer, sure it was great that the test team had all the responsibility of production faults, but I'm not sure I enjoyed that environment more over my current
| I'd focus on getting as much a sense of him personally, and the way you'll work together, as possible.
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Should I inform my recruiter that I am likely in the final round of interview with another company? An internal recruiter emailed me for a job position. This opportunity looked pretty good and I aced the on-site interview, however, the interviewer said the project he planned on hiring me for got pushed back until late March. He did say however that he would keep me updated as new projects come along all the time and that he wanted me to let him know if anything changed. I had continued interviewing with other places, one of which was through an external recruiter. I passed the technical and they wanted an on-site interview with me. I believe that I'm in the final round of interviews for them. Should I let the internal recruiter know that I am likely doing the final interview at another company soon or should I wait until something more solid shows up? My fears are that they offer me the job in that interview and that I don't end up letting the internal recruiter know early enough to make a potential offer. I'm heavily considering both places and it's not a matter of whoever makes the first offer. There are technically no guarantees that I get anything from either company at this point, so this is all just speculation. However, the evidence seems very favorable from the internal recruiter and pretty favorable from the external recruiter. Update: I didn't message the internal recruiter at all, but he got back to me and told me that I was being considered for a couple of projects that came in today. Edit: I believe this case is different from the similar question because this question is specifically asking about telling another recruiter about another offer that isn't necessarily on the table yet, just predicted to be. <Q> Should I let the internal recruiter know that I am likely doing the final interview at another company soon or should I wait until something more solid shows up? <S> No. <S> There is nothing to be gained, and it will not change the outcome. <S> The internal recruiter, who had the project canceled on him, is probably way more frustrated <S> then you are about canceling the project. <S> He found qualified external candidates, which is not easy in the current economy, to work on a new initiative. <S> When the project restarts, he will have to do all that work over again. <S> Sucks for him. <S> He would rather the project be started when he was told it would start and not delayed. <A> I would not tell either recruiter. <S> What would you hope to gain by telling either recruiter? <S> There is potential that you would be removed from consideration for a job. <S> Then if the other does not come through you've lost out on both jobs. <A> This entire predicament seems based on the assumptions that The internal recruiter will be unable to move quickly to make an offer <S> The external recruiter will be unable to wait long once they've made an offer <S> Those assumptions are probably both false, but better than that, it actually only takes one to be false to resolve the other anyway. <S> Slow down. <S> Take the external interview, then only if you get an offer, think about what you want to do, and negotiate accordingly from that position. <S> One or the other will find a way to bring forward or postpone a decision, if they really want to hire you. <S> There's plenty of time!
| When you have a signed offer (from either company) then you tell the other recruiter.
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Delay in scheduling interviews I applied for a software position in a large, reputed company and was contacted to schedule phone interviews. They asked me to provide a few dates over the next 3 weeks so that they could schedule these interviews. I followed up with them after a week of no response, and they told me they would get back to me with a save-the-date email as soon as possible. I followed up with them again after 3 weeks, and even provided a bunch of new dates. Meanwhile, I am also applying to other companies, and have had interviews or have interviews scheduled with them. However, I am particularly keen on interviewing with the company I mentioned earlier. I am worried that the interviews may not be scheduled in time, and I may have to accept another offer if it is delayed a lot. I did mention in the initial e-mail that I am actively looking for jobs. However, I did not have any interviews scheduled at that particular time, so I did not think it was necessary to mention them. Is there a way in which I could push for these interviews to be scheduled soon, without seeming rude or inconsiderate? I understand that it is of low priority to them, but I do not want to lose this opportunity. <Q> I applied for a software position in a large, reputed company... <S> Very large companies tend to have clunky HR departments. <S> Is there a way in which I could push for these interviews to be scheduled soon, without seeming rude or inconsiderate? <S> I understand that it is of low priority to them, but I do not want to lose this opportunity. <S> Do you know or have contact with someone who isn't in HR? <S> HR is often a serious bottleneck. <S> It's annoying and counter productive from the manager's point of view <S> if HR is so slow that they lose people, but the only thing he can really do is push on them one candidate at a time. <S> If you don't know of someone, then reach out and poke HR once a day until you get some sort of timeline. <S> Let them know the clock is ticking <S> and you're starting to get other offers. <A> They blew you off twice already. <S> If you're in a rush, then it's time to light a fire under them. <S> Hi Recruiter X <S> , I'd just like to follow up one more time to see if Company Z is still interested in moving forward in the recruiting process. <S> As I mentioned in my initial email, I'm currently actively seeking other employment and am moving forward with several other companies at this time. <S> However, the position Y with Company Z is still one of the positions I am most interested in, so I hope our timelines match up! <S> The fact that you fell through the cracks is probably not a good sign. <S> It's entirely possible that they just let you go. <S> If you're in a rush to move forward, them moving on should be totally fine with you. <S> At least you know not to wait for them. <A> I am worried that the interviews may not be scheduled in time, and I may have to accept another offer if it is delayed a lot. <S> This I must say is a natural part of job-hunting. <S> Some offers may come earlier, and some may come late. <S> The "art" of job-hunting is to navigate and balance these offers and dates, so you obtain the best outcome possible. <S> There may be times where you will have to decide if you are willing to decline an offer in favor of waiting for the possibility of another. <S> Is there a way in which I could push for these interviews to be scheduled soon, without seeming rude or inconsiderate? <S> I understand that it is of low priority to them, but I do not want to lose this opportunity. <S> You already followed-up 2 times now, and even provided more possible dates. <S> I don't think there is more you can to to graciously speed their response time. <S> At best seems you will be wasting time/effort in an attempt that you have still no response (and that you could invest elsewhere). <S> Seems to me that this is one of those times where you will have to decide if you are willing to decline other offers in favor of a chance with this one.
| A hiring manager would be ideal, they're the ones who have the incentive to hire someone and they're also the ones with the budget and can push on HR. The recruiter is probably overwhelmed and not very organized, so you fell through the cracks. If you don't actually have a reason to rush (ie other offers/companies that you are in the advanced stages with), then you may be better off just waiting patiently.
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How to handle an injury that happened outside the workplace? I've had a relatively mild concussion (outside of work). Ideally, I'd like two or three days to recover before jumping back into work, but I've already burned most of my sick days and would like to save my vacation. It's been a day or two since the injury; I am at work, but I definitely feel like I shouldn't be here. What's the best way to handle this? Note: Company is 50 or more employees. <Q> but I definitely feel like I shouldn't be here. <S> Then don't be there, burn the rest of your sick days and vacations if needed. <S> Anything else you decide to sacrifice your health for saving holidays/sick days/whatever, and that's just not a great idea. <A> Ideally, I'd like two or three days to recover before jumping back into work <S> Unless you are a medic you are not in a position to determine the days off you should need to recover from a concussion (nor to determine it was a "mild" one)... <S> As other answers say, your health is paramount and sacrificing it for saving holidays is not a good idea. <A> This is probably country specific but in the UK you should be able to take the time as sick leave for however long you need, provided you have a doctors note. <S> "Taking Sick Leave <S> (.gov)" <S> The idea of having a limited number of sick days has always seemed ridiculous to me, but I'm guessing that's sick days you don't have a doctors note for <S> so I would suggest you get a GP to sign you off from work. <S> If you need more days for a different illness later in the year do it again. <S> Assuming you're US: <S> In the US, there is no requirement that businesses offer paid sick leave to their employees. <S> The only thing they must do (provided the business employees more than 50 employees) is to allow staff unpaid time off for medical leave, or to care for a family member. <S> How does sick leave work in the US <S> Which would imply that your company can't stop you taking time off if you are unwell, you just may not be paid. <S> How many days of paid sick leave is an American worker entitled to Concussion can be really serious and if you are still experiencing the effects days later then I would suggest seeing a doctor in any case. <A> You should follow medical advice for recovery. <S> The timeline may be more than a couple days, and it might involve not looking at screens or reading (including using Stack Exchange!). <S> You should look into short term disability insurance. <S> It might be included in your employment benefits. <S> If not, consider buy accident/injury/disability insurance to protect yourself in the future. <S> You should use whatever options are available for paid time off, including vacation. <S> Your company may require that you exhaust all those options before taking unpaid time off. <S> The separate of sick leave and vacation leave is inconsequential when you need time off for your health. <S> At some companies, those two categories are combined anyway. <S> You should probably not be reading and writing things on the computer when you have a concussion. <S> This can hinder your brain's healing and make the situation much worse, for much longer. <S> Restated from #1 because it's so important. <A> I’ve been through this exact scenario in Canada - mild concussion. <S> Don’t rush back <S> , it’s probably worse than you think. <S> I talked to my employer, they were nice enough to give me a week off full pay and then a week off half pay. <S> The alternative is to apply for short term disability if your insurance has this. <S> That’s kind of a pain, as you need a bunch of paper work and stuff that you really don’t want to have to think about when you have a concussion, but it will provide a portion of your pay while you recover. <S> The extension of that would be long term disability - which if your insurance covers it would cover you if you were out for a few months. <S> The uninsured option would be unpaid Ed leave. <S> Check your benefits plan, you might have options there. <S> If not take unpaid leave and recover properly. <S> Even mild concussions can have weird side effects and issues if not cared for properly. <S> Don’t push it! <S> Hope you feel better soon! <A> By 'outside of the workplace' do you mean you were walking into work from the parking lot, and got an injury? <S> If that's the case that's a workplace related, depending on jurisdiction. <S> It may be covered under your companies policies. <S> If however you mean you got a concussion at home, haven't seen a doctor, and need to know what to do, I think you've proven you need to go see a doctor because you're not thinking straight.
| It would be better for your health to consult a Medic and let them determine the days you really need , and actually take them. Talk to your employer, they will likely be understanding and work with you to help you recover.
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How to ask management to stop raising goals we're failing to meet? For the past several months, nearly all of the developers in my project have been exclusively allocated to fixing defects. The various managers involved have set goals for the number of defects that we need to fix every two months or so. The team is not meeting these goals, but the target numbers get significantly increased each time. Despite this, the team has not been given any additional resources to help us meet the new goals, and so we just keep failing by more and more each time. How can I ask my manager to give the team realistic goals that we can accomplish instead of constantly demanding more when we're already over committed? <Q> You probably can't. <S> I've been down this road before. <S> Last place I worked, the VP came around and said "the CTO says we have to fix all bugs within 90 days. <S> " <S> As we did scrum and I had a backlog and team velocity, I did some quick calculations for my team and the other directors' teams, and said "At the current rate of clearing bugs with the current team that will take months just to clear the backlog and after that it'll be 80% of our dev capacity on ongoing bug fix. <S> Are <S> any of the product deliverables moving?" <S> "No..." <S> "Well then it can't be done, not and hit those." <S> "But... The CTO said..." <S> So we prioritized bugs slightly more, but also had to work to hit deliverables, and even with people doing the usual "well <S> but is it really a bug" shenanigans <S> we fell way below the bar. <S> For a couple months, the VP kept asking for updates on it. <S> We'd tell him and remind him about the team's capacity. <S> Eventually he stopped asking because the CTO largely forgot he had tossed that edict out one day. <S> So that is to say you can try, you can use metrics and projections to indicate what the team's capacity is and what they can do per unit time, and you can certainly propose improvements that would reduce bugs/speed fixes/whatnot, and/ir ask for more people, but in the end most of not all organizations are not metrics/data/reality driven, they are emotion and snap decision and politics driven. <S> Show graphs of your fix rate creeping up. <S> Then play the politics game of tooting that horn, saying "we could do more if only X", and then at the right time, strategic silence to let upper management save face by letting the edict slip into the night unremarked. <A> Sometimes this behaviour comes from managers who believe in 'increasing pressure until the pip squeaks '. <S> They worry that you're not working hard enough, and think that setting arbitrary goals will motivate you. <S> I find that the best defence is to point out that under pressure, developers cause more bugs and testers miss problems. <S> It's the managers' job to reassure the higher-ups that their team is working hard, and not sacrificing quality for quantity. <S> You can ask for overtime and more staff, but you're not going to get it if the management think the problem is that you're not working hard enough. <S> It does tell you that the company doesn't think the backlog is worth investing extra money. <A> Unrealistic deadlines/goals are just a fact of life for a dev. <S> Everyone wants it now and wants everything working like they thought it should without having to tell you what exactly they need (including all the one off situations :/ ). <S> I work in development myself and all to often my manager likes to promise crazy deadlines. <S> " <S> Oh ya it will be done by next weak no problem"... <S> The "problem" is that my manager is not a dev <S> so she is not able to account for all the inevitable issues. <S> IE: <S> Having to refactor code to deal with CPNI security issues. <S> Dealing with error handling for the one offs. <S> Fixing unexpected/expected issues that are bound to happen and so on. <S> All you can really do is express your views on what the team can accomplish even if they say "Get it done". <S> Most management especially higher up don't really know what it takes to get it done. <S> Their job is to push you to get it done or rather to push your team lead/supervisor to push you to get it done :D. Just speak you peace and do your job the best you can. <S> Do what you can without compromising your quality of work. <S> As long as you produce quality work and are not slacking off you should be fine. <S> I always make sure to let my direct supervisor/lead know exactly what I think it will take to get the job done <S> and I always say "baring any issues that might come up" <S> so they cannot tell me I promised any specific time frame. <S> Out of all the projects I have done I might have had 2 or 3 that didn't run into any problems. <S> (system access issues, CPNI issues, validation issues, and so on)
| Focus on doing the work and continually improving.
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How to approach team member that constantly asks partner questions? I am a leader of a team of four within a Development office that encompasses a support/triage role for juniors and help desk staff. Of my team there is one who's partner also works in the same office. This person is smart but unsuited to thier role and does wish to transition into another which there is no headcount for but still tries to take pride in their work. One issue I've noticed is that they'll often ask thier partner questions about their work and thier partner will essentially do the work for them, the other half of their work they'll ask me questions about and it can be quite frustrating that they know the answer and don't know I know they ask thier partner questions all day too. It's not stuff that they shouldn't and don't know. They seem to just be very afraid to be wrong on something so never trust thier gut. Another frustrating thing they'll do is ask me something which I'll let them know how it's done, how to investigate something where something is held in the database etc. Then 5 minutes later I'll get "X thinks it's done like this" to which I sometimes answer unfortunately quite shortly with something along the lines of "well do that then", which is obviously not constructive. I'm not sure how to handle this in a way without sounding petty or that I don't value them as a team member because I do. How should I approach this? <Q> It seems like this team member simply lacks confidence in their solutions and is simply looking for reassurance before proceeding with their task. <S> Hey XX. <S> I need you to do Y. <S> What do you think the best way to do Y is?". <S> This puts them on the spot, forces them to reply to you and if you confirm that their answer is correct, will help give them a small confidence boost. <S> If their answer is wrong, simply ask another question to help them over come any issues they may have overlooked " <S> You recommended W, but because of V it won't work. <S> Do you have any ideas for a work around?". <S> Just make sure to semi step in and provide suggestions if you see that they are actually stuck and in a bind. <S> You also mention that they sometimes ask someone else for an alternative solution and send it back to you. <S> You should take a short time to explain the differences between the proposed solution. <S> This should help them build up enough knowledge to figure out that different solutions can achieve the same results and allow them to identify the one that they are most comfortable with. <S> Repeat this enough times <S> and they will start to trust their own solutions and ideas instead of trying to find the best and one that wont get them into trouble. <A> It's not stuff that they shouldn't and don't know. <S> They seem to just be very afraid to be wrong on something <S> so never trust thier gut. <S> I'm not sure how to handle this in a way without sounding petty or that I don't value them as a team member because I do. <S> How should I approach this? <S> In my experience, the key is to make the employee feel that they are safe making mistakes. <S> I usually try something like "Well, what do you think?" then tell them to go with their answer. <S> And I try to point out that everyone makes mistakes, and that it's more important to make progress than never make a mistake. <S> But then you must never criticize an incorrect choice. <S> It's okay to to suggest an alternative while still support their choice. <A> One strategy you could use is when you give them a task, ask them if they've been shown how to do it. <S> Or if it was a while ago, ask if they remember how. <S> If they're at all unsure, ask them to write up a short procedure, set of guide lines or proposed plan. <S> It should include any questions. <S> Then you can check it, fix any mistakes, answer any questions and assure them that it's what you want. <S> This doesn't have to be fancy, text documents on a shared folder are fine. <S> The idea is that you get to give them regular good feedback that they can do the job before they have to take the risk of doing the wrong thing, and they never have the unpleasant experience of making a mistake that causes a problem. <S> Also, for repeat jobs, they can just refer to their previous notes, and the next new guy will have a set of procedures to learn from.
| One way to help them build confidence in their solution is to simple ask them the same questions that they constantly ask you. " When their gut is right, I congratulate them on their insight and try to suggest that they should feel okay about going with what they feel is right.
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How to negotiate employer's pre-offer requests for personal investment I am currently interviewing with a company for an interesting position that will allow me to grow professionally. After the initial interviews, the employer is now asking me to study two academic subjects in my own time using books before considering an offer. I estimate that such study, beside my current job, will take 2-3 months or more. The interview included a coding interview in which some of the questions were nowhere close to what I prepared myself for, neither had I come across similar problems in the "real-world". The challenges ended up highlighting that I had not pursued a particular abstract type of knowledge through directed study. The hiring team "liked me", but they are asking me now to study two subjects, using books, in my own time, before they consider making an offer. This includes not only the broad subject of the coding interview, but a whole new programming language, which previously did not surface as a pre-employment condition. Beside my job and family, doing so would take me 2-3 months at least. Instead I could simply look for a different position. It would take me only about three weeks of study to prevent a similar scenario from happening again. Soon I will have another meeting with the hiring boss to discuss the path forward. I am quite invested now, and the position is interesting, so instead of pursuing a different opportunity straight away, I first want to try to negotiate a path forward that gives me some assurance of employment with a reasonable study requirement. My investment should be met with a commitment. Furthermore, multiple months is far into the future for the hiring process and gives a lot of uncertainty. The further the potential employment is away, the higher the need for a formal agreement, unless the period can be reduced. What kind of arguments/things can I offer the employer in exchange for a formal commitment from their side? I am thinking of things like probation period, reducing the study subjects to one, and studying the other one while employed... Update: There have been a lot of guesses about the employer's intention. Today I had a meeting with two of their top figures, and the plan forward was quite clear: They want me to learn the subject matter of the coding interview, and then re-sit the same. Even though I'm not fully qualified for the position yet, they feel it's worth hiring me for other reasons if I do some catching up, and then receive some training/guidance during the actual employment. It's the first time for them to take this approach, and they pointed out that talent is scarce. They gave me a couple of book references to work through, and will meet with me from time to time to coach me and guide me through the process. Even though employment is not yet guaranteed, it is the expected outcome of the process, which may take about a month. <Q> What kind of arguments/ <S> things <S> can I offer the employer in exchange for a formal commitment from their side? <S> I am thinking of things like probation period, reducing the study subjects to one, and studying the other one while employed... <S> You can attempt to negotiate anything. <S> And what you are suggesting seem like reasonable choices. <S> I suspect they are unlikely to make a formal job commitment though. <S> Decide ahead of time <S> how much effort on your part is worth a chance at a position, and go from there. <S> I'm guessing you'd be better off just moving on to a position where you are already qualified. <S> But you might still want to try. <S> The worst they could say is "No". <A> This is tricky. <S> Plan A: <S> You could form an agreement "if such and such requirements are met, an official offer will be extended". <S> However, this is no good since it has no teeth: if they don't want you they can simply put something wonky in the offer that you wouldn't accept. <S> Even if you do, they can always fire you again 2 weeks later (assuming it's at-will employment in the US) <S> Plan B: <S> Have them hire you as a contractor or freelancer and let them pay you XXX$/month. <S> If this results in full time employment, they can recoup all or some of the money by withholding YYY$/month from your salary. <S> They way to "sell" this to the company is to talk about "shared risk". <S> The study is a non-trivial investment on your part and it seems unreasonable for you to carry the entire risk on your own. <S> If the truly are interested in you, they should be willing to carry some of the risk as well and Plan B is reasonable vehicle to do this. <S> You can play around with the numbers to adjust how the risk is shared, how much of the upfront money the company can recoup and how long it will take to recoup. <A> To rephrase the question: Prospective employer says "I can't hire you right now because of lack of qualifications. <S> When you get those qualifications, we can talk again" What you are missing is a list of requirements. <S> "Read a book" is a pretty vague one, and sounds more like an excuse to get rid of you while being nice. <S> Right now they don't want you for whatever reason, and there is little you can do to change their mind. <S> They are not ready to invest in you more than few hours of meetings time already spent. <S> If you really like the job, get a list of concrete, measurable items that you need to hit in order to qualify for the job. <S> That might include: passing some certification/test (a la AWS or Oracle certs) getting certain degree in local university showing ability by being employed in the field X for N years join their cult by reading books A and B <A> When you look for a new job, you take into consideration the cost of applying, the likelihood you get the job, and the benefits of the job. <S> These guys want you to invest two months of your time not to get a job, but to get another interview. <S> You should be able to take 40 interviews in that time, so that would most likely be a much better investment of your time. <S> And remember, all they promised was a second interview. <S> So I would recommend to let this one go.
| Try to get paid for your study and time investment.
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Should I expect a raise after completion of a CPIM? I currently work within the supply chain department of a relatively large child company to a major corporation. I came into my role by working hard, learning quickly, and being noticed by global and plant leadership. The global supply chain director created the position for me with support from VP of ops. Since I have been in my position the company has paid for me to obtain my CPIM (Certified in Production and Inventory Management). I am starting school this fall. I have 0 college credits so it will take me some time and dedication to complete this. I was hired with no college, and no certifications that would qualify me for this position. With that being said, does it make sense to expect a raise upon completion? Or could this question potentially ruin my chances to further my career within the company? <Q> I was hired with no college, and no certifications that would qualify me for this position. <S> With that being said, does it make sense to expect it? <S> Or could this question potentially ruin my chances to further my career within the company? <S> If I understand correctly, you already have the job and are liked by leadership. <S> And they are paying you to obtain this certification. <S> So it seems unlikely to ruin your career chances to ask a question. <S> In most cases, a raise wouldn't be automatic - or they would have already told you so. <S> But I doubt it would hurt to ask. <S> And that's the only way you'd know ahead of time. <A> Should you expect it? <S> No. <S> You shouldn't expect anything to happen... either way. <S> That being said, they've made a commitment to and an investment in your professional and career growth with them, so maybe wait until you've completed your studies and see where that takes you at this company. <S> If after what you think is a sufficient amount of time you're not being compensated at the level you think you deserve then engage in that conversation. <A> It probably depends on one important factor: Are you currently paid less than someone in a similar role? <S> If the answer is <S> yes , then when your qualifications and experience match, you should expect pay matching <S> your qualifications/certifications and experience. <S> If not , then it is likely the company is treating you as an investment , taking a loss now and expecting at least a period of time where you're producing more than your payrate, to balance things out. <S> I wouldn't be surprised if you were told something along the lines of "you'll qualify for raises the year after you finish your certification."
| If I had to guess, I'd guess they will tell you that completing the certification puts you in a better position for raises and promotions.
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How can I persuade my employer to give me an adjustable desk? I work in an office setting and as a result, need to be on my computer for extended periods throughout the day. Since before I started with my current company, I've had lower back pain issues, which are likely exacerbated by sitting on my duff all day. As such, I find myself going to a chiropractor with some regularity to get adjusted. I have attempted things like trying to make it a point to walk around more often, but it hasn't really helped in reducing the frequency of my chiropractor visits. Our office layout is unusual because I sit in an office on the periphery and my desk area is literally a combination of a folding table and another desk that's probably a good 20 years old. In the center, there's a cubicle farm which includes desks that have the ability to go up and down via a hydraulic mechanism. From discussion with a colleague, we apparently got those desks from a client that defaulted on a bill. I've not been able to find anything comparable on my own and those desks are pretty much built into the cubicle. The layout is like this due to the company's hierarchy, so moving myself to a cubicle with one of the hydraulic desks is not likely to be received well. Prior to Thanksgiving last year our office was expanding and thus purchasing additional furniture, so it seemed an appropriate time to ask my manager about getting an adjustable desk so that I could transition between standing and sitting when I wished like those in the cubicle area. I followed up on the matter prior to Christmas and still haven't gotten a response. Both times I was told he'd discuss it with the other managers and get back to me. I don't want to tick off my manager on this, but I suspect the issue for management is the cost. From my own research, I could not find an adjustable desk that met the needs of my job for less than $500 since everything that does that is motorized. I haven't been able to find anything comparable to what's in the cubicle area. Another person in the company actually purchased a motorized adjustable desk for himself, using his own money. From a discussion with him, he didn't ask anyone, he just did it. I have considered re-phrasing the argument as a disability issue, though, my pain is not disabling; but on the same note I'm also not interested in letting it decline to the point that it becomes debilitating. Also, I'm not sure if presenting it in this way is likely to come off as overly forceful akin to threatening a lawsuit. I very much like my company and am not interested in pissing anyone off. But I would like to have less back pain. I've only really researched the cost and generally conveyed a preference to have the option to transition between sitting and standing (have not provided specifics on my particular health issues). Are there other arguments I could be putting forth on this type of issue which are likely to compel management to act? <Q> Present a specific solution with a yes/no answer <S> It's unclear if you only suggested the general idea of the adjustable desk to your manager <S> but if so, the slow response may be because They don't view the problem with the same importance you do <S> They're busy and think this decision will take a fair amount of time and effort <S> Hence they postponed dealing with this, putting other things ahead of it. <S> Go back to them and request a specific desk, from a specific vendor, with a specific price. <S> Bullet-point your justifications, focusing on benefits to the company, and end with the yes/no question: will you sign off on this purchase? <S> This saves them a lot of time and effort in understanding your needs, researching and costing options, choosing between them, etc. <S> It reduces the decision to a simple one that can be made very quickly. <S> Also the fact you've done this upfront demonstrates this something you really care about, and know the exact solution to. <S> That makes a <S> yes a lot easier, the only real question being if there's budget. <S> Be prepared for the answer to that to be no , but at least you'll know then and can move forwards with alternative options. <A> I have considered re-phrasing the argument as a disability issue, though, my pain is not disabling <S> It probably doesn't make sense to pose a "potential future disability" issue. <S> If you have a note from your doctor, it makes sense to bring it. <S> I've only really researched the cost and generally conveyed a preference to stand (have not provided specifics on my particular health issues). <S> Are there other arguments I could be putting forth on this type of issue which are likely to compel management to act? <S> You might wish to note how much more productive you could be. <S> But it's probably worth trying anyway. <S> The last company where I worked, the HR rep would stand at her desk when she chose to do so. <S> Rather than attempting to require that the company purchase an expensive desk, she used some boxes to elevate her monitor and keyboard. <S> You may wish to take this approach - it publicly demonstrates how much you value standing. <S> At the same time, you might wish to again broach the subject with your manager during your next one-on-one meeting. <A> You have asked, and you have followed up. <S> Your health is one of your primary concerns. <S> You can train yourself to mitigate against this problem. <S> No harm in keeping following up, but these things do not get better as you age, they deteriorate, the only difference is the speed of deterioration. <S> Assuming you don't switch to another job requiring less sitting, you need to slow it down. <S> Joe's suggestion of standing sometimes is good. <S> What I personally found helpful was to sit up straight. <S> It's something we're told as kids, and it works. <S> Chairs are too comfortable these days. <S> My chair in my home office is just basic wood, no padding and a flat back which I can push back against if I feel uncomfortable slouching over this laptop. <S> I only have issues when gaming as that is hours of constant sitting sometimes. <A> Does your employer have a person whose job is specifically to look after employee health and safety? <S> If so, talk directly to them. <S> A health and safety officer should have the authority to make things happen, outside of the normal management chain. <S> It could cost the company a lot of money if you receive a permanent injury as a result of a poorly designed workplace. <A> I am not answering the question you are asking for directly, but hopefully giving you an additional idea for a solution to your underlying issue. <S> The following link gives you an idea and is one of the first results on a google search for “sit-stand converter”: https://www.cnet.com/how-to/5-best-standing-desk-converters-for-2020/ <S> With a little bit more research you might find better solutions. <S> Advantages (some of which might also help persuading your employer):- Cheaper- <S> Your current desk does not need to go- Easier to install than replacing the complete desk- <S> In case you buy on your own, also easier to take with you to your next job when leaving the company Apart from that I also saw some quite affordable adjustable desks (with possibility to stand) in a big furniture selling shop - I think the shop has a yellow and blue logo, is from Sweden and a four-letter name. <A> In Australia these sorts of expenses are tax deductible, so maybe that may help, I don't know about the US. <S> I buy my own chair every two years and that helps my back a lot
| Since someone was already forced to purchase their own desk, it doesn't seem like you will be successful. Also a higher chair works well. Consider a “sit-stand converter” If you haven't already done so, you should raise the point about medical visits. In the absence of a formally recognised medical condition that 'requires' special furniture you need to do something for yourself instead of waiting.
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Does it make sense to regularly switch jobs to wash away any past mistakes? This is currently a hypothetical, but does it make sense to switch jobs every two years to wipe away the blemishes (mistakes, things you forgot, etc) and start fresh? As when you move jobs, you only take the positives, I.e what is on your resume. <Q> As you get further into your career, it will become apparent to any potential employer that you keep switching jobs every two years. <S> At that point, nobody will want to employ you for anything but a temporary or unskilled job. <S> There will be no point, as they know you are only going to leave again after a couple of years. <S> Recruiting new people is expensive, and they don't want to waste their money. <A> A large part of experience in a career is learning from your mistakes. <S> Everybody makes mistakes. <S> Wise people learn from them and know to avoid them in the future. <S> So, in my opinion, starting over from scratch after you've made some mistakes is a good way to pretend you're inexperienced. <S> Experienced people are more valuable than inexperienced people. <S> So pretending to be inexperienced is cheating yourself and your employer. <S> In other words, you asked Does it make sense to regularly switch jobs to wash away any past mistakes? <A> No, it doesn't make sense. <S> Incompetence follows you eventually and chances for advancement are slim if you keep moving. <S> Realistically if you expect to be making enough errors that you need to leave in 2 years as your reputation is in tatters. <S> You're better off fixing the underlying issues leading to the errors. <S> Having said that, I have seen whole careers work this way.
| And my answer is no, no, a thousand times no.
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How to approach job listings if compensation is my primary concern? I often get approached by recruiters with job openings, but I don't want to waste my time if the compensation is low. Unfortunately most openings do not say what the compensation will be. Is it rude if my first question to the recruiter is how much it will pay? Will it undermine my potential application by making it seem like I'm not enthusiastic about the job? Is there a tactful way to get this information early on, or do I have no choice but to apply and string them along until I get to the offer stage? <Q> I often get approached by recruiters with job openings, but I don't want to waste my time if the compensation is low. <S> Unfortunately most openings do not say what the compensation will be. <S> Is it rude if my first question to the recruiter is how much it will pay? <S> " <S> Will it undermine my potential application by making it seem like I'm not enthusiastic about the job? <S> Probably not too much. <S> But it should be effective in weeding out all those openings that don't fit your important criteria. <A> It's very culture-dependent. <S> In Western Europe I'm normally asked about my salary expectations during the first call. <S> I then go on to ask whether my expectations are "realistic for this position", unless the recruiter immediately reacts by telling me whether they are or not (some do). <A> You could use a wording that softens the tone, like, "Do you have the resources to/plan to invest in a senior for X position? <S> What is your budget?" to show that you value yourself while asking where their expected salary falls casually rather than aggressively. <S> This also allows them to know whether they are a good match for you, because likely they picture a certain type of person with a certain pay at that position. <S> Since phone interviews are mostly for screening out candidates anyhow, they are probably not putting serious effort into retaining that information for the interview. <S> Additionally, it's probably best not to specify a hard number. <S> Employees are willing to pay more if they are getting more. <S> So if they give a number, and they don't have a minimum target with you, they may end up offering you higher and putting you in a different position to keep you because you are skilled. <S> Say that in the employer's mind, you are worth $100 000, but because you are earning $80 000 at your last job, you asked for $90 000. <S> All that employer has to now offer is $90 000, whereas you would have had $10 000 if they did not have a hard limit.
| If your top priority is not wasting your time, and the most important attribute of the job is the compensation, then it only makes sense for you to tell a recruiter something along the lines of "I'm only interested in job openings that pay at least X.
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HR just asked for my degree. I don't have one. What do I do? A bit of background on this - I had this job interview in the fall of my senior year of college (on-campus interview). At the time, my expected graduation was spring 2019, and I had that on my resume. Got the job offer in December with a start date of summer 2019 - after graduation. However, some things happened (not gonna go into detail) senior spring, and I didn't finish my senior thesis, which was a requirement for my major to graduate. I did finish all my course requirements, though. My college told me I could finish my thesis after graduation and get my degree once I did. At the time, I was heartbroken because I thought my company would rescind my offer. I decided to be honest, though, and told HR that I hadn't gotten my degree, but could get it in the fall. Surprisingly, they were okay with it. Just told me to send the degree once I got it. The people I was working directly with never knew this to my knowledge; only one person at HR. However, I wasn't able to finish my thesis in time, so I didn't get my degree still. I was really worried I would get contacted by HR any day asking for my degree, but didn't hear anything from them. Now it's late February, and I just got an email requesting my degree. I'm freaking out because I still don't have it, though I still could get it at any point if I just finish this thesis. I'm really worried about disappointing my team; I've actually been doing really well in this job for the past several months. Really not sure how to move forward. I ignored the message today but I definitely have to respond Monday. Do I come clean and tell them I'm still working on getting my degree, but that I don't have to go to any more classes or anything? I do have my full transcript still. I really don't want to make too much up and dig myself a deeper hole. But I'm not in a spot financially where I could be fired and survive for more than a month. Would appreciate any advice on this. <Q> This might depend somewhat on the size of the company, industry, and location, but generally if you are a valued member of your team your managers aren't going to want to lose you. <S> Remember the HR person is not losing sleep over this, they are just doing a mundane task of chasing paperwork and documentation. <S> I would approach your manager or direct supervisor with this information right away (first thing Monday), and ask their advice on how best to position yourself in your response to HR. <S> This brings them into the discussion and sets them up to come to your assistance/defence if needed. <S> Assuming your position requires this degree, make a plan now that lays out exactly how and when you will complete your thesis. <S> Be prepared to present that to the company, and this time stick to it. <S> If you are having trouble forcing yourself to sit down and complete your thesis, figure out a strategy that will help you do this. <S> Maybe you could pay a high level tutor or general 'life coach' to sit with you weekly and help keep you on task, maybe you have a friend or family member who could help, maybe it's just about setting aside time in your calendar and going to a library. <S> Ultimately, most companies will work pretty hard to keep a good, productive, honest employee. <S> This will probably all work out ok. <A> Do I come clean and tell them I'm still working on getting my degree, but that I don't have to go to any more classes or anything? <S> Yes, of course. <S> And, assuming you are actually planning to complete your thesis and get your degree (as you had implied to them), tell them when you now expect to complete your thesis. <S> Then - complete your thesis and put this worry behind you! <S> It will be better for this job, and better for all future jobs. <A> So, I want to make sure I get this right. <S> 17 Months Ago: Final Semester starts (Fall 18). <S> Your thesis is assigned. <S> 16 Months Ago: <S> 15 Months Ago: <S> 14 Months Ago: You get a job that is somewhat expecting you to graduate in a few months <S> 13 Months Ago: <S> 12 Months Ago: ... thesis still not done. <S> 11 Months Ago: <S> 10 Months Ago: Thesis still not done! <S> You've got <S> 1 month left... <S> 9 Months Ago: Whoops. <S> No graduation. <S> You didn't finish it on time. <S> 8 Months Ago: Hey, that's okay. <S> Just complete it <S> and we'll give your diploma in 2 months. <S> 7 Months Ago: <S> 6 Months Ago: Still no thesis? <S> 5 Months Ago: ... and still no diploma. <S> 4 Months Ago: Company isn't pressuring me on this. <S> So let's forget about it. <S> 3 Months Ago: I mean, who actually needs a college degree, amiright? <S> 2 Months Ago: <S> 1 Month Ago: Now: Still no thesis. <S> Still no diploma. <S> And it turns out the company cares after all. <S> Are you kidding me? <S> WRITE <S> YOUR <S> *#$%#! <S> THESIS! <S> I can't emphasize that enough. <S> This is your course of action: <S> Finish your thesis. <S> Literally every minute you are not sleeping, working, or eating, you are writing your thesis. <S> Noexcuses, no delaying, get the *#&%^#@ thing done! <S> Like, by thisweekend . <S> Contact your college and grovel for them to accept it a year late and still let you graduate. <S> Contact your employer and apologize for the delays on this. <S> Tell them that the college is reviewing your senior thesis still, but you're expecting to hear back from them within X days. <S> I mean, holy freaking snot buckets. <S> Forget for a second about this specific moment in time. <S> Do you honestly think, 5 years down the line, that you'd say, "Well, I don't think missing out on a college degree <S> really hurt me all that much. <S> And it saved me 40 hours of time writing a silly thesis." <S> No! <S> You'd say, "What the heck was I thinking?! <S> I let a bit of laziness and procrastination cost me a college degree, when all I needed to do was sit down and write one lousy paper !" <A> Tell them you're done with all the classes (add a proof!) and are working intensively on your thesis, which you are planning to submit by ... at the latest. <S> Then complete your thesis by the date and send them your degree.
| In the workplace, honesty is always the best policy, there is no benefit to trying to stall or mislead here, it will only serve to stress you out. You may still be eligible to avail yourself of counseling or advisor services offered by your school, maybe they can help. Explain that everything except your thesis is complete.
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Is it bad / silly to congratulate a colleague who I am competing with? I'm a product manager working in a big company. My track consists of two teams trying to build one product. The product is big and that's why we scope it to two different teams. Our senior product manager left the company and they didn't hire a new one, hoping that one of the two product managers (me and the other one) will be promoted. To be promoted, you need to work on a project that helps the whole department. Last year while we were discussing the direction of the product, we had an idea that can benefit many parts of the company. There was a competition between me and the other product manager about who will lead that idea. He ultimately could get it by playing it "well". He ignored our main product. His team was suffering from lack of product management. He spent almost all his time preparing for that idea. Later I was assigned to work with him, but because of the history, he knew more than what I did and the stockholder already knew him. So he was the leader. Recently the product went live, and everyone in the company is positive about it. He will be promoted soon. We normally sent a mail thread about updates like this to the whole company. Will it be silly to congratulate him as a reply to that mail thread? Will I be perceived as someone who is trying to hide his pain? <Q> Will it be silly to congratulate him as a reply to that mail thread? <S> It's not silly at all to congratulate a co-worker who got promoted. <S> I'm sure he would appreciate it as much as you would have appreciated it had you been promoted. <S> Don't do a Reply All to the email with your congratulations. <A> Will it be silly to thank him as a reply to that mail thread? <S> There is no obligation to even reply. <S> It's his moment in the sun, it's doubtful <S> he's worried about you. <A> Think about what you would do if they would hire a new boss for both of you externally instead of promoting one of you. <S> How would you react to that mail then? <S> I don't think you can go wrong with that reaction.
| Instead, do it in person if you can, or via a phone call or separate email if you can't do it in person.
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Apply direct or use recruiter I have a situation where I was cold-emailed by a recruiter after updating a resume for another job.The recruiter pointed me to a job that after some research is posted on LinkedIn by a person that works at the company (but not on other job boards...)Also it appears to be a small company. I have two choices: Respond to the recruiter and go through them Apply to the job through LinkedIn I'm leaning toward the latter as the recruiters email gives me a cold-call vibe. For example, I suspect they are skimming off LinkedIn jobs and I would be a candidate they essentially go and cold call the company with. On the other hand, what if the company has actually enlisted this firm?I don't see evidence of it as there aren't any postings available for this specific position through the recruiter (there are many others though...) Any advice is appreciated! <Q> If the recruiter had a contract with the company, that's not your problem. <S> Unless you had any sort of agreement with the recruiter first, you have no restrictions. <S> Some recruiters may have agreements with the client that all recruitment has to come through them - in which case, the company will redirect you to the recruiter. <S> If that happens, go with the flow - it won't cost you anything, and the recruiter still gets paid. <A> On the other hand, what if the company has actually enlisted this firm? <S> I don't see evidence of it as there aren't any postings available for this specific position through the recruiter (there are many others though...) <S> Make the best choice you can with the information you have , if you get more information, adjust your actions. <S> So no "what if". <S> I'm leaning toward the latter as the recruiters email gives me a cold-call vibe. <S> For example, I suspect they are skimming off LinkedIn jobs <S> and I would be a candidate they essentially go and cold call the company with. <S> And there you go. <S> That's the important information and your answer. <S> Deal with the company directly (via LinkedIn). <A> I would deal direct with the company, but as the recruiter drew your attention to it they should probably get their normal commision from the company. <S> Without knowing the recruiter I would prefer myself to talk about details of the hiring process / conditions of job offer etc. <S> direct rather than go through a 3rd party recruiter. <S> Some recruiters will do an excellent job and it might be in your interest to go through them, but without knowing this recruiter I would suggest that it would be better to deal with the company direct. <S> Will also give you a feeling for what the company is like. <S> I had a friend recently who moved job. <S> Turned out that a recruiter pointed my friend to a company that he knew about with a person he had worked with closely previously. <S> So my friend was a bit frustrated that he had not found out about the job without the help of the recruiter. <S> I think my friend dealt directly with the person he had worked with before for interview agree terms etc., but the recruiter got their commission because the recruiter had drawn my friend's attention to the opening.
| If you have the direct connection to the company, deal direct.
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Is it professional to ask for reference after being terminated? As part of the offer process, I am being asked to provide reference check as part of the background screening. I am only allowed to give Managers and not coworkers/peers. I have disclosed that I was terminated from a past job on the form, but for references, I don't have references pertaining to this particular job I held as I was terminated from that job . I don't think it's appropriate to contact the manager since i did not leave on good terms? Wouldn't manager just give a bad reference and i am screwed What do I do? The background check company requires at least 1 reference for each job I held in the past. I have many other references for my other jobs though <Q> Part of the purpose of the background check to to make sure that they know of all the jobs you have held. <S> If you lie about the dates you had job <S> x, so that you don't have to disclose job <S> y where you were fired; then it will be flagged when job x provides the real dates of employment. <S> When checking job dates they will usually get that information from either the company HR, or a third party company. <S> That only provide names, dates and title. <S> They give no opinion on your work performance. <S> They might disclose the reason for the employment ending but they usually won't go into details. <S> References are provided by you to be able to describe how ell your work. <S> They know these people will give a positive reference. <S> But they can still get an idea of how knowledgeable you are based on how they describe your strengths. <S> If you tell them you worked for company Y, and that company Y fired you, then there is nothing to fear. <S> If they were overly concerned about the fact you were fired, they would never get to the point that they had to do the background check. <S> These checks are done after all the other screenings and interviews. <S> Now if you lie, so that they call a person who will claim to be your manager, and they discover that you did this, they will have to assume that the truth is much worse than you described. <S> Getting caught omitting key information, or getting caught in a lie, is far worse than providing the truth. <S> Contact the old manager. <S> Let him know that they are checking employment dates, and tell him that they know about being fired. <A> "Reference check" often means "confirm that you worked there" not give any more information than that. <S> See this question for more details but YMMV wildly. <S> Email the manager in question: I'm doing a background check. <S> I already told them you fired me, but they're still insisting on a reference check. <S> If you don't tell them in advance, they'll be afraid of what they can say and may never respond to HireRight. <S> (copy-pasted from comments by Stephan Branczyk ) <A> People leave jobs, so consider what it means to have a manager reference for every single job you've had. <S> Does that mean "the person who was your manager, and if they left you're out of luck and never get a job again? <S> " <S> No. <S> Some of the confusion is there's two different meanings for "reference." <S> One is "someone who is going to avidly vouch for you" - which you have a couple of and provide on request - or "someone in each company who's going to say you existed." <S> You have to use context clues to decide which they mean - but in this case it's clearly the latter. <S> Firstly, you can give the information of anyone in management, in other words, it doesn't just have to be your direct manager. <S> Were there any other managers you were on good terms with? <S> Secondly, in the case of being terminated (or, indeed, in the case of your manager not being there any more), you can provide them with the company HR contact info instead. <S> Putting the name of your manager is fine, if there's a good reason for HR to connect them through they will. <S> Thirdly, you are letting a form psych you out. <S> I worked for a company that went out of business. <S> There's not even a HR contact to give. <S> New employers cope with the realities of the world. <S> So if you had anyone above you that you were on good terms with put them. <S> If it's just your past manager, put them or them with HR's phone number. <S> All either is going to do is confirm the facts of your story; going into "why you sucked" is lawsuit bait and everyone in management gets warned "don't do that, just say date started date ended and whether they're eligible for rehire."
| Reference requests from places you were fired from are common enough and yes, asking is professional.
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I found a laptop I used at a company I left 10 years ago, am I allowed to keep it? I recently unpacked some old stuff from the attic, and found a laptop from a company I left around 10 years ago . Am I allowed to keep and use it? The company never asked for it back, and as I said it has been around 10 years since I was with that company. <Q> If you want the squeaky clean approach this is the one to take - they may still tell you that you can do what you want with it of course, as it's probably not worth their time organising for it to be collected. <S> In practice, it's a crappy old laptop and no-one will care what happens to it. <S> They probably wrote off its existence years ago. <S> if it's that useful to you of course - hardware much better than that is routinely binned.) <S> There's just 2 things I'd be mindful of: <S> Make sure the laptop is free from any company data (including company licenses for software), preferably format it before use to be sure; <S> Don't sell it. <A> By all means talk to your old employer. <S> I had almost the same happen. <S> In my case it was an old desktop I used for remote acces when I worked on the mainframe. <S> This was two mergers later and <S> about 18 years after I moved to web/desktop development. <S> In my case my last supervisor had me remove the hard-drive (a whopping 80MB device) and send to him. <S> The computer itself was and old windows NT box. <S> The only software on it was a VT100 terminal emulator and the remote access (before VPN) which didn't even have an endpoint to talk to anymore as we'd been off the mainframe sine 2002. <S> I met him for happy hour one night and gave him the hard drive. <S> The remainder of the computer went to my communities electronics recycling event. <A> The value of this laptop is exactly zero. <S> It's rather pointless for you and the company to spend more than zero seconds effort to get the laptop back to the company. <S> And as no good deed goes unpunished, depending on how unreasonable the person taking care of hardware at the company now is, you might be accused of theft, or the person who should have received that laptop years ago can get chewed out for losing the laptop.
| Strictly speaking you should contact the company, let them know you have it and ask what they want you to do with it. Only thing they'd do is bin it - so sure, you can just use it if you want (
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I got declined for a promotion EOD Friday. What are the consequences of just not showing up Tuesday? Using a throwaway as my real account has my real name. I’m a dev who got declined for a promotion on Friday from intermediate to senior and got the standard “try again in 3 months” Everyone basically knows that I didn’t get it as another colleague got his and everyone knows we both applied. I’m the kind of person to apply to everyone when I want a promotion, not just my own company. I got another offer from a different tech company for the promotion and they want to know how soon I can start. At this point, I don’t give a crap about my current company anymore and am somewhat embarrassed to be seen there. I don’t have anything at my desk of significant value, don’t care anymore if the sprint is blown, etc. I already remoted in to delete any sensitive files and passwords from the browser. Other than blowing up a managerial reference, is there any consequence to just never being heard from again? I can get a good reference from a co-worker who left a month ago. Happy to move on immediately. The other main long term consequence I can see is that I have never been promoted internally (I’ve never applied for a promotion internally without applying elsewhere and “elsewhere” is less cautious). I’m not sure if this is ever detected by recruiters. I spend 1-3 years in most places, so the tenures aren’t bad, but at this moment I don’t care. The new company wants me. The old one doesn’t. It is Tuesday not Monday as we have flex days. <Q> Other than blowing up a managerial reference, is there any consequence to just never being heard from again? <S> In my part of the world, in my work domain, it can be a "small world". <S> Word gets around. <S> Others learn what kind of professional you are. <S> I value my reputation above almost everything else, professionally. <S> As such, I take a lot of care to be above board and professional in everything I do. <S> The short term pleasure you might gain from never showing up again is far outweighed by the damage to your reputation, IMHO. <S> If you were part of my family, or a friend, I'd advise you to suck it up, give the normal notice for your locale and work domain, work hard during your notice period, and leave on as good terms as possible. <S> Long term I believe that is always best for a career. <S> The other main long term consequence I can see is that I have never been promoted internally (I’ve never applied for a promotion internally without applying elsewhere and “elsewhere” is less cautious). <S> I’m not sure if this is ever detected by recruiters. <S> I can't speak for recruiters. <S> But I can tell you from personal experience that hiring managers notice these things. <A> Well, the obvious (to me) answer is: You're proving that they were right not to promote you. <S> You will have shown that you were not dependable. <S> Call the company that made you the offer first thing Tuesday, get everything set and SIGNED , then put in your two weeks. <S> That's not such a high price to maintain your reputation. <A> You are burning bridges, but you are burning bridges for no good reason whatsoever and with really bad timing. <S> Don’t act until you have a signed, legally binding contract with another company, and then you give your notice. <S> It’s just about possible that the new company won’t want you anymore when they hear how you left. <S> Or that someone really wants you to join the new company but isn’t really in a position to decide. <S> A totally unnecessary risk. <S> Plus of course you are not going to get paid. <A> First. <S> Never ghost your employer like this. <S> It will end up haunting you in the end. <S> (See what I did there :D) <S> But joking aside you really do not want to hit the self destruct button on this one. <S> Seeing that you already have an offer I would simply accept that offer and give your 2 weeks. <S> Do not slack off or refuse to perform during those 2 weeks and simply leave on good terms. <S> The company who is offering the new job will in almost all cases understand a 2 weeks notices. <S> The company you are leaving will also understand a 2 weeks notice. <S> This way you wont tarnish your reputation and you will give the new company piece of mind you are willing to at least give a two weeks notice before leaving. <S> You would be surprised on how fast word gets around and depending on your line of work it can be very likely for someone you knew in your current job to find you at your new job they may know someone there already. <S> You would be surprised what a small world it can be. <S> Think about it. <S> If you just ghost you current employer and the new employer finds out they might not think you are a safe employee to have around. <S> I mean you could just vanish at any moment <S> right? <S> You seam rather upset about not getting the promotion and that can be for many reason. <S> Who knows without knowing your work but based on what you are asking to do you don't appear to have a strong work ethic. <S> Do your job those 2 weeks and move on. <A> Being passed on a promotion then never showing up to work looks a bit childish, in my opinion. <S> It also damages your reputation, as others said, but on top of that you risk losing both jobs because you don't have a written offer in hand. <S> I understand that you are upset about being passed on a promotion, and I don't think anyone would disagree that you have a right to feel frustrated and angry. <S> However, it's moments like this that test your true character. <S> You need to maintain composure and make decisions that will be be helpful to yourself. <S> I think the best course of action right now is to proceed with the other job offer for senior position and making sure you have a written offer in hand before turning in your notice. <S> I also want to stress that job titles differ from companies. <S> While "senior" might mean you take responsibilities above others within, they can differ greatly from each company. <S> So you need to make sure you're not going from a bad job to a really bad job. <S> It's times like this that make you jump ship and a lot of folks end up being even more unhappy because they just want a title. <S> My thought: get a offer for the higher position, then turn in your two weeks and leave on good terms. <S> They would know why you left but really can't do anything about it.
| Do yourself a favor and accept the offer (be sure to get something in writing and singed, IE JOB OFFER LETTER) then give a 2 weeks notice. Your professional reputation will be damaged in the eyes of anyone who knows what you did. It may not matter, depending on your desired career path.
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My subordinates were dismissed two weeks after I was hired, should I resign? TL;DR: I was hired to lead a team, but they were fired shortly. Company can't afford replacement now after 9 months. I applied for and was accepted for a lead role at an online retailer in LondonI was told that I would be managing a team of two others, both of whom already worked at this company and both I met during the interview process The first 2 weeks went as planned. I found my feet and I introduced some workflows with my team. However, during second week I was told that both my team members would be let go - effective immediately - due to their poor performance prior to when I had joined As it was my first fortnight on the job I did not protest, and the blow was softened by the fact I was promised we could recruit for at least one of the positions I had lost. This was 9 months ago, I still have no team . The company has been dragging their feet and are now "struggling to find the budget" for that additional role I feel embarrassed having to tell people both within the company and those external about what happened. Should I just suck it up and keep pushing for the budget to be signed off? Or should I start looking for somewhere else to work after this short time? If so, would other employers see this as an acceptable reason for leaving? <Q> You could not fulfill the role you were hired for without a team, after all. <A> It’s absolutely a good reason to leave. <S> The company must have known the situation before they hired you. <S> So nobody can blame you. <S> But your question is whether you should leave. <S> To decide that , look at the job as it is. <S> Ignore the embarrassment. <S> The embarrassment isn’t yours, it’s your employer’s. <S> How is the pay, how is the work, is it stressful, do people demand things you can’t deliver without a team, or are they happy with what you achieve without overworking yourself. <S> Will you get a decent raise at the end of the year or will they refuse because you are not leading anyone other than yourself? <S> You should consider how good or bad you feel about your work situation, and look for something better more or less in the background. <S> Having a safe job means you are in a good negotiation position when you look for a new job. <A> Given that you applied for and were offered a job leading a team of two people, I'm assuming that you have either previously been working in a managerial/leadership role, or you were intending to move your career in that direction? <S> If that is the case, then spending these last nine months not leading a team is either a backwards step, or at best, a lack of forward movement towards your career goals. <S> For that reason alone - without getting into any issues like "they lied to me" - it would be perfectly reasonable for you to start looking around for a new position that does fit your career goals. <A> Question seems formed in a way that if read the wrong/taken to the extreme could be interpreted as you asking for people to give you permission to resign. <S> This is up for you to decide: You were hired to do X , your employee gives you corresponding job title " X -person", then you find out that for reasons outside your control, your are doing Y - <S> can you leave? <S> Of course with a note that you might like doing Y <S> so no. <S> Should you feel guilty or blamed for leaving? <S> No , you did nothing wrong. <S> From my experience working in the UK though, which I think makes your question UK specific: this has happened to me twice and it is one of the reasons I have stopped being an employee for the time being. <S> There are two things I have observed: First is that contracts are kind-of a formality and do bind the employer as much as they would in other places. <S> They hired you as a manager, now you have no one to manage. <S> In other places HR might contact you and ask you if it is OK, if you want to relocate to another store, whatever. <S> Here it seems that the employer believes that they "own you" rather "being in an agreement with you" as long as you work. <S> Huuuuge generalisation but true. <S> So your employer does not believe that you really should be managing anyone it seems. <S> Remember here people do not complain, do not trigger procedures, professionalism means smiling to whatever is being thrown at you and sending your CV away. <S> Second I have seen this as a tactic to hire a good employee. <S> You hire them as a manager for people that will be let go. <S> Officially they are managers maybe get better payment. <S> Then these people leave - they knew that before - so the "manager" needs to keep the department running aka do their jobs. <S> With that you have a good subordinate, with the responsibilities of a manager working for two. <S> This person will be there for a while because leaving will look bad on their CV. <S> Either way your problem is at least temporarily solved until then. <A> Others have said it I would agree it's time to leave. <S> I would add that the longer you stay in this position <S> then the more normalised this becomes ergo the company basically can use this as way to cause you to have accepted a demotion. <S> So in employment law (UK) there is something called constructive dismissal which means that the company changes your job such that they make you leave. <S> In this case they have changed your job from leading a team to a normal worker. <S> Unfortunately when it comes to constructive dismissal if you actually start doing the job then your rights are pretty much waved in that you are implicitly accepting the new job. <S> So in this case I would definitely think about leaving just for the fact that the longer you stay the more likely they can just state that this was your job all along. <S> I'm not sure of your background <S> but if you seen a CV/Resume with a move from a Team Lead back to a non Team Lead how would you look at that ? <S> Given <S> it's been 9 months <S> it's actually a bit late for all this but <S> the advice for moving is the same I believe. <S> Something similar happened to me and I worked with the company for many years after (now left). <S> So this advice is based of my personal experience.
| If you have been hired to lead a team and then the whole team gets fired and not replaced, that sounds like a pretty valid reason to leave.
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Should I wait for job contract to hand out my notice? I recently received written job offer (from a big corporation, if it matters) that I decided to accept. I am meant to start at the beginning of April, so I need to hand notice letter to my employer by Friday. I haven't received a job contract from my new employer yet though. Does it matter? I see there is quite strong consensus that you need contract, before you take any steps, but in my case the job contract will contain one month probationary period. I assume if there is any reason for them to not offer me contract after I hand out my notice, they could use the same reason to terminate my contract at the day 0 of my probationary period. -- EDIT -- Thanks for all the answers so far! I generally agree with points raised by @gnat and @Player One - it's not a wise choice to commit to a contract with unclear/undefined terms. From my experience contracts in big corporations are one pagers: with salary, start date, end date, probationary period, notice period stated. Everything else is really not negotiable and described in the same document for the whole company (like "company policy manual" or "collective labor agreement"). This document was presented to me, so I feel like all the conditions are clear. At this stage I think I'll need to select between If your new employer is serious about recruiting you, they’ll understand that you need a signed contract before resigning. If they don’t, ask yourself if you’re ready to work for them and My bottom line is if the company is well reputed and you have a good feeling about it, go for it now if it makes your situation easier <Q> Yes, it matters. <S> If you haven't read the contract then you shouldn't commit to signing it - what if the contract contains a clause you consider unreasonable, or if the compensation listed in it is different from what you discussed with the recruiter/hiring manager? <S> If you have already quit your previous job when you learn this then your options will be a lot more limited than if you'd waited. <S> Don't resign until after you've read and signed your new contract. <A> Presumably the new company knows about your notice period? <S> If so, simply explain that it starts when you receive, and agree , a contract from them - which they will already know, if they are reputable. <S> Any push to start early is coming form your new boss who wants you on-board ASAP. <S> If he has a problem, it is with his company's HR department, not with you. <S> And don't be a afraid to take a day or two to understand the contract <S> /discuss it with a lawyer if you feel that it is needed (probably not with a large company, but you never know). <S> Tl;dr: receive contract review contract 2a. <S> discuss contract with lawyer/new employer, if necessary sign contract and deliver to new company resign, starting one month notice period one month later, start at new job <S> Do not deviate from the above. <S> Ever . <A> While other answers are right in their own way, I think you should consider some other things <S> How "big" is the company. <S> If it is really in the likes of FANG , you can be more assured that a written offer letter has lot of credibility and you may not have to wait for the contract. <S> Do you really plan to negotiate something which is on the contract or change your mind if you do not agree with the clause? <S> Again, depending on how big the company is, these terms may be non-negotiable and mostly well thought of. <S> There may not be a lot you can do about it anyway. <S> Every job change comes with a risk. <S> Whatever risk you see resigning before getting the contract, may reappear after you get the contract as well. <S> My bottom line is if the company is well reputed and you have a good feeling about it, go for it now if it makes your situation easier. <A> I will answer with an European perspective. <S> First of all, so you can get an idea, HR in my current company explicitly told me during recruitment to do not quit until I had a contract from them in my hands. <S> Motives are mainly: Delays. <S> Contracts in some places (e.g. Germany) may need to go through several layers of approvals after the decision to hire you has been taken. <S> This includes maybe the workers union and the finance department and this delays the process quite a lot. <S> You probably do not want to be a couple of months without work. <S> Cancellation of the offer. <S> It could happen (rarely) that they do not approve your hiring due to a temporal freeze or other reasons. <S> If time is getting close so you will have to start a month later due to your notice period rules, so be it. <S> I would send an email to the HR contact from your prospective employer reminding them about this fact since it may speed up the process. <S> Be patient and wait for your contract before resigning from your current employer. <A> I agree with the consensus you mention, because that’s the most prudent solution for you. <S> However : If your new employer is serious about recruiting you, they’llunderstand that you need a signed contract before resigning. <S> If theydon’t, ask yourself if you’re ready to work for them. <S> Also, have you tried explaining your situation, and ask for a later start date ? <S> If you are on good terms with your current employer, you may be able to negociate a shorter notice period. <S> Alernatively, there is the "nuclear option" to quit before the end of your notice period in order to work for your new employer. <S> You’llmost likely burn the bridges with your current employer and,depending on the Netherlands law, face legal repercussions, butthat’s still an option. <A> You will always have the possibility of them terminating at day 0.you will have to cancel your current contract in time as well. <S> At least one month before, in some positions it's longer. <S> I would stress the party that you need the contract before you can quit your current position, it's only reasonable. <S> Don't risk it unless you are in a fancy position in IT where I can find work in a day.
| As others have said, DO NOT resign until you have read, agreed and signed your new contract. Written job offer DOES have a very high value in terms of 'safety'.
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Are there certain things I can do to become more high profile? How do I overcome my communication issues? I am kind of an introverted person and I admit I have communication issues. I am manager of a team and new to my company. I have a feeling that my manager is not happy with me. He did not say anything, but I believe this because I am not a high profile person and I don't like to show up and talk a lot. Are there certain things I can do to become more high profile, and be able to communicate with the manager more? I see other managers go talk to him for what happens in every single meeting and gossiping, and he seems to like that! Currently we have 1-on-1 meetings weekly. Sometimes I try to find any reason to go to his office to tell him I am here and working, but I feel this cheap. Is there a better way to tell him I am doing work and communicate with him in a more professional way? <Q> First of all, you should not assume that your supervisor has a problem with you if he does not tell you. <S> There are several things you could change. <S> In a managing position, communication is one of the most important tools. <S> You can only give information to other people, like your manager but also your team, if you communicate with them. <S> If you have a problem with this, you should work on it. <S> On the point of having a high profile. <S> I think you think you have to go into the company's rumor mill to build a high profile. <S> I don't think that's the case. <S> There's nothing wrong with getting to know the people you work with. <S> After all, you spend most of the day with these people and it can be very helpful to understand them personally and understand their motives. <A> I'm interpreting your question to mean "how I can I improve my communication skills? <S> " As you know, many job postings require "excellent written and spoken communication skills". <S> That's not just boilerplate. <S> It's tremendously meaningful. <S> There are a few things you can do explicitly to teach yourself. <S> Don't put yourself down too much. <S> You probably are doing well. <S> Remember that your co-workers, your boss, and your team really want you to succeed. <S> Also remember that it takes time to become work-friends with people. <S> Ask for feedback from your fellow managers. <S> You can say something like, "Hey Sally, I'm a new manager here <S> and I'm learning to communicate as well as I can inside this company. <S> Do you have any suggestions for how I can improve in this area? <S> " <S> Remember that people love being asked for advice. <S> Maybe you can find a co-worker to be a mentor to you. <S> It's worth a try. <S> Practice communicating. <S> Try to make your messages that good. <S> (This takes some work, but it's not wasted work.) <S> Do the same for presentations in meetings of any length. <S> Look for a club called Toastmasters . <S> They have the mission of helping people learn to speak in public, and can be a tremendous boost. <S> Your personality, you say, is a bit introverted. <S> Please remember that does not mean you can't communicate well. <S> Many introverted people do a great job communicating. <S> What it does mean is this: you gather strength from being alone with your thoughts. <S> Other people gather strength from being with other people. <S> Your personality is just as good as other peoples', and it's yours. <S> Claim it proudly. <A> I have a feeling that my manager is not happy with me. <S> He did not say anything, but I believe this because I am not a high profile person <S> and I don't like to show up and talk a lot. <S> Still, maybe you're picking up a vibe (btw, listening to and observing other people <S> are just as important communication skills as speaking) <S> that there's something wrong. <S> If so, ask about it at your next meeting: "... <S> So, I'm not big on small talk -- I'm more of a direct communicator. <S> Even so, I want to become part of the team, and I'm afraid I might not be doing that so well yet. <S> Can you give me any pointers on how to improve? <S> " That'll start a conversation where either you'll get some good advice on fitting in better, or you'll get some reassurance that everything is fine. <S> Any good manager would be happy with someone who's self-aware enough to identify their own weak spots and open enough to ask for help with them.
| If your manager isn't happy with you but hasn't said anything, then it seems to me that it's your manager who needs to improve his/her communication skills. Find examples of what you consider good email messages, and study them a bit.
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How do I address my Japanese colleagues? I work for an American company, in the US. We have a large branch in Japan. What is the etiquette with name usage in written communication, with fellow employees I don't know (don't work with normally)? I'm not Japanese but am familiar with the culture, and it feels extremely weird for me to use their first name. e.g. for 'Hajime (first name) Saito (surname)' do I use: Saito-san Hajime (sounds really rude) Hajime-san? Hajime Saito-san? <Q> The exception would be those that you work with regularly, where they might signal a different title to use, via their email signature (the same as in the west). <S> If you notice they repeatedly sign off with something like "Sincerely, (Firstname)" - then you are generally safe to just use that. <S> With that said though, do remember that your Japanese colleagues will be used to working with the west - or at least sympathetic to the fact the west uses different forms of address. <S> If you get it wrong, they will almost always be understanding <S> - it's not an area to stress over too much. <A> It depends on the language you are writing in. <S> If you are writing in English, Mr Saito. <S> If you are writing in Japanese, use -san. <S> If you are not sure of the kanji, you should use katakana. <S> This is from my time working in a Japanese distribution company here in the UK. <A> Having worked and lived in Japan myself, I've found that Japanese people who work with Americans are very lenient in terms of understanding American culture. <S> If you address a Japanese person the same way as you would address an American, it's unlikely to cause a lot of unnecessary friction. <S> It might come off as weird to them, but it's unlikely to cause a fuss (plus Japanese people in general are very confrontation-averse <S> so it's not likely to get back to you even if it is a problem). <S> But the safest way, if you wanted to, would be Surname-san, in this case Saito-san. <S> This form is very impersonal though, so it depends on how personal you want to be; if your work culture encourages informality and camaraderie, you may come across as not a friendly person, so YMMV. <S> If you want to strike a mix of familiarity and respect, First Name-san is also an acceptable form. <S> Not affixing -san is too familiar for your current relationship (although, see above re: Japanese people being lenient towards American cultural norms and being generally confrontation-averse), and Full Name-san is...not a thing. <A> It's great that you want to learn their way of addressing people, but unnecessary. <S> You're a foreigner no one cares much. <S> In most languages and cultures it's only 'really' insulting if someone from that language or culture doesn't use the correct address. <S> Because then it is probably on purpose, whereas a foreigner doesn't know better, and doesn't matter much in a cultural sense.
| From working at a western branch of a Japanese owned multinational company, where a lot of our business is with our Japanese colleagues: The most common, and safest, way to address the Japanese colleagues is simply Surname-san.
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How does an IT professional realign to a new industry? I have 10 years of professional experience in the fossil fuel IT industry. It has taught me many valuable lessons, and fairly compensated me, but there are a few major motivators for me wanting to change industry alignment. Most of all, as I gain more senior positions, I have more awareness of the business impact of my projects and initiatives, and I frankly think I will feel much more happy if I make a positive impact on a business not as detrimental to society as hydrocarbons. In fewer words, I want to reflect more positively upon my impact on society. There are other motivators that would just distract from this question but suffice to say it isn't about the technology I work with or the pay or the colleagues. Those are all fine. I have been unsuccessfully applying to Healthcare IT positions for about 6 months. I have not progressed beyond HR screens except one time. While hiring policies rarely allow for explanations of why you were not selected, the main things I hear are: You need industry experience for this position, and you do not have it You are too experienced for this position I have tinkered with my resume several times and the responses don't seem to change materially. I think the specific industries are not relevant, and when I turn the question around I can understand how the hiring managers are thinking - I am often hiring or placing contractors, and I would never suggest someone who has less than 5 years of industry experience for anything other than an entry level job, and I would balk at someone with 10 years of experience in another industry applying for an entry level position. It's worth mentioning my experience revolves mostly around enterprise applications and their software development lifecycle - which I feel is a slightly less portable skill than networking or security, for example. How can someone make a compelling case for a hiring manager in a different industry? <Q> I've been in this situation <S> but I've got invited to plenty of interviews in other industries. <S> The clue is: to stress your functional experience. <S> What field are you working in functionally? <S> E.g. if you're in sales you can try to switch to a different industry into sales. <S> Always stress that you are a sales system expert. <S> Of course it's more difficult if you are doing something upstream, a bit linked to that, stress the transferable skills. <S> E.g. IT systems repeat across industries as do work methods. <S> have a very good argumentation why you want to get into the specific industry. <S> This shouldn't seem random. <S> Having said that, pharmaceuticals/ healthcare is a quite specific industry and it's not that easy to break into it especially if you do operations as distinct from sales/marketing systems. <S> But it's not impossible. <S> Actually the most difficult change is, according to my experience, the switch between any other industry, e.g. chemicals and financial services (banks, insurances). <S> I did actually receive such offers but normally, it's very tricky as financial institutions work quite differently than anything else. <S> I think the specific industries are not relevant, and when I turn the question around I can understand how the hiring managers are thinking - I am often hiring or placing contractors, and I would never suggest someone who has less than 5 years of industry experience for anything other than an entry level job <S> I find this comment strange. <S> I switched jobs from a junior position in one industry into a senior position in a very different industry. <S> If you can offer the company something they need why wouldn't they want you just because you are currently working in a different industry? <S> I've worked in several industries <S> and yes, there are differences <S> but there are also plenty of similarities and you can learn about the differences in max. <S> a month. <S> Actually, I think it's incredibly valuable to have on team someone "from outside". <A> How can someone make a compelling case for a hiring manager in a different industry? <S> Realistically to a stranger you can't. <S> You just need to keep trying. <S> A decades industry specific experience is just not that valuable elsewhere. <S> So you push your generic expertise and hope for the best. <S> Your best course is to leverage any professional network you may have developed as they can attest to your skills and abilities. <S> Having said that, I changed industries more than once, the trick for me was not to get frustrated, always have work (even manual labour) to pay the bills and keep trying. <A> A big area like healthcare can probably always find people with industry specific experience, so you may always lose out to a better candidate. <S> It's easier with smaller industries. <S> If a company works in a specialist niche, they don't expect to find people with experience of that niche. <S> Instead they'll look for experience of working with the same size project, or the same technology. <S> Your generic IT experience is as useful as anyone else's here. <A> Part of the problem is you're viewing yourself as a "Petrol Worker" who happens to do IT. <S> No. <S> You're an IT specialist... <S> who happens to be working at a petrol company. <S> I worked as a dev in an Insurance company for 9 years. <S> Want to guess where my next job was? <S> A manufacturing plant. <S> And then after that? <S> A logistics company. <S> Followed by another stint at an insurance company. <S> That's because I wasn't an "Insurance programmer", or a "Manufacturing Programmer", or a "Logistics Programmer. <S> " <S> I'm a programmer. <S> The industry <S> I'm in is a distant second to that fact. <S> So, stop blaming your current industry for why you're not getting further in interview processes. <S> No - there's something that's holding you back that you can improve on. <S> Maybe there's a skill set you could use some work on. <S> Maybe you need to get better at interviews. <S> Or even something else entirely. <S> The point is: find a way to get better and improve, and then do it. <S> (The moment you start passing of blame to an external factor, is the moment you stop getting better and make the next interview more likely to be a success.)
| Alternately, if there's an area you particularly want to get into, you can apply for more junior roles in the hope that your other experience will help you regain your seniority in a few years.
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Should I tell interviewer that I will use their offer to renegotiate current rate first? I have been recently approached by a recruiter from another company. I agreed to go through recruitment proccess and at the begining I have stated my expected salary which I set pretty high. On the other hand I like my current job very much for various reasons, so if my rate would be accepted I would want first to renegotiate my compensation in current job. Now my question is: If a recruiter from the new company would offer me the salary I asked for in the first place, should I tell them that first I will try to renegotiate my current salary? Or should I just say that I need some time to think about it? (which I don't really like because if I got raise in my current job it would seem as if I wasted recruiters time since they agreed to my terms) <Q> NO, you should not mention this to the interviewer <S> Two points: <S> The recruiter does not have anything to do with the knowledge about how you want to make a decision (negotiation in current organization or not), they don't need to know that. <S> Just because an organization offered you the expected salary does not mean you are bound to accept the offer, there are several other factors which comes into play while making a decision for accepting (or rejecting) a job offer. <S> In other words, it's up to every individual about why they want to accept or reject an offer. <S> which I don't really like because if I got raise in my current job it would seem as if I wasted recruiters time since they agreed to my terms Again, to provide some perspective, if after clearing the interview process the organization is not willing to pay the expected amount to you, that can also be perceived as wasted time, <S> can it not? <S> An interview and a job offer is not a one-way street, it's a two-party discussion and negotiation where both parties should be happy with the deal - otherwise, even if there's a deal, it's not going to last long. <S> Don't overthink it. <S> Do what you planned and work based on outcome. <A> Can I get a "Hell no!" ? <S> Using other solid offers as negotiation capital isn't bad in of itself - and while the individual(s) <S> your interviewing may well understand what you're doing and may well even have done the same themselves in similar situations you aren't just interacting with them as individuals but as representatives of the interviewing company. <S> And saying that to them in that capacity is essentially saying I'm just wasting your valuable time and energy for my own ends, we cool? <S> That might not be exactly correct <S> - it's not unreasonable to think that you might be seriously considering the offer to move if it's good enough but be prepared to stay where you are if they come up with a decent counter offer but you seriously risk that the above is all they are going to hear. <S> Which isn't going to go down well. <S> What's more even if they don't take your statements in the worst light <S> there's literally nothing to be gained by doing so - you can still use the offer in counteroffer negotiations with your existing employer and if you want to use any counter offer to renegotiate then you're free to do so. <S> There's no arbitrary rule saying they can't go higher to counter the counter if that makes sense. <S> In 99% of cases you're better off keeping information to yourself - only revealing it if there's a clear benefit to you in the offing. <A> There is likely nothing to gain from your transparency. <S> They may take offense and rescind their offer. <S> If you want more time, just say you need time to consider everything. <S> Even better, say that you are expecting* another offer shortly and would like to make your decision after seeing all the results. <S> *Note, here "expecting" is important. <S> You will come across as fickle if you use "might" or "think you might" or some other weak phrasing. <A> I tell recruiters my salary requirement to hire me away from my current position . <S> If some company wants to interview me, and would offer that amount, and there is nothing exceptionally terrible about working for that company, I'm prepared to switch jobs. <S> If I were in your position, I would simply increase the salary requirement until you would no longer feel the need to go back to your current employer and attempt to negotiate a raise with a competing offer. <S> Also, if you feel your current employer is underpaying you - even with the things about the job you like - it seems like you should ask for a raise. <S> (And if your current employer doesn't give you that raise, moving to another company which is willing to meet your salary expectation becomes easier to justify.) <A> If you use such offer for increase your current salary, you might get desired increase, but your boss will get notified that you are on your way out. <S> So they might cut you when it is convenient for them, not you. <S> Look for questions about counter-offers like <S> Will counter offer work in this situation?
| To sum it up, once you have an offer, you can ask for some time to think about it, and in the meantime, you can do your negotiation and based on the outcome, you can reply to the offer.
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I was tricked into a terrible promotion I was asked multiple times to take a position on another shift. I didn't want to leave 1st shift, but was convinced I'd like it. In the meeting that discussed everything I asked that if I didn't like it or otherwise wished to, I'd be able to return to my old position. Well it was bad. They lied about the duties I'd have to preform (it's like 2.5 peoples worth of work) and there's a lot of getting on your knees (which as a heavy guy is absolutely killing me). I went to HR and explained that I was lied to and that I was promised my old spot back if I wanted. Now I know I wouldn't be moved back the next day, it may take a week or even 2. However she's now telling me I can go back to first, but in a different position... I have seniority on nearly everyone in the factory, I was promised I could have it back, I was lied to about my job duties in order to trick me into the position. Given all of this, how are they able to deny me my old position? I even do addition work for the company. normally the hours are 8 hours a day mon-fri, but I come in every Saturday to do maintenance. I've been taught several things few know and would consider myself an asset to the company. How should I approach them about this? I'm trying not to get angry, but it's getting kind of hard at this point. What should I do? <Q> I have seniority on nearly everyone in the factory <S> Seniority mattering usually indicates that you belong to a union. <S> That is probably where you want to start with regard to how they are able to deny you your old position. <S> So much of this revolves around specific rules which we do not know. <A> You mentioned you work in a factory - do you have a union? <S> It might be worth getting in touch with them. <S> This can be very region specific. <S> Start brushing up your CV. <S> It may not be what you want to hear, but at the end of the day, they can probably move you to whatever position in the company they want to and just did you a courtesy asking you to move rather than demanding it. <S> In order to get your old position back, you may need to be ready to walk out over it. <S> The good news it <S> , it sounds like you are an asset to the company and that may mean that they want to keep you on and speed up the process of moving you back if they realise they may lose you over it. <S> The only other avenue you can go down is checking any documentation, but I think it's a long shot! <S> Does your contact state <S> the position you are meant to be in and the work you're meant to be doing? <S> Did you sign a new contract for the new position and if so, do you have it in writing that they guaranteed your old position <S> should you find the new one unsuitable? <A> and they want to keep them there. <S> I assume the offered first shift position is in some way inferior to your old position. <S> Can you negotiate changes that would make it a good one for you?
| Giving you your old position back may be difficult if whoever has been doing it is doing it really well
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Starting a new job and asking for leave right away I'm starting at a new job next week. My best friend is getting married in two weeks and I'm the best man. We discussed any planned activities during the job interview and leaving to attend the wedding seemed fine. It's only for one day anyway. The bride is from another country however. So three weeks after the festivities here, there will be a party/ceremony over there. I also mentioned this in the job interview but described it as nice-to-have. At the time, I didn't think I could go to the party abroad anyway because of my financial situation. So I indicated that this second party wasn't as important as the wedding. It would be nice to go but getting the job is more important. Also, the first weeks of the job consist of required training. But due to lucky circumstances, I'm now financially able to go but it requires one or two days of leave extra. I want to nip this in the bud early and want to discuss it on the first day. Since I'm working through an employment agency, I wasn't able to communicate this directly before my start date. Can I still ask for the additional leave or did I already shoot myself in the foot with this one? <Q> Can you ask for it? <S> sure. <S> You can ask for anything. <S> Whether or not it's granted will likely depend on the employer's PTO policies (which we don't know), the workload or other requirements on your team, and the attitudes and disposition of your new boss. <S> And, of course, there's always the risk that even if it's allowed it may impact your reputation <S> , although - again - none of us can really predict it. <S> Your boss may be the type to think, gosh, can you believe that larwain is already taking time off? <S> or they may be happy you're able to use a benefit (PTO) to celebrate with your friends. <S> If you want to ask, you can always reference the mention during the interview, <S> Hey Boss, I know I have training during my first few weeks here, but I was hoping to follow up on the discussion we had regarding my potential travel to celebrate my friend's wedding in the bride's home country, in two weeks. <S> Would our PTO policy allow for me to take that time off? <S> This way, you're reminding your boss that you already brought it up (and he didn't strictly say no, which is a plus) and <S> you're making the question about policy - which should hopefully help focus on "is it allowed" versus "am I irritating you by asking this?" <A> Can I still ask for the additional leave or did I already shoot myself in the foot with this one? <S> You kind of shot yourself in the foot by describing it as a "nice to have" rather than "essential". <S> That being said, yes, you can ask - and the response is likely to be one of the following: <S> Yes No, because you haven't accrued that much PTO yet (a lot of companies have a policy where you only obtain holiday on a pro-rata rate during your first year, to stop someone taking all their holiday in one go and then leaving a week later during their probation) <S> No, but we can offer you the time off without pay. <S> Specifically, you should decide in advance how you want to proceed if they offer it to you without pay - and be prepared for the answer being a straight "no". <A> People often ask to defer their start date for various reasons, and this one is no worse than many. <S> This has the advantage (for the company) that any training <S> you have to do <S> can get done with the people joining at the new date. <S> People do sometimes ask to 'defer a start date" when they are waiting for a better job offer to arrive. <S> You need to remove any suspicion that you are one of those people. <A> If it turned out that I couldn't/ <S> didn't <S> go then <S> that is almost certainly a better scenario from the perspective of your employer than the scenario you're in now. <S> As it stands, I'd do one of two things: <S> Ask to delay your starting date. <S> If 1. is not possible, then forego the trip abroad. <A> I have previously been in this situation; I was upfront in the interview and stated I had planned travel for the weekend before I was due to commence. <S> They agreed to give me the one day that I would have worked as unpaid leave, which is more than I wanted. <S> I was expecting them to just delay my start date. <S> As other posters have said, deferring ones start date isn't the worst thing. <S> The best advice any of us can give you is to talk with your employer. <S> They are in the best position to answer this.
| Instead of taking leave, you may want to ask about delaying your start date. Personally, I would have approached this from the standpoint that I was going, even if it wan't a certainty. It does have the disadvantage that you won't be paid for the time you are at the wedding, but you will get paid time off later. If you do this make if very clear to the company that you are 100% committed to the job.
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How can I let a coworker know I'm not interested in socializing with him? There's a coworker at my job who asked me out on my first day and I said no. Since then he keeps trying to socialize with me by sitting next to me while I eat my lunch. I'm really not interested in socializing with him because he's a very rude person and only wants to talk about himself. Here's what I've tried so far: Ignoring him. I don't make eye contact or respond to anything he says. I stare at my phone and talk to other coworkers as if he's not there. He just keeps talking and asking questions or he'll start telling some story about his weekend. Putting earbuds in when he sits down. He doesn't leave still. His mouth keeps moving but I listen to music or podcasts so I don't hear him. Getting up and moving to another table as soon as he sits down. He follows me and keeps talking. Saying I'm saving his seat for another coworker. He says "well I was here first" and doesn't leave. Taking my lunch to my cubicle and eating there. He follows me and brings a chair, and keeps talking. Saying "I'm not in the mood for conversation. I'd like to be left alone.". He says something like "aww what's wrong?" and doesn't leave me alone. <Q> You should make it very clear to him that you do not want to socialize with him. <S> This can be done eye to eye, but make sure you also send him a message/mail/whatever to give yourself a bit of a paper trail. <S> This would be where your paper trail can come in handy, as you can now prove that you already warned him. <S> As for an example of how to phrase it: David, The past few weeks you have been invading my personal space. <S> You make me feel uncomfortable by constantly sitting next to me and talking to me, even though I have made multiple efforts to make clear that I don't want this. <S> Can you please stop doing this and just leave me alone? <S> Otherwise I will go to manager/boss because this is just becoming harassment. <S> What I've learned from many years on the internet is that if you start using labels like harassment or assault, they will often back down. <A> This guy is in love and trying hard. <S> Or, maybe he's the sticky type, or probably both. <S> Tell him I want to talk to you, take him to one corner, and tell him this: I want to make this crystal clear. <S> Let's keep our relationship professional. <S> If he attempted one more time after this, then escalate it to HR. <A> I think this has become a HR issue. <S> You've made it verbally and physically clear <S> you don't want to engage with this person and they are ignoring that. <A> Most of your attempts are quite rude in return. <S> You should make sure you don't drop to his level of rudeness (for example don't let him 'talk to the hand' by donning headphones <S> , don't say the seat is reserved when it's not, etc). <S> This will only open up ways for him to dispute your claims if you decided to escalate, since both parties are now at fault somehow. <S> "I'm not in the mood for conversation. <S> I'd like to be left alone" <S> This is not a good attempt of communicating the boundaries, it only says that you don't want to be bothered right now ! <S> It's a temporary boundary so to say. <S> The first thing you need to do is make sure he knows your permanent boundaries. <S> Once you have explained your boundaries in detail, and he still keeps harassing you, then it is time to escalate to your manager (not HR). <S> Document every instance of harassment by your coworker, and explain the situation to the manager using that log of incidents. <S> If he is competent, he will take care of the problem. <S> If he doesn't, you have found yourself a hostile work environment and you should probably update your CV. <S> PS: Also keep in mind that your lunch room is (probably) there for everyone and he has the right to sit there. <S> If you don't want him to sit beside you, it's up to you to change seats (since asking him to sit somewhere else or at least stop talking apparently doesn't work). <S> But if you move to your cubicle for eating your lunch, he has absolutely no business being there if you don't want to, so <S> then you have good grounds for an escalation.
| If he does not stop after this mention going to your manager/boss about this.
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I'm about to get a raise. Should i refuse it if I'm now thinking to resign? I'm a software engineer and in this time of the year at my company we are getting raises based on our performance. I already told my boss how much I want and he agreed, telling me that he now has to see if he can really do it. On this project a lot of people have resigned over the last 2 years, and I almost did too, last year, but my final decision was to stay. Last week my boss told me I'm going to get a consistent raise (this because a colleague of mine will leave the company), but I'm now thinking of leaving too. I am getting paid well, but the work environment is not good for me anymore, and I'm feeling I'm hitting a plateau. If I accept the raise and stay, I'll do it only for the money. Should I refuse the raise and tell him I want to leave, or accept it and then leave when I'll get an offer? It seems unprofessional to me to accept it and then resign after 2-3 weeks. <Q> telling me that he now has to see if he can really do it . <S> So the details of the raise are not actually guaranteed... <S> On this project a lot of people have resigned over the last 2 years, and I almost did too, last year, but my final decision was to stay. <S> If more people leave the same project in a short amount of time, there must be something company-related driving the people away. <S> Do you want to be the hero, leaving the sinking ship the last, or you want a good job and a good health? <S> but the work environment is not good for me anymore, and <S> I'm feeling I'm hitting a plateau Work environment <S> is one of the most important details of a workplace, because it has a direct impact on your health (both physical and mental). <S> Hitting a plateau is bad for your future professional life. <S> Should I refuse the raise ... <S> No! <S> why? <S> You deserve it. <S> Even thought the amount is related to the other people leaving, it is still your right. <S> and tell him I want to leave ... <S> Definitely NOT! <S> ... or accept it and then leave when I'll get an offer? <S> The best course of action :) <A> ....or accept it and then leave when I'll get an offer? <S> This . <S> You have no business telling someone, anyone in the organization that you're planning to leave. <S> Follow the regular process till time <S> you have another offer signed and sealed and then handover the notice and inform about your last day. <S> This is the most professional way to handle scenarios like you mentioned. <S> Until you have a finalized and confirmed offer, you should never mention your intention of leaving - plans and expectations can always go south, don't take a call today based on some probable future events, unless you know for sure. <A> Unless you signed the contract, do NOT inform the current company intent to leave. <S> The raise is for your performance. <S> There are be many things that can delay job search. <S> You may change the mind, circumstances change and many other things. <S> So, wait and continue as if you will be working there for foreseeable future. <A> No,dont refuse the raise. <S> As you said, you are getting the raise as it is due and not because he wants you to stay long. <S> If it was the latter you would have had to think about it, but not if the raise is due for all employees!
| Never tell your employer about your plans to leave the company, before you have another guaranteed alternative. So, it is perfectly OK to accept the raise.
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I really like my workplace, but just can't pick up the new skills required to do the job. What do I do? I'm a web developer and have been for 10 years. Currently I work in a large company that treats their employees pretty well. I get along with everyone and like the culture here. However, about 2 years ago there was a change in direction with the technology (code libraries) my company is using. At first I was fine with learning the new tech and getting on top of it, but I just...didn't. For one reason or another this new tech is just not sticking. Of course I have done courses outside of work, but they're incomparable to what we actually do at work. It's one thing building a little website in a course on a site like Udemy and a total other thing to work in a large multi-national company with dozens of other employees. Our work is so customised Googling a solution or asking a question on Stack Exchange is pretty useless. I've spoken to my bosses about this and their advice has always been to get training from my peers. This doesn't really work - as they're not skilled or qualified trainers and they themselves are very busy. I've picked up a few things, but really still don't get the broader picture - it's like writers block that has lasted 2 years. I've also talk to my bosses about changing roles slightly, but that doesn't seem to be on the table. I'm at a point now where I am really quite stressed and depressed. I don't want to leave the job, but I am worried I will have to due to my mental health. Has anyone ever had this before? How did you handle it? <Q> What I am reading here is that you are learning the technology and are able to build simple things but are overwhelmed as soon as you need to dive into the complex code. <S> Think of learning music <S> : You have learned a few scales and can do a decent rendition of Chopsticks and now someone plunks some sheet music in front of you that looks like someone tossed an anthill through a fan , turns to the audience and goes "and now Meltingdog will delight you with his rendition of Chopin's Fingerbreaker in Aaaargh" . <S> Of course your question will be : but can't I try some easier pieces first? <S> And you would be right. <S> Learning is a a scale and you can't go from A to Z without touching at least a few letters in between. <S> You are at B right now, try to find C before you go for D or E. <S> So my recommendation: Keep increasing your skillbase until you can can make the leap. <S> You will likely need some help. <S> self-learning is all well and good but after a certain point no longer a efficient use of time. <S> 1. <S> Many places have some form of employee-betterment program and there might be money and some time available for you to join a local evening-college2. <S> Bother your colleagues more. <S> There must be work in your codebase that is easier. <S> Maybe there are boring jobs that everyone has been postphoning, maybe they are the tickets that are snapped up first. <A> You seem to have avoided having to create solutions yourself, depending on Google and Stack Exchange instead. <S> I suggest working on that skill outside of work. <S> Go back to writing simple programs. <S> It is OK to read language and library specifications, because presumably you have those things for your work environment. <S> Do not use Google or Stack Exchange, because they are not effective for your work. <S> Build up the difficulty and complexity of programs you can write without them. <S> Learn new libraries in simpler environments than your work, again without using external resources that are not available for your work libraries. <S> Read the documentation, think, experiment, and repeat as necessary. <S> The purpose is not to learn the particular library, but to build the independent library learning skills you need for your job. <A> Don't lose hope. <S> This feeling is usually one of being left alone too much. <S> Things really are hard sometimes. <S> The key is to make knowledge exchange part of your workflows: <S> Look at code reviews / commits by your colleagues. <S> If code reviews/pull requests are not part of the everyday workflow at your company, make them one. <S> When a team starts a new task, it should be prepared / refined together, so that everyone has a clue what it is about and <S> open questions are addressed in a group. <S> Pair up. <S> Establish pairing up as a normal working technique. <S> Some workplaces even go further and do mob programming (whole team works together on one task in front of one big screen). <S> It's extremely effective. <S> Don't be embarassed to ask for help from more experienced colleagues. <S> Organize knowledge sharing activities, if possible repeatedly. <S> This might be something like a seminar session (one of your colleagues explains a certain architectural thing or some algorithms in a meeting room) or a more informal "tutorial pizza" team lunch & talk about some specific thing. <S> Sometimes volunteer to talk about something you know that others might not :) <A> You can take a break . <S> Try to rest for a while, and discover new things. <S> Doing that you can have better creativity which is quite valued in Software Engineering. <S> As you've contributed to Stack Overflow, you could try answering question-related to tech-stack that your company has. <S> By answering the question you exercised on your problem-solving skills and ensure that you could explain to others what you understood. <S> When I'm stuck in a problem that I can't googled or find the answer in Stack Exchange networks, I do my own research referring to manual or documentation. <S> It could take quite some time, and I try to take a break once in a while to keep my mind and mood refreshed and ready for creative works (code and more codes). <A> OK, I had something somewhat similar recently. <S> I'm not really a front-end dev, but I do work on web applications so it seemed useful to pick up some modern front-end framework. <S> I was trying to learn Typescript + React + some side things like Redux all at once, and it was too much. <S> I spent too much time stumbling over syntax, which kept me from really learning the React/Redux/etc. <S> parts. <S> I finally went back and spent some time on just Typescript. <S> Once I was able to read that more fluently, understanding all the other examples got much easier. <S> 2) Look for training/resources that relate what you're trying to learn to what you already know or know best. <S> OR search for "complete beginner" lessons. <S> In my case, searching "TypeScript for Java developers" and "React for Java developers" was very helpful. <S> Most of the available tutorials were comparing, say, React to Angular, which got me bogged down in stuff that I didn't know either side of. <S> 3) Put on your developer hat and come up with good Minimal, Reproducible Examples . <S> I sat down and reminded myself that even for the stuff I'm good at <S> , I still have to look up things occasionally--and none of that has direct "this is how to write xyz" answers, either. <S> So I used all of the techniques I already had for finding comparable problems or writing questions on here.
| Ask your manager if your work could sponsor some courses. 1) Make sure you really, really understand the basics.
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Made a mistake at work. Proper tools can prevent it again but there is some obstruction So I made a mistake at work not being thorough enough. It's my fault and I accept it. Where I'm taking offence is that this mistake could have been preventing with basic tooling. And by basic I mean industry standards. An analogy would be asking an accountant to work with a calculator only and not with Excel and telling him to be careful. I said we can improve the situation and which tools are needed. The proposition is well accepted by my team, but the team that would have to set in place the tool and support it does not want to and they haven't for a long time now. My question is how to react when I'm asked what happened? Do I just admit my mistake and say it won't happen again. Admit the mistake and provide feedback on how it can be prevented. Something else. <Q> My question is how to react when I'm asked what happened? <S> Do I just admit my mistake and say it won't happen again. <S> Admit <S> the mistake provide feedback that it can be prevented. <S> Something else. <S> In general, it's best to admit mistakes quickly, and accept responsibility for them. <S> If your not being thorough enough was the root cause, then own up to it and indicate that you will try to be more thorough. <S> A short while later, bring up the subject of the revised tooling. <S> Don't try to do it right now. <S> It could come across as overly defensive, and trying to shift the blame. <S> And being more thorough will avoid other problems that specific tools may not. <S> Bringing the tooling up later, using your mistake as a specific example that could be prevented in the future, has a better chance of being successful. <A> 2) Put forward this industry-standard tool as a potential solution for preventing this across the team going forward, including potential new recruits. <S> Explain your rationale. <S> 3) Tell them what you'll be putting in place for yourself as your own stop-gap solution. <A> In my opinion, a proper post-portem analysis includes listing all the relevant factors that led to the mistake. <S> The fact that the other team delayed implementation is necessary for whoever is doing the analysis to know. <S> The factors I can see here are <S> You were not thorough enough. <S> There is no other reason to fall back to, so own it. <S> Industry standard tools were not available, despite the request you and your team had put in (which you hopefully did in writing). <S> I know you said it was your question, but <S> the necessity of the tools was backed by your team some months prior to your arrival (and presumably by your supervisor/manager/team lead). <S> The request was presented to the implementation team on the date of XX.XX. <S> and was [denied/not acted on as appropriate] until YY.YY. <S> [despite repeated requests on the dates of AA.AA., BB.BB and CC.CC.] <S> I would present both factors matter-of-factly and let them draw their own conclusions.
| There are a few things you can/should do: 1) Tell them what you did, warts and all.
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Should I tell potential employers and recruiters that I'm being made redundant? I've recently been told by my employer that I'm going to be made redundant because there isn't enough money left in the business. When I'm speaking to recruiters for new jobs, will it hurt my negotiating position if i tell them that I'm being made redundant, and therefore need to get something sorted ASAP? Would the answer be any different if I was applying to a company directly? <Q> The circumstances where you are better off telling them is where it would likely appear as if you were trying to cover up an otherwise negative trait (such as job-hopping or having been fired). <A> There is one benefit to telling them you are being made redundant, the notice period may have just dropped to zero. <S> If you normally have to give a notice period of weeks or months, being made redundant can remove the notice period. <S> Leaving quickly can save the old company money. <S> To the new employer being able to add you quickly can help them. <S> They know that the time between acceptance and start date can be measured in days. <S> That may mean that you could be getting training from the employee that is retiring, or that the gap between employees can be eliminated. <S> Yes, some employers and recruiters may think that you will accept anything; but sometimes that no-notice situation can make you a more attractive candidate. <A> There are two answers for two very different scenarios. <S> Agencies: Tell them straight. <S> They are paid for getting people into the job, and just want to know about your situation with regards to availability. <S> They will usually push for the best fit salary for your skillset because this keeps them sweet with both you and the prospective employer. <S> Direct: <S> This is much more subjective as some employers will snap you up if you've been made redundant due to the loyalty factor (you're not quitting), whereas some will use it to their advantage. <S> In reality, you probably wouldn't want to be working for the latter anyway. <S> As a rule of thumb, only tell them if you feel like it won't impact your chances. <S> Once you have the salary and planned start date, you should be able to tell them that you were made redundant when they ask, otherwise you can use The company is undergoing a few changes and it's time for me to move on <S> As for whether to hide it entirely, it will be pretty obvious when they ask for a reference, or if an enterprising HR bod just looks up the previous employer and finds an industry news article. <S> Please note, this is a UK-centric view of the situation, other cultures may have different recruitment styles
| You're not obligated to tell them you're being made redundant - and on the whole your instincts are correct, telling them you are being made redundant can hurt your negotiating position.
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Asking for a promotion to position higher than expected My company has a tier structure of junior job title, associate job title, job title, senior job title. I was hired as a junior eight months ago and since the first one I've been working basically independently, basically taking on the tasks of an associate. My work has been well reviewed and I've received a lot of good feedback. I occasionally even help the person who was supposed to support me and other people from my team/new(er) starters. Currently our budget for raises is frozen so I cannot be promoted. When it's unfrozen I will have been in the company for almost a year and the guidelines suggest 9-12 months for a promotion. Is it extremely unreasonable to ask to skip the associate level? If it is when would it be a good time to ask for a second promotion? <Q> Currently our budget for raises is frozen so I cannot be promoted. <S> When it's unfrozen I will have been in the company for almost a year and the guidelines suggest 9-12 months for a promotion. <S> Is it extremely unreasonable to ask to skip the associate level? <S> It's not extremely unreasonable. <S> It's not extremely likely, either. <S> In my experience, it's rather unusual to promote someone two well-defined levels at the same time. <S> As far as I can tell, I've never personally seen it happen any time in my career. <S> If it is when would it be a good time to ask for a second promotion? <S> Apparently, your guidelines suggest 9-12 months. <S> Again, in my experience two promotions every 9-12 months would be rather unusual. <S> But perhaps you are so good at what you do, and so valuable to the company, that they would be willing to do it for you. <S> All you can do is ask for what you want. <A> As I don't know where you are from, this answer is based on my location and culture. <S> If you feel like you can live up to the expectations of that title <S> and you can prove that to the person going over the promotions it is perfectly reasonable to ask. <S> You should however not be too pushy and just accept their decision, even if it means you do not get the promotion. <S> Because as reasonable it is for you to ask, it's also reasonable for them to want to stick to the system that has been working for them. <S> Just for a quick example of how you could mention it. <S> Hello Boss/manager/HR, <S> I know we are talking about the promotion to associate, but I would like to ask if we can skip that one and promote me to medior. <S> I feel like I qualify for this because --Insert Arguments--. <S> Thanks for the concideration. <A> when would it be a good time to ask for a second promotion? <S> Normally, the company decides when promotions a re one, and they are usually done yearly. <S> However, the companies can promote employees at any time, if there are good reasons. <S> However, consecutive promotions do not come very close to each other, since the person needs to prove that there are abilities / skills to support a promotion. <S> Is it extremely unreasonable to ask to skip the associate level? <S> however, this might be not agreed by the company, so be ready to be declined the request.
| Not at all unreasonable, if you consider (and gave proof) that you can actually do the job of 2 levels up. I do not think it is unreasonable to ask.
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Remote Work: Asking for a Raise To Backfill Previous Benefits TLDR; Can I use the fact that I'm a remote employee and thus no longer use several company benefits (that I originally used when in a physical office i.e. Commuter reimbursement, free lunch on fridays) as a basis for a raise? I've worked for my company for 4 years, 2 of them being remote. I became a remote employee out of personal necessity to follow my spouse across the states for her new job (I'm assuming that it's a factor in the discussion that it was me who requested the remote work and not the employer). So while this was beneficial to me and I am grateful for the opportunity, I can't help but wonder how much the company has saved from me becoming a remote employee. When I signed on, I benefited from free catered lunches on Fridays, commuter reimbursement, occasional team happy hours etc. Not to mention the fact that they didn't have to supply me with monitors, keyboard, desk, chair etc. Is the fact that I no longer use / have access to these benefits a reasonable basis for a raise? <Q> Short answer? <S> No. <S> Why? <S> Because the benefits of working an office are meant to be compensation for working from that office and in theory should cancel out the cost of working from home. <S> For example: Commuter reimbursement - you don't have to travel <S> therefore you are saving this amount <S> already Free Lunches - You are at home and therefore able to make your own lunch at a far lower cost Occasional team happy hours - <S> If you're willing to go in when an event has been organised you can probably still benefit from this (although I realise in your case this isn't possible). <S> It's definitely a perk though, rather than something which should be seen as part of your overall compensation (see my answer on this post ) <S> Equipment - You can probably still ask for this to be supplied by your company, or to be reimbursed for a portion of it, but it would be a one off payment or expenses claim <S> At the end of the day, when someone decides to work from home they need to weigh up the benefits of working from home vs working in an office. <S> How many hours a day do you save on your commute? <S> There is your extra pay! <A> I can't help but wonder how much the company has saved from me becoming a remote employee <S> That works both ways. <S> Is the fact that I no longer use / have access to these benefits a reasonable basis for a raise? <S> No, probably not. <S> Negotiate a raise on your own merits, or on the business value you bring. <A> I'm assuming that it's a factor in the discussion that it was me who requested the remote work and not the employer <S> This is the key thing for me - while the company has probably saved some amount by not having in the office there is a very healthy argument to say that they haven't really withdrawn these benefits but rather that you've chosen not to make use of them. <S> If you were still a local employee you'd still be getting the same benefits you had before. <S> If you didn't go to one of the office happy hours, or were on a day off on the day they did one of the free lunches you wouldn't be asking them to make the difference up in your paycheck at the end of the month - same deal. <S> Arguably this has been one of those enjoyable situations where everyone got some benefit out of the deal. <S> And yes, part of that benefit to the employer will have been the slight savings on the benefits you mention, so essentially trying to revisit the deal to try and squeeze a bit more out of them at this point <S> feels.. crass. <A> I agree with the previous answers, but you should also consider the practical risk. <S> If you ask for a raise on the basis of being a remote worker your boss might respond with "It would be better overall for the company to have you working in the office, but I thought you preferred remote work. <S> I have a desk, chair, and workstation I can assign for you next week. <S> See you at 8 a.m. on Monday." <A> Is the fact that I no longer use / have access to these benefits a reasonable basis for a raise? <S> Probably not. <S> Unless you work for a company that has cafeteria benefits (i.e., you have a fixed dollar amount to spend on any mix of benefits that works best for you), then you usually aren't free to trade in benefits <S> you don't want for more salary. <S> You should ask though. <S> It's unlikely to hurt and you might get lucky.
| If you want a raise (and there's nothing wrong with that if you do) make your case in the same way you would if you weren't remote - on performance and value to the business.
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Can a consult add to their CV that their name is on an academic thesis? I was thinking about the following situation: A person works as a consultant in their own company. A customer for a consultant to finish their MSc or PhD thesis. The author writes on the thesis that they got help from the consultant. Can the consultant add to their CV that they have their name on a thesis? <Q> If it's factual, and not bound by some kind of confidentiality agreement then you can put whatever you like on your CV. <S> Ultimately, it's a sales document - and if you think it has value, if you think potential employers would be attracted to it then go ahead. <A> Can the consult add his of her CV that (s)he has his or her name on thesis? <S> Yes, why not, but he must make sure that it is clear what was his role with regard to the thesis: researcher? <S> editor? <S> proof-reader? <S> something else? <S> Otherwise, the information can be assumed to be erroneous / ambiguous on purpose, with unforeseeable negative side effects. <A> Having worked in HR services I can tell you that I would be skeptical on the profile of people who highlight this kind of contributions. <S> Now it really depends on where you're at in your career. <S> (A) <S> If you're a recent grad , I would argue that this kind of contribution can be beneficial because you're compensating for the lack of work-related experience. <S> (B) <S> If you have some job experience , I would expect you to emphasize anything work-related and linked to your job, not side contributions like this one. <S> I suggest you not to mention it. <S> If you are in situation B and still want to mention this, I would suggest two solutions to mention this: <S> Add it in a "project" section where you mention your involvement as a "Thesis contribution". <S> It will certainly look better than a line dropped somewhere in your work experience. <S> Add it in a "reference" section - see this template for example - (if the author agrees to reference your work). <S> Then you're highlighting trust more than your contribution. <S> What is important is making it as important and not mention it somewhere in the middle of your resume. <S> Otherwise it's just like you're stuffing experiences which I would not recommend. <A> Your resume and CV are yours. <S> The obvious advantage of including something is that it shows your skills and abilities. <S> But be aware that there are disadvantages. <S> For example, if you include something trivial, some readers might feel that you are "padding" and see it as a demonstration of how thin your skills are. <S> Others will feel you don't understand the very thing you're claiming to consult in. <S> (Example: if you're a travel planner, and you tell about the time you chose the suitcases for everyone. <S> What about booking flights and hotels? <S> Setting routes? <S> Planning sightseeing? <S> Do you even know anything about travel?) <S> And still others may feel that you're listing something one friend would do for another, not "real" work. <S> So word it carefully. <S> Don't focus on whether the client listed you in the acknowledgements. <S> Focus on what you did. <S> Proofread? <S> Copy edited? <S> Ran some experiments? <S> Crunched the numbers in Excel or R or Python? <S> List the actual work, and mention the thesis part almost as an afterthought: Data analysis and technical writing, ClientName, 2019. <S> Processed 7 million data points with [blah blah blah] to demonstrate statistical significance of novel research work. <S> Produced charts and graphs, and helped to write technical reports. <S> Some of this work was published as my client's M.Sc. <S> thesis from UniversityName and some included in papers submitted to JournalName. <S> Here the light is on what you did and why that makes you an obvious hire for what you are applying to. <S> That's what matters, not if your name is in the thesis.
| You can put anything you like on there, as long as it's true.
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Salary deferred to next month I joined this company on 10th feb. The company remits salary to only three banks and I didn't have my a/c with any of those so I had to open a new a/c. However I forgot to share my new bank a/c details with the company until today when I got a mail from payroll asking for my bank a/c details. Now due to the delay they are saying they will credit the salary at the end of next month only. I had to move to a new city for this job and I will have fixed expenses like rent to meet which I told to HR and payroll but they said they can't help. Is there any way to solve this issue other than borrowing from friends or family? I asked the person from payroll to write a cheque instead but he said "They don't do cheque business here". This is a multinational organization with around 500 employees. <Q> Is there any way to solve this issue other than borrowing from friends or family? <S> I asked the person from payroll to write a check instead <S> but he said <S> "They don't do check business here". <S> Payroll might not be able to cut a check, but perhaps Accounts Payable could. <S> It probably won't help. <S> Most likely you'll have to wait. <S> But it probably won't hurt to try. <A> You need to escalate this issue. <S> First to your boss, and then to the boss of the HR person/payroll person. <S> Aside from that, you should also contact your labour commissioner and see what they say. <S> https://clc.gov.in/clc/ <S> In your country, the labour commissioner is in charge of recovering late wages/unpaid wages. <A> Now due to delay they are saying they will credit the salary at the end of next month only. <S> Seems to be a standard process in India. <S> I had to move to new city for this job <S> and I will have fixed expense like rent to meet which I told to HR and payroll <S> but they said they can't help. <S> Not supposed to be their problem and they are not obliged to entertain any request in this regard. <S> You can request, you cannot expect / demand. <S> Unless you have a very strong reason to believe that HR is not knowledgeable or is lying - that's probably the end of road of this discussion. <S> Is there any way to solve this issue other than borrowing from friends or family? <S> As per the current situation, official response is no. <S> Unless the HR forgot to mention / did not mention a process for advance payment of salary - there does not seem to be another way - check your company handbook again.
| You could try bypassing Payroll and making your plea to your boss or to someone higher up.
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Job got reposted on LinkedIn after I got offered the job During the past few weeks I've had a couple of interviews with company which went quite well, and that was confirmed with me last week when they said that they were working on a contract for me and asked me about my availability to start next week. I took this as a clear indication that I was going to be hired. They also contacted my references which went very well according to them. The contract was supposed to be sent over in the last few days but when asked about it, I got an email back saying that they were still working on it and that it was delayed due to bureaucracy etc. As for now, if everything went well, I would be starting on Wednesday next week. This last email was sent yesterday. Just now when I logged into LinkedIn, I noticed that the same job posting was still there and it seemed to be posted 2 days ago. Should I be worried? Also, is this something I can bring up with them? EDIT: I did end up receiving the contract in the end. I have not found out the reason behind the job reposting, but if I do I will comment below for future reference. <Q> Relax, you will find out next week. <S> There's many legitimate reasons a job may still be available. <S> I know companies who have had the same job ad for years because they have multiple positions to fill. <S> Others pay for a set advertising timeframe etc,. <A> Assume you didn't get the job, keep on looking, keep on interviewing. <S> Right now, you may just be their plan B. <S> If you can start the job on Wednesday, that's great, but if not, at least, you won't have stopped looking for a job. <S> In the future, never accept the offer itself. <S> Instead say "That sounds great, I'll make a decision after I receive the contract. <S> " Never be someone's plan B. <S> Even now, let them know that since they haven't sent you the contract yet and that you've seen the job listing reposted, that you're going to continue interviewing with other companies. <S> Make sure that the hiring manager is carbon copied on this. <S> With that said, it's Friday now, and depending on the time zone, it may be too late for you to contact them before this weekend. <S> So maybe don't say that at all and see what happens on Wednesday morning when you actually show up for your first day. <S> But definitely don't stop looking for another job in the meantime. <A> We do this too. <S> Probably they were searching for more than one worker. <S> Wait till wednesday <S> and you will find out, but I am pretty sure they are just searching someone in addition to you. <A> I took this as a clear indication that I was going to be hired. <S> That was your mistake - until you have a contract in hand, signed, then you don't have a firm offer and you should keep looking. <S> This will avoid you getting burned by companies that have a tactic of saying "sure, you've got it" to try to stop you applying elsewhere while they decide whether they actually want you, or whether they can get in contact with the guy they really want while using you as a backup. <S> So until you have that contract, regardless as to job postings or anything else, you keep yourself in job hunting mode. <S> That being said: Just now when I logged into LinkedIn, I noticed that the same job posting was still there and it seemed to be posted 2 days ago. <S> Should I be worried? <S> No, not just based on this. <S> that just keep the ad up as a matter of course until all the contracts are signed and sorted.
| It may be that they're after a similar role for somewhere else, it may be that they're looking to hire more than one person, it may be that they're paying a recruiter (or have a recruitment department)
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Is it acceptable to ask for unpaid leave if you've used up your PTO days? If an employee has already maxed-out on their allotted PTO days, do companies typically allow them to take off extra days as unpaid time off? Here's the background: I work as a developer in a USA company with a standard accruing PTO policy (you get X amount of days, which includes both sick and vacation in one big lump), in addition to 10 company holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. I negotiated for extra PTO days when I first started, b/c I knew I'd need them on a yearly basis for personal reasons. They gave me what's considered a very generous amount for my seniority level. It has worked out well the last 2 years while I've been at the company. This year, I've been using up my days really fast: I got sick with the flu and a few weeks later I had a relative in the hospital, and so on. However, I need to save up at least 5 days for in another few months (this is the personal reasons I mentioned, which is why I ultimately got extra PTO). As a result, I don't have any more PTO days available right now, but something unexpected came up in my family and I really want to take off 1-2 days either this week or next week. It's not an emergency but I'd be willing to take it off as unpaid time, despite the loss of money. From informal discussions with my boss, it doesn't sound like unpaid time off is "a thing" here. I've never asked him explicitly, though. Before asking him, though, I'm curious what the general expectations are in this realm. 1. What's standard policy in most US companies? If you're a manager, do you generally allow employees to take unpaid time off, and if yes - what would be the requirements? (ie. does it need to be an emergency? do you need your employees to tell you exactly why they're taking off? ) It's worth noting that my current boss is relatively new, and therefore doesn't know that I've been good about PTO the last 2 years. All he sees is that I have extra PTO and I'm still having trouble keeping within that total. We get along well overall and I know he appreciates my work. 2. If unpaid time off is an acceptable request, how should I phrase the request in a way that doesn't shine me in a negative light to my boss? Note: I wouldn't want to have to "borrow" from future years. I'd like to be able to take it off as unpaid without worrying about how it's going to impact me in the future. <Q> Yes, you can and should ask for additional days off if you want them. <S> Unpaid time off is common in most any organization. <S> There are many formal benefits that allow for unpaid time (maybe called "flex time" or "take time" programs, in addition to extended medical or family leave). <S> It's also straightforward for a manager or supervisor to approve extra time off for team members. <S> There's nothing wrong with asking your manager directly. <S> You don't need to provide a reason or excuse for wanting the days, but you should have a clear plan for how to ensure your responsibilities <S> will still be accomplished regardless of the vacation time. <S> As an aside, it might be prudent to discuss your situation with someone familiar with your company's policies other than you manager. <S> Depending on your location, sick time may be treated differently than vacation time (many localities require unlimited medical leave for a valid illness that doesn't impact other benefits). <A> Some employers let your PTO balance go temporarily negative. <S> They have rules about how much negative you can go, and when the balance has to be back above zero. <S> I have seen companies limit you to -40 hours. <S> I have seen others say that you have to be back above zero by the end of the calendar or fiscal year. <S> If you quit before getting back to zero, then they will take the balance owed from your final check. <S> Some companies allow you to makeup hours the week before or the week after. <S> It helps if it is still in the same pay period. <S> This is some times referred to casual comp time. <S> It can get more complex if working more than 8 hours in a day automatically triggers overtime pay. <S> Some companies even have programs where people who are about to lose excess hours can donate them to a fund that can be used by other employees. <S> These types of programs require the person receiving the hours to apply for them, get approved. <S> Some require the the person receiving the hours be identified so donations can be directed to a particular beneficiary. <S> When companies allow LWOP (leave without pay), they have rules to make sure that required items such as health insurance, life insurance and 401k loans are still covered, that might require you to work some hours during the pay period. <S> Another option is doing remote work. <S> Sometimes there are opportunities to do some work while on emergency leave. <S> It depends on the reason, and the nature of the work. <S> Make sure they realize that you have a need, and you want to be flexible regarding timing, duration, and how to address the near term shortfall. <S> If they are new and unsure about the rules, make sure you have fully investigated by reading the employee manuals, and anything else from HR. <S> You might even have to ask HR. <A> What's standard policy in most US companies? <S> I don't know of any standard policy. <S> I do know that every company I have ever worked for would let you "borrow" time off against future accruals. <S> If you're a manager, do you generally allow employees to take unpaid time off, and if yes - what would be the requirements? <S> (ie. does it need to be an emergency? <S> do you need your employees to tell you exactly why they're taking off? ) <S> I have always granted time off whenever requested. <S> I always felt better about it when the employee was specific about the reasons for asking. <S> Depending on the nature of your unexpected thing that came up in your family, FMLA may apply. <S> Read about it or talk with HR to see if it applies.
| If you needed an extra few days this year, you would be allowed to take it off (with your manager's approval) and then have fewer paid days off the following year. Ask your manager about your options.
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Do I have to tell the truth about leaving my job? I have been working in my current job for a month and am still in my probation period. I don't feel secured here and am worried that I may get let go. I started looking for another job. If they ask me in one of the interviews about why I want to leave my existing employer after just a month, should I tell the truth or just come up with an excuse? <Q> No, you don't have to, you probably will be asked though. <S> But it might be a good idea to share anyway, hence it’s best if you developed a reasonable answer in advance. <S> I've personally been in the same position, here is what I did: <S> I said I realized it was not a good fit, <S> not what I looked for nor what I felt they needed. <S> So the best option for both was to be honest, come forward and end it instead of dragging it out or staying for the sake of it. <S> This shows you are good at evaluating your skills and your fit in a company. <S> And you are willing to take the right decisions. <A> No one is hooking you up to a lie detector here. <S> With that said, my answer here, as would be my approach to the interview in general, is to 'sell the best you'. <S> So tell the truth but present it in a way that makes you look good. <S> So what are your reasons for thinking that you're about to get the axe? <S> If you don't ask yourself that question, you'll be caught out when the interviewer inevitably asks the same. <S> If it is performance or culture related, you could say something like "I came to realise after a month that I wasn't a good fit for them/their corporate culture". <S> Think about the real reason, then salesman/woman it up. <A> The answer your question directly <S> no you don't but remember that lies have a way of catching up to you. <S> I don't feel secured here and worried that I may get let go. <S> That doesn't feel to me like something you should hide. <S> I would literally just say that I doubt any company interviewing you should want to know more than that.
| If it's redundancy or layoffs you are worried about, you can usually explain that as-is or you can say something like "I became concerned about the direction the company is taking with regards to my role".
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How to deal with employee that I expect will not accept proposed pay rise? Our annual salary reviews are upcoming and I've been told by my manager that it will be a 2-3% increase across the board with a few additional percent for high performers. I have a member in my team which I believe based on previous conversations is expecting a much higher percentage than that (closer to 20% which would certainly be in the top 1% of employee increases) . He is not a bad employee but is not my best and is already paid fairly based on market value for the job they were employed to do. I believe him to be much smarter than the job he's in however he has no drive to do more when opportunities arise even after bringing up in quarterly reviews he would like extra work. I'm preempting him being annoyed about this. How can I handle it best when pay reviews really are out of my hands? I don't want to lose this employee but it wouldn't be the end of the world. <Q> I hope that you've already discussed the lack of drive issues in 1:1s and not just left it hanging until the salary reviews. <S> Otherwise, this will be a ton of bricks, and now it's likely too late to try to fix that. <S> But as for how to explain it, I think your OP is pretty spot on. <S> You can explain that while you see potential in him, he did not seize the opportunity to show what he is capable of arose - despite expressing the will to do so. <S> And while you appreciate and value his hard work, as it is now, this is the best you can offer him, as the level of raise he is expecting is so rare that it would require some truly outstanding performance. <S> Good to have some examples prepared for types of feat which would warranty this type of bump. <S> It is also a good opportunity to again pound the point that if an opportunity comes up again for him to go above and beyond his role, he should take it if he is hoping to get such a substantial rise, as 20% is extraordinary high, and it's good to start managing his expectations. <S> An alternative view on this situation is that the employee may have already lost interest in the current job and is shopping around. <S> While money is always going to be a notable part of the decision making for employees, it's usually not the only factor, so it may be worthwhile to sit down with the employee and talk about his career goals, where does he see himself, what are his aspiration. <S> This should help both of you understand each other's expectations, and whether there are common grounds between them. <A> Regardless of what path you choose to pursue, it's important to remember that pay and performance are sensitive and personal topics. <S> Addressing the request of your team member will require as much empathy and listening as rational persuasion. <S> It's good to keep in mind that it usually costs 1x-1.5x the annual salary of a position to fill a vacancy - so a raise, even if unearned, may be worth the cost. <S> Instead, if you believe the expectations of this individual are inflated, you should take time to help him/ <S> her understand the situation. <S> Be transparent with what you know about how his/her pay compares with others in the organization and in similar roles in other organizations. <S> Be direct about what is and isn't reasonable to expect at your organization with regard to pay. <S> You should also ask about why a raise is important (perhaps they have a competing offer). <S> Good luck with the conversation. <A> You don't let him play mind games with you. <S> Anyone with sense knows 20% is unrealistic unless it's been earned, and he hasn't done anything special <S> so he's just trying it on. <S> It's out of your hands, so don't worry about it.
| If retaining this individual is important, and you believe not offering a substantial raise will cause them to leave, you should discuss the situation with your management team.
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Physical vs Digital Product Manager; what are the differences? I have two opportunities ahead in two different companies as a Product Manager, they're both equal, in a lot of aspects: Same Income Near my house Company Size (around 90 employees each) Both act in Life Sciences/Medical Products markets Similar culture, mission, values, etc... Enjoyable workplace But, Company 1 develops Medical Software and Company 2 develops pharmaceuticals. Both companies want me to manage a product from scratch, which means that Company 1 does not have a single line of code written, and Company 2 does not have a formula developed. I am young (22 yrs/old) and in my career, I always worked for Physical Medical Products. I look forward to be a specialist in Healthcare/Life Sciences markets. I'm struggling to identify which company should I make the decision to enter (I have ~3 days to give an answer). What may I encounter differently as a Product Manager for a Digital Product vs a Physical Product ? Ps: I do not want this to be opinion-based (correct me if I'm wrong please) but I want practical clarifications on how these two kind of products may differ in my future workplace activities. <Q> DarkCygnus suggested I put this into an answer instead of just a comment. <S> So, expanding on my comment. <S> In the end, both of your proposed jobs are just that - jobs. <S> The position title is dependent on the company. <S> In my current position we have a 'Product Manager'. <S> This company is in warehousing and distribution/logistics. <S> My previous position was in clinical trials. <S> They also had 'Product Manger'. <S> The two industries could not be more different. <S> Parts of these job were vastly different (domain knowledge) but parts were similar (budgeting, program management, etc.) <S> (Of course, for us geeky developers the C# coding is very much the same). <S> Job titles are not that important as you go on in your career. <S> When I used to hire developers, I really didn't look at the job title on a resume. <S> in one company it could be 'Senior Application Engineer' while the other had 'Application Engineer 5'. <S> I was not looking at the title. <S> Instead I looked at the responsibilities, skills and what was accomplished. <S> You are young. <S> I am impressed that you are asking these types of questions. <S> You have time to chose a position - whichever one feels like the best fit. <S> No one can answer what is best for you. <S> You are just starting out. <S> You will have many different jobs in your working life. <S> Best of luck! <A> You didn't mention the regulatory environments in your two opportunities. <S> If one involves clinical trials or other extensive approval cycles and the other doesn't, that difference will be far more important to your day to day work than anything else. <S> I started in software in the days when we made physical products. <S> We burned a CD-ROM, printed a little book, and put the whole lot in a nice box. <S> Our product manager then ran around to distributors and retailers, trying to persuade them to order the product for resale. <S> We had to make the software as close to perfect as possible, because updating it in the field was hard and expensive. <S> Now, digital products are much easier to update in the field. <S> In fact, if the product is software-as-service, we can update it without the customers even knowing. <S> So the job of the product manager is much more focused on prioritizing feature requests for rapid release. <S> There's no focus at all on distributors and retail (except for really popular products like Turbotax and the like). <S> Modern digital products are now mostly sold by subscription, so a product manager's success is measured by new-customer acquisition and renewals (churn, it's sometimes called) rather than unit sales. <S> Physical products will have longer cycle times, and may not enjoy renewal revenue. <S> Those factors will make your product-management job different from digital. <S> Whatever you do, go take a short course from an outfit called Pragmatic Marketing. <A> The main difference I see between the physical and digital products are in the execution approach/methods and in domain skills. <S> Having been managing product development (not in healthcare but in consumer products) I can say the product life cycle for both are almost the same. <S> Both the products have to go through phases like conception, market validation, development,product validation, certification and market release. <S> For example, methods taken for market validation for digital products can be questionnaire or beta software release. <S> For physical products it can be prototypes or clinical trials. <S> The execution approach can be agile with shorter release cycles for digital products. <S> Whereas for physical products it can be a waterfall model with longer release cycles. <S> Managing physical products requires a good understanding of the production process like raw material sourcing and processing, production steps and guidelines, packaging, logistics and distribution. <S> For example if you work with digital products you can be a specialist in healthcare software and services. <S> So the choice depends on which healthcare field you would like to specialize and finally on what you enjoy. <A> I would focus on the job requirements of the positions. <S> Basically, are you going to be expected to spend all day managing the knowledge workers, or will you be expected to spend part of your time to contribute to the product? <S> How much domain knowledge is going to be expected? <S> What project management methodologies are the two roles using? <S> While the domain skills of programming and drug development aren’t really transferable, the management skills used to manage teams of them might be.
| Both can also make you a specialist in healthcare/life science market but under different fields. Both physical and digital product management can provide ample learning opportunities. What differs is the method.
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How can I ensure my position in case I lose a valuable certification I have a certain type of certification that is a hard requirement for about 25% of the work I do. I believe this was a strong factor in the decision to hire me. There is a possibility I may lose this certification in the near future, but I would like to continue working for my current company. I have a meeting with my manager next week. I will explain the situation, say that I have an offer from a different company, but I would prefer to keep working here if I had some assurance that they wouldn't fire me if I lose this certification. My question is: what sort of assurance should I ask for? Would a written document signed by the manager be enough to cover me? I trust my immediate manager to be square with me, but I'm worried that won't matter if the guy above him decides I'm not worthwhile without this certification. Some clarifications regarding the comments: I do have the job offer. I am a programmer, and a full-time employee. I am of course fighting to keep this certification, but the final decision is out of my hands. <Q> Speaking with your manager about what would happen if you lose the certification is a good idea. <S> Be aware that this will likely result in a change of pay, to go along with the change in responsibilities. <S> If you have a new role that doesn't need the certification, you probably have no reason to expect being fired, at least not more than normal. <S> As such, you probably don't need anything in writing . <S> Two notes: <S> Your manager likely needs to know that your certification is at risk, ASAP. <S> You're probably jeopardizing some projects and hell for your coworkers. <S> There is no need to mention the job offer until your change of position is decided and you are discussing your new rate of pay. <A> I will explain the situation, say that I have an offer from a different company, but I would prefer to keep working here if I had some assurance that they wouldn't fire me if I lose this certification. <S> Only do this if you really have another offer on the table that you could jump to in case they decide to lay you off. <S> Making up that you have an offer is not a recommended (nor honest) way of attempting to do what you want: If your bluff fails, you end up with no job, and if it's successful, you are subject to them eventually finding out about your deception. <S> It's not clear yet <S> but, I would suggest you attempt to renew your certification. <S> If this was a good reason you were hired for, chances are your employer is interested in you keeping this certificate, and perhaps is willing to pay for the costs of renewing it ... <S> or well, you could cover the expenses on your own, <S> if this is a certificate that is valuable beyond this current job you have (that is, it may help you land future offers, looks good on your resume, etc.). <A> You write the question from the passive position: I will lose requirement X for doing 25% of current job, what do? <S> Let me flip that for you into (bit exaggerated) active position: I am sick and tired of doing 25% of my job, love the rest, what do? <S> What will you do then? <S> You have to be clear and honest with management. <S> They will have to make, hopefully, an honest decisions. <S> Your company needs these 25% of work done , they can't get away from that. <S> You can try to negotiate change of responsibilities , that's all. <S> But saying "I have another offer" usually leads to rapid end of employment. <S> Few positive points: <S> They invested into training you to do 75% of your job, setting you up, getting to know you <S> You don't know exactly what resources they have <S> You might get free training for certification, or if you are ineligible, get to do some other work to fill your hours <S> They might decide to outsource the job <A> There is one obvious choice you are missing. <S> You can ask the company to pay for renewal the certification first. <S> Most of the companies will agree if the work is important to them. <S> Even if its expensive for you to pay personally, for company, it will be usually ok.
| If you're losing a certification that is a hard requirement for your work, then it stands to reason you can't expect to keep your same job. You can propose being moved to a new role (in the case that you've lost the certification).
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How can I address and prepare for potential layoffs? Last week the organization I work for announced they would laying off 200+ positions (which is 6% of the workforce). Some employees have already received lay off notices while others haven't heard anything. I have spoken with my managers and they haven't heard anything as well. This has left some uncertainty and low morale. It has also created some rumors on what will happen next. How can I best help my coworkers and myself alleviate this worry? <Q> Speaking broadly, the professional behavior is to: not repeat rumors not create rumors by default assume the agreements are still valid, proceed as planned ask management for clarification, e.g. is X still the agreement? <S> when unclear check your contract for exit conditions to know the worse case <S> scenario in time of uncertainty increase rate of savings <S> temporarily try to use good judgement when talking to management. <S> Asking "am I next" might tip the scale not in your favor update your resume, as your current workplace doesn't bring you joy. <S> You have right to find something better in due time increase rate of creating paper trail, shifting communication into emails and memos tell your subordinates to act professionally <A> Helping co-workers: <S> Offer reference. <S> Write them a LinkedIn recommendation <S> Help proofread their resumes <S> Get them out of the rut and into the job search right away (depending on closeness) <S> Inform those at risk of rumours so that they can prepare. <S> Alleviate Worry: <S> I periodically do LinkedIn easy apply to see who calls me back. <S> I was technically a temp for a couple months and with a potential recession bearing down, I was concerned about my ability to jump. <S> A couple callbacks and I am less concerned. <S> Determine whether the ship is sinking. <S> Are these layoffs just lightening an otherwise serviceable boat caught in a storm or is there a hole in the bottom? <S> Create a layoff plan. <S> What happens if you are chopped tomorrow? <S> What expenses do you trim? <S> What jobs do you target? <S> Do you move? <A> Cut spending, put off large purchases, save like crazy. <S> You may want to reduce your social calendar some, with the exception being those contacts that can help you find a new job. <S> If you are paying off debt, or investing a large portion of your income you may want to push pause for a time until things settle down. <S> Once the layoffs are done, you can resume the current financial goal you are working on, and resume your social calendar. <A> Actually try getting a new job. <S> It is way better to negotiate for one while you still have the previous. <S> Even if the new employer also knows the rumors (probably they do), you at least are going to pretend to be the one who is too good to stay in the sinking company, not the one who is too bad to be kept. <A> I'd echo what others have said in that you should basically try to keep a positive attitude: <S> Don't speculate on things like the future of the company Try to act in a positive manner when others are discussing the negative sides of the layoffs <S> The reality is that all the suggestions won't matter here as 200 of your colleagues are losing their jobs in an uncertain time. <S> There really is very little positive to say about that <S> but I do admire your attitude.
| Update resume and apply for other jobs just to see where your market value might be. I will add this to the already great answers: horde cash.
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Is it a demotion when I get a new role with fewer direct reports? I started out with a manager leading a couple engineering teams. Last week, I was handed performance review results and I got a good score. Today, my manager called me in to discuss about my role. He said he wanted me to focus on the top priority project (it's the most important project to the company) and instead of leading an engineering team - I would be a sort of technical product manager. My products and engineers will be reassigned to new teams. I told him that I could handle the same work load and even took more responsibilities. However, he thinks that it's best for the company and for me to focus on one project. I have been working in settings where I lead the teams who build things and am very hands-on from design, pipeline, and process. I was upset with this new assignment and to me it sounds like a demotion - less responsibilities and no direct reports. Is it just me over-thinking that this is a demotion? I will have a meeting with him tomorrow to have a final decision about this, should I go with the flow and accept the new roles? or should I insist that I can take more responsibilities and express my upset? Added The business impact of this new assignment is huge. I will oversee engineering efforts across multiple teams. However, these engineers will report to their managers and this is just different from my experience. <Q> Is it a demotion when I get a new role with fewer direct reports? <S> Lets say your company has a CEO. <S> The sales manager oversees 20 sales people and the production manager oversees 30 factory workers. <S> Both report to the CEO. <S> Who do you think is higher in the hierarchy, the CEO with their 2 direct reports, or the production manager with their 30? <S> So it's clear, number of direct reports says little. <S> With all other factors absent, unknown or company specific, I think pay is a good indicator whether you are promoted or demoted. <S> Do you make more in the new position? <S> Companies rarely demote employees to more pay. <S> If you get more money, it seems to be a promotion. <A> To bring in another angle: are you missing the business impact of the assignment you're being handed? <S> It might be very focused (thus implying less responsibilities), it might have very specialized work area (in terms of technology and domain expertise, so small team), but at the end of the day - this might be a big deal for the company, either by direct delivery, or to prove the capability that the organization can deliver work having certain requirements. <S> When you're going to meet you boss tomorrow, ask for the big picture. <S> Don't count the count of the direct reports - rather look for the impact of the work and responsibilities assigned to you. <S> Ask for the end goal, as for the delivery impact, ask for the business use-cases for this particular work assignment. <S> Based on these, you can make your mid whether you want to accept this or not. <S> My personal suggestion: <S> Always look for new challenges. <S> Every opportunity comes with a new challenge, maybe you're not just seeing them yet. <S> Believe me, the count of direct reports are very poor measure of the leadership quality and skills. <S> Also, IRL, it really does not matter how much responsibility you can manage <S> , rather it's more important how much value you can deliver. <S> At times, delivery requires focus, laser-like focus and looks like that is what is being offered to you. <S> They seem to have a fair amount of faith in you and thereby they're providing you with the opportunity to oversee and manage the (quoting your words) "top priority project (it's the most important project to the company)" . <S> This appears to be anything but a demotion - to me. <S> However, even if after the discussion, you yourself is not convinced about the work assignment, do not accept is just to "go with the flow". <S> If you're not committed and focused with the assigned work, it's very likely that the deadlines will be missed and the delivery will be affected. <S> Explain your points to your boss, and request for another assignment which you'll feel comfortable handling. <S> Otherwise, there's always the highway. <A> I don't think I need to spell the details of the first two out - and, based on the OP, they don't seem pertinent here. <S> In terms of personal ambition; if your career goals are achieving a position where you have a higher number of direct reports, then I guess you could view this as a demotion. <S> However, as @nvoigt pointed out, this is not a reliable measure of clout or influence. <S> If, however, your goal is to have a substantial impact on the organisation's strategy and achievements, you should ignore the number of people you will be managing and look at the project on it's merits. <S> How impactful could it be for the organisations? <S> How crucial is the role you are being asked to play? <S> How much scope will you have to affect the direction the project takes and steer its outcome? <S> It's easy to equate a successful career with managing more and more people. <S> In most cases that's a reasonably accurate approach - organisations don't typically entrust whole departments to fools. <S> That's not to say there are not exceptions to that. <S> Don't get hung up on how many people you will approve holidays for in your new role.
| Whether something should be considered a demotion or not depends on a combination of your title, salary, and career goals.
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How can I ensure my technical skills are solid enough to succeed? I graduated in Computer Science in 2018. I landed in a java project for my first job, I lacked java skill( I have a c background) and understanding of the product my team was working on. My team leader had no time to help me. Another junior team member who arrived a few months before me had no problems. I need to be monitored more than usual people. I was given another trial period of 4 months but I was never able to grasp a global understanding of that complex product despite progress in technical skills. That led managers to propose me to switch to a test position at the end of my second and last trial period(in January 2020). I am not satisfied and I will leave. I started refreshing my c skills before seeking for another developer job. How can I ensure if my c skills are strong enough to succeed in my next position ? I don't want the previous scenario to repeat. I will answer to comments here : My MSc curriculum was :- year 1 : mainly Fundamental CS then AI, AR/VR - year 2 :OS programming and C++ projects then advanced Fundamental CS. my final internship was about python scripting and databases. I have done very little OOP in 2018. I had done some java in undergraduate but it was clearly not enough to understand OOP concepts. Thanks to my current job, I now understand them. It will allow me to focus back on c++ @KingDuken : I told them I was stronger in C before entering..I could have landed in either project, the recruting manager could only tell me a few weeks after i took position. <Q> How can I ensure if my c skills are strong enough to succeed in my next position ? <S> I don't want the previous scenario to repeat. <S> Do the best you can to be a life long learner. <S> That will serve you well no matter where you work. <S> For your next job, make sure you confirm that you will be coding in c, and not something else. <S> Ask enough questions so that you understand what will be expected of you, and so that you can assess your personal evaluation of your skills against the position requirements. <A> How can I ensure if my c skills are strong enough to succeed in my next position ? <S> I don't want the previous scenario to repeat. <S> To add on to Joe's answer, you really can't guarantee your C skills or any of your skills are up to par. <S> Furthermore, you may get into a job with a specific tech stack and then have to pick up a different tech stack as the product evolves over time. <S> This is why software engineers need to be flexible enough to pick up multiple languages and technologies, ideally, by yourself to be successful in the majority of roles. <A> How can I ensure if my c skills are strong enough to succeed in my next position ? <S> As others have answered you can't be sure but you could learn more programming languages and hopefully you'll find the more you learn the more <S> you'll understand why C is used. <S> To me if you own The C Programming Language and actually understand it <S> then that's pretty much all you really need to know about programming in C in general <S> the rest will be on the job training. <S> You could also look at some popular open source projects that are written in C and try to help out.
| Enhance all of your skills constantly. You can't ensure your c skills are strong enough for every possible employer.
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When a company tells you to only spend an hour on a programming interview project, what level of work are they seeking? I have been given the following programming project for an interview: Create a web application that reads our API and construct a webpage that shows [three types of data] and updates using the live data. Don’t spend more than an hour. Deploy your application on a cloud service. Now, I can't really do a professional.job with unit tests, integration testing, and selenium testing in under an hour. The frontend will also look like crap unless I use Bootstrap. It won't be a nice looking webpage. I'm willing to spend more than an hour and just claim it was an hour. I'm just not clear on what an hour of professional work looks like for a junior full stack dev. <Q> I have had to do this a few times, with that same requirement of under an hour. <S> (and I have always made it to the next round with these). <S> Firstly, in under an hour, it is more of a check that you can actually do stuff. <S> Consider it "the practical equivalent of FizzBuzz. <S> " That was how one of the companies explained it to me after. <S> A project like this requires: That you have a ready to go environment (i.e. you already code) <S> That you already have some knowledge of web technologies That you are familiar enough with some technology to get it going in a few minutes (don't use Spring or something that needs a lot of configuration for this challenge) <S> That you know enough of that technology to route stuff and integrate frontend and backend That you are familiar enough with a programming language to quickly put something together <S> That at the very least you can use git push and pull That you have a cloud account on which to deploy stuff <S> In each case, I also had a traditional algo interview following this, so it was not the major technical screening. <S> It basically tells them that at the very least, you can move something from start all the way to "production." <S> Here is one of my hour long projects <S> and I passed that round. <S> It is not pretty at all, but it did the job. <S> I also interpret the "hour" as an hour of development. <S> I exclude all non-coding and non-deployment time (and state this in the submission document). <S> So it doesn't include documentation, writing the email, generating a list of potential test cases (I don't actually write them), etc. <S> Now, I can't really do a professional.job with unit tests, integration testing, and selenium testing in under an hour. <S> The frontend will also look like crap unless I use Bootstrap. <S> It won't be a nice looking webpage. <S> I seriously doubt that they expect all of that to be done. <S> I have spent more than 1 hour doing an input box today in my professional job. <A> Maybe they not only want to see how much of the task you can achieve within an hour, but also how you work with deadlines, <S> limited time etc... <S> So prioritizing which parts need to be done first instead of losing oneself in details may be part of the task. <S> I guess every one knowing at least something about developing <S> knows, the whole task can`t be done in this time frame. <S> Creating the test would be out of scope for me (or just some small tests to show that you know the importance of testing) <S> But they wanne see how you organize and prioritize your work in my opinion. <A> Someone with more experience will also know that you cannot do a professional job with unit tests and 'the works'. <S> As DarkCygnus mentioned in the comments, they would like to see what it is you can do with their API. <A> When you do a programming interview project, you must focus on what was asked explicitly . <S> You may want your project to look amazing, but it should be made only if you already finished the basic. <S> For what I see about the scope, testing and front-end are a bonus that you may want to earn. <S> However, remember that in this case, a crap looking site that do what was asked is better than a nice looking website with nothing that was asked, or worse, poorly done. <S> What I recommend is to plan your tasks in three categories and priorize it: <S> What I must do? <S> , What I should do if I still have time? <S> , What I must not do? <S> For your example: What I must do? <S> Make the site read the API; Make a simple table to show the data; Make the site update using live data; Deploy it <S> ; What I should do if I still have time? <S> Make the site to look better; Implements others CRUD operations (Create, Delete) if available; Make a basic test case; What I don't have to do? <S> Advanced tests cases; Others graphics elements that don't have nothing to do with the table;
| They are looking to see exactly what it is you can do in a hour.
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How to respond to "are you open to a permanent position"? I'm just out of school so this is my first run in with a recruiter and I am a bit confused with the language they are using (English is my 2nd language). A recruiter contacted me and asked if I was "open to a permanent position". What do they mean exactly with "open"? What is the appropriate response if I'm already employed but looking for work? Do I then respond with "yes, but my notice period is [x weeks]"? <Q> He is asking whether you want to be a permanent employee, or a contractor - which is unusual, as contractors generally need some industry experience (always, in my experience, but there might be some exceptions form niche skills). <S> To make it clear, contractor is "work an hour, get paid for an hour", nothing more. <S> You are temporary, and will probably be let go at the end of the project. <S> And permanent is "annual salary agreed, paid holiday & sickness, company contributes to you pension, training courses, when the project ends you will be moved to another, etc". <S> These are general descriptions, but you ought to understand the difference now. <S> And, as a new grad, your answer to "do you want a job" should probably be "yes" ;-) <A> You've received correct advice in other answers, but I am adding an answer to address the literal questions you asked, just to make sure it's clear. <S> I'm doing this because I think you're confusing the actual content of the question you're being asked with a different question, because of your unfamiliarity with the way they're choosing words. <S> What do they mean exactly with "open"? <S> "Open" used in this way means "interested." <S> Are you open to X? <S> means, <S> are you interested in X? <S> What is the appropriate response if I'm already employed but looking for work? <S> That's a separate issue. <S> The specific question you were asked doesn't have anything to do with whether or not you're currently working, or how quickly you can start a new job. <S> They are trying to find out if you want contract work or if you want to be a full time employee. <S> Do I then respond with "yes, but my notice period is [x weeks]"? <S> You can certainly tell them this, but it won't directly answer their question. <S> You also need to tell them if you want to be a contractor. <A> I think he's just checking whether you are looking for a temporary job before starting a university course (or leaving the country, or having a baby, or whatever). <S> Some companies want people they can invest in for the long term, others only have a short-term need. <A> Your appropriate response is most likely to simply ask the recruiter what they meant. <S> The recruiter's job is to find you work, and if they use terminology you aren't familiar with you <S> can absolutely ask them about it. <S> As others have said, a Permanent position is one where your contract is open-ended. <S> As opposed to a fixed-term contract where you may get renewed or released automatically after (for example) six months. <S> Or as opposed to a Contractor job, where you're hired on for the task, typically with a set time-period, but you're an external contractor, bound by a different set of rules, and either working for yourself, or for an agency. <S> If you were only looking for a summer job, you would probably not be looking for a permanent role, so the recruiter is checking that you're willing to take on that kind of work.
| To be "open" to something is to be willing to accept it.
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How to ask business colleagues to think more generally and formally about accounting and deliver some rules? I am a software developer and several of my tasks include the development of software procedures for posting sales, purchases, manufacturing, ordering activities into general ledger (creation and correction of bookkeeping/accounting entries for general ledger). Usually I have some business style instructions what should be done and I have my own knowledge and experience. But sometimes I receive from business people tasks like "this posting (document Id provided) is not correct, please, check and correct it and check similar cases as well". And then Hell goes loose - I find document with the similar problem and then I navigate further along links and discover new cases of incorrectness, I am looking for more general and more specific cases, some manual corrections I take into account and so and so on. Sometimes I just stop and ask my colleagues to provide some more general rules which all the postings should obey (individually or collectively - as a group or chain of documents), but no one is eager to think about it. E.g. rounding issues can be very hard. Those cents seems to be insignificant, but users are very upset when they appear. This seems to be more general problem in accounting community - e.g. Google finds practically nothing for queries formal methods in accounting , formal methods in bookkeeping . Clearly - those rules should be produced by the business people. My question is - how can I encourage them to think more generally and more rigorously, to define not just what should be done but define formally so that all the situations are considered and defined? Or - maybe that is the problem with me ( M-theory is my hobby and maybe this can lead to some distorted sense of reality, maybe)? <Q> Identifying the Problems <S> I see two problems here. <S> Problem Solving <S> - You're expecting your customer to deliver to you both a problem and its solution. <S> Language <S> The accountants are speaking Accountantese, while you speak Developerese. <S> They both use the same words but in completely different ways. <S> Your understanding of what formal methods means in a software context is inappropriate to apply to the way an accountant does their work, which is why you're not finding any results. <S> To exemplify this, you may understand that a liability is generally something bad. <S> In the accounting world, a liability is any debt that has yet to be paid. <S> Your salary is considered a liability from an accounting perspective, but in the software development world that may never cross your mind. <S> You need to learn the domain specific language for accounting and understand that when you use a certain word like "method" in an accounting sense, you're usually talking either accrual accounting or cash accounting, which describes how money is being moved between accounts. <S> Learning the language of your customer helps you communicate clearly and effectively without ambiguity or misunderstanding. <S> Problem <S> Solving <S> I would suggest bringing a business analyst into the mix. <S> They're also called systems engineers, requirement engineers, or technical analysts. <S> They're people with communication skills to identify and describe problems by speaking directly with key stakeholders and users, then translating their findings to software developers to describe how the software should work. <S> Different fields identify them differently, but no industry I've ever worked on has a software developer fill that role. <S> A skilled business analyst can assist in defining all of a project's functional and non-functional requirements, and assist in gathering the input needed for any required testing. <S> They usually also identify any domain specific terms and provide controlled vocabularies to make sure anyone reading their documentation understands how words are being used in specific contexts. <S> If you can't add one to your team, I would study how a business analyst communicates and defines problems, and the steps they take to create solutions. <S> There are many good templates freely available online that can help guide you in fully documenting what the problem is and how to move forward with a solution. <A> The problem is, they are business people, and not software developers. <S> They know what they are doing, but they don’t know how to tell you. <S> Your only chance is to sit with them, ask them to explain it, and ask the questions you need to get answered, and hope for the best. <S> Then consider there are things that are so obvious to them that they don’t even mention them. <S> Try to catch these things. <A> I've had similar problems. <S> Not in accounting, but in other kinds of reporting / counting / statistics. <S> What I do about it: be patient with the users. <S> Do your best to speak their language. <S> I try to get them to show me at least two or three examples of the change. <S> think up some edge cases. <S> build a prototype and ask them for their time to demo it. <S> revise as needed. <S> In the old days of waterfall, an analyst would write the requirements, and a programmer would implement them. <S> You're doing both jobs. <S> The old song says "got one foot on the platform, the other on the train. <S> " That's the truth for business programming. <A> As someone who also works in accounting software development I can feel your pain. <S> Accounting is a domain which is far more complex than it seems at first glance. <S> It follows a logic which is internally consistent but still completely incomprehensible to outsiders. <S> Fortunately it's also a domain which puts a lot of effort into formal correctness. <S> So if you actually do understand the domain, then the difference between "correct" and "incorrect" accounting is actually pretty clear. <S> What I found to be very important is to actually understand the domain . <S> Teach yourself the language and the processes. <S> The more you know about accounting, the better you understand what your users are actually complaining about, the easier it will be for you to tell the difference between a correct and an incorrect booking and to implement business rules which prevent users from making incorrect bookings. <S> Fortunately, double entry book-keeping , the standard book-keeping system used by businesses all around the world, is pretty well documented. <S> There is a lot of literature available which you can use to teach yourself the basics.
| Language - You're trying to apply your understanding of language you learned as a developer to another domain. ask them to spend time showing me what change is needed.
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Should you dress for the job you want and not the job you've got? Currently I work in a position where I wear jeans and polos to work everyday. Sometimes I mix it up once or twice a week and throw on the slacks. I work in the office but I do spend some time on the shop floor. Dress code has never been an issue, and has never even been hinted at by coworkers. I previously worked on the shop floor so I definitely dress nicer than I used to but I'm wondering if I should take another step forward. I plan on having a meeting with my manager in a few months to sit down and talk about a potential promotion. Would this potentially help me look more fit for the role? Most of the office follow the business casual dress code. Should I take the common advice of dress for the job you want and not the job you've got? Additional info: I work in the U.S. in a manufacturing environment. I have the title of Materials Planner, but I would like to ask for Senior Materials Planner position. <Q> Earn a promotion by making it a no-brainer for the decision maker - not by wearing a suit! <S> What I mean by that <S> is <S> you don't want the decision maker thinking "I guess X <S> might make a good Senior Something-Or-Other". <S> Instead they should know <S> you are more than capable of taking on the role because they see you are already operating at that level. <S> How do you do that? <S> Identify what a Senior Something-Or-Other does and start looking for opportunities to do that. <S> (Maybe this is where the conversation with your manager comes in) <S> Take on extra responsibility, volunteer for additional tasks... and deliver! <S> Or better yet, knock it out of the park. <S> Go the extra mile - mentor juniors, help colleagues, work the extra hour to meet deadlines etc. <S> That's not to say dressing a little more conservatively - say a button down shirt and chinos rather than polo shirt and jeans - won't be beneficial. <S> It looks smarter, and projects an image of competence and seniority. <S> But, on it's own, it's unlikely to be enough to earn the promotion. <S> Your behaviour and attitude on their own probably are. <A> Hugely depends on comapny culture and customer expectations (if applicable). <A> Most of the office follow the business casual dress code <S> You should follow standard practice of the workplace. <S> I plan on having a meeting with my manager in a few months to sit down and talk about a potential promotion <S> Great start, that is exactly what you should do. <S> During meeting, which I hope will go well, you should explicitly say something like: <S> I have the title of Materials Planner, but I would like to be Senior Materials Planner. <S> What should I do? <S> What will help me to get there? <S> Your manager, hopefully, will have few ideas, but I doubt that dress code will be one of them. <S> That is because people who say "dress for the job you want" don't mean the clothing itself. <S> Authority is earned, not given . <S> "Dress" here means "to behave" like you are capable of being responsible for more things, for bigger things, for more people, and more complex tasks. <S> That includes: Being on top of your current tasks Show initiative and ask for more responsibility when appropriate <A> Should I take the common advice of dress for the job you want and not the job you've got? <S> Absolutely, look like your moving forwards and belong higher up the hierarchy. <S> Well groomed and well dressed is always an asset. <S> Within common sense boundaries of course.
| If there is a dresscode (even if informal) than that's a big hint that your employers company culture values being dressed properly and you should go along with it (meaning: dress for the position you want to have).
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How to handle work capacity across different teams As a software developer with some years of experience, I seem to run into this same issue in one form or another, so I'l generalize it the best I can. Let's say I'm on 3 teams. Team A has given me enough work to keep me busy if they were my only team. Team B had a project that should have been completed a while back, but the client won't accept it for one reason or another, so I'm brought back in regularly to handle the client's issues. Team C maintains a legacy system that catches on fire sometimes and I'm called in to help put it out. All three are important and I have trouble finding someone else to pass the work onto. So, how do I juggle the 3 teams plus all the other business-related responsibilities? <Q> So, how do I juggle the 3 teams plus all the other business-related responsibilities? <S> Presumably it was your boss that put you on three different teams at the same time. <S> Some bosses would prefer 100% of your time dedicated to whichever team asked for your time first, until their project is done. <S> Others would prefer you to split your time equally. <S> Others have their own prioritization method. <S> All three are important Certainly. <S> But it's unlikely that all three are equally important all the time. <A> TBH, unless you are your own manager, this is an issue for your manager to figure out. <S> Talk to him/her about your tasks, commitments, and anything else <S> that's relevant. <S> Then ask them to prioritize your tasks and commitments. <S> Keep track of what you work on and for how long. <S> Present this information to your manager if people start questioning your time allocation. <A> It's understandable that all 3 are important, and it's hard to prioritize. <S> This happens a lot in the workplace. <S> I would give you these options for a solution. <S> Ask your supervisor which has the highest priority or the greatest impact for the company and focus on that. <S> Decide if you should start with the simple tasks first to free up additional time. <S> Schedule your day. <S> Start your morning off with the high priority project (greatest productivity can be in the morning hours) designate a hard stop time and change tasks. <S> The best thing to do is the third, in my opinion. <S> That is how I handle my work load.
| Ask your boss to help you set priorities.
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How to properly give estimates on highly variable tasks? I am an embedded developer, often tasked with bringing up prototype hardware. This tasks are highly variable in the tame it takes, mostly due to reasons outside of my control and this is not known before I start my work. For example, if everything works fine bringing up a specific peripheral should take half a day to a day. But if there are issues with it, either due to a mistake in the circuit or faulty drivers, this can take a week or even longer. What I usually do is give two estimates, for both cases, although the bad case one is usually very vague or very high. Depending on the task at hand it might be impossible to estimate. I have also recently learned when to stop and state that it's not worth investing in this particular path (such as picking a different integrated circuit instead of writing drivers for it). It has bugged me for quite some time since despite gaining experience my estimates do not improve. Is there anything I can do to improve this situation? Or should I just accept this as the reality of my job? Edit The answers suggest communication - this is not an issue here. Given the size of our company I report directly to the person handling client communications and give a short verbal status update daily. <Q> Depending on the circumstances and technology, some things are just hard to pin down. <S> (there is always a chance I am wrong!) <S> I have come to terms with the fact that there is always a margin of error <S> and I make this very clear to my clients/management. <S> I let them know how long I think it will take <S> , how accurate I think my estimation really is, how much I think I could be off by, etc. <S> When there are a lot of unknowns and the range is large, it helps to give more than just a high and a low. " <S> Wellllll...it might be done tomorrow, but it also might take a few weeks <S> " doesn't really mean much of anything. <S> Give them as much detail as you can and plan a road map. <S> At the very least, give 3-4 estimation points within your range. <S> Something like "Well, if the stars align and I don't run into any obstacles, I could possibly have this done by tomorrow, but that is unlikely. <S> My optimum target goal is to have this done in 4 days, but I expect some unknowns to arise and <S> I anticipate it taking closer to 7 days." <S> Perhaps most importantly, update the estimate as often as possible given new information . <S> With every day that passes you should have a more accurate estimation as to how much time remains. <S> If this number changes, let them know. <S> If you run into a major obstacle, let them know right away that there might be a delay. <S> Don't wait until your estimated date of delivery to say "oh yeah, I ran into some problems and it's gonna be a little longer" <A> Board bringup, like many activities in new product introduction, is intrinsically uncertain. <S> The same problem is faced in all kinds of industries... <S> construction, supply-chain work, event-planning, etc. <S> This has to be made clear to your stakeholders. <S> That said, there some things you can do to make it easier to swallow for the people who need an answer to "when will it be done?" <S> Do what government contractors and software developers do: break down the project into multiple phases or milestones, break down each of those into even smaller pieces. <S> Report regularly on progress including set-backs, answer questions, show your work. <S> Reassess the subsequent milestones as you complete the current ones. <S> As long as the backlog of remaining tasks mostly shrinks, people who aren't toddlers are perfectly OK with the idea of an uncertain timeline. <S> Never casually give a PM "a date" for anything, they're apt to shake their head like they understand and then silently record it as a hard-deadline even if you put a dozen conditions on it. <S> Many of us learn the hard way that saying yes to an optimistic/unreasonable/impossible deadline and then putting forward a heroic effort that ends up missing that deadline is not respected, it's scorned. <S> It's much better to be a jerk about the deadline far before it hits, that way there's no surprises. <S> Ultimately if you make "a promise" that promise gets made into other promises that end up getting repeated through the ranks and up to a customer. <S> If the thing doesn't get delivered, that chain of promises leads back to you-- <S> so you have to be careful about what you commit to. <A> Based on your responses to comments, I would like to present a slight frame challenge to your desire to improve your estimates. <S> While your desire to self-improve is noble, the point that needs "improvement" may be the negotiation with the client, not you providing estimates. <S> It shouldn't be your responsibility to see issues that are not forseeable, or to know how much time they will take. <S> A skilled client manager will know how to handle "bad news" or changes when talking with a client. <S> I would be careful of assuming too much of someone else's responsibility. <S> Rather than focusing on improving your estimates, you may want to focus on working with your boss on the overall communication process - i.e. if you estimate 100 hours, and you hit an issue at 20 hours that will cause an unknown delay, that becomes the point at which communication with the client needs to be handled appropriately. <S> So: Check with your boss on how they feel about your estimates. <S> Ask if there's anything you can clarify, or any additional information you can provide. <S> Make sure you and your boss are on the same page when issues do happen, and you are giving your boss the information they need in order to decide what to communicate to your clients As a way to reflect, look at past projects and the un-forseeable issues that came up. <S> There will always be issues that you can't predict. <S> But, are there things you can change about your work process that will make them less significant, or more predictable in duration? <S> Are there things you can standardize to gain some efficiency through re-use? <S> Are there things you can test earlier in the process to catch issues before they become work-stoppers? <S> And so on.
| You simply don't know in advance everything that you're going to end up dealing with. Explain each thing that can go wrong (if known) and how much time it will add. I almost always give a range, even when I'm very confident in my estimate
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Is wearing a green sport jacket to an interview a terrible idea? A little bit of background, I am currently homeless, and have limited access to clothes, and even more limited access to funds. Buying new clothes is out of the question, and it is too late now for me to organize something from some service that accepts donations. I have an interview scheduled soon with a Big4 consulting firm in the United States. I have worked as a consultant previously. I realized too late that the black sport jacket I was planning to wear no longer fits me. This is rather mortifying, however I have access to a green sport jacket I purchased but never wore. I wasn't fond of the texture. It's not at all a bright or distracting green, it's a very dark green, and on my poor phone camera looks almost grey. I would be pairing this with a light grey shirt and a black or dark grey tie, and a black overcoat. I think it looks OK, professional and rather good, but it is still green. Is this a serious no no, or is it something the interviewer is unlikely to focus much on? <Q> Go with the green and wear it confidently. <S> In my experience, too many people go for the traditional colours (blue, black or gray with a white shirt and likely a blue or red tie) and wearing something different helps to lodge you in the interviewer's mind. <S> A deep green is also a great colour for emotional stimulation have a look at colour psychology if you get a chance. <A> Is wearing a green sport jacket to an interview a terrible idea? <S> So choose between those. <A> Ken, Although appearance is important, it's not as important as walking into the interview with the confidence and level of preparedness you should have to succeed in the role you're applying for. <S> After reading the description and seeing that it's not a bright distracting color and it's more of a deep/dark green <S> then I would say that you're perfectly fine wearing a green jacket. <A> Interviewing is like dating: you are trying to exchange a lot of important information with the other party in a very limited, usually < 2 hr, time frame in the face of a lot of competing and sometimes mutually-exclusive incentives. <S> And like dating, you have basically two options. <S> Try to be conservative to avoid any appearance of what might be a deal-breaker for the other party, i.e. "put your best foot forward". <S> Try to stand out from the crowd with the understanding that this will be off-putting to a lot of people but really score points with a select few. <S> The first approach works better if you have some quality that already sets you apart: <S> your CV is excellent, you went to an Ivy League (or top for your discipline) school, you worked somewhere famous, etc. <S> The second approach works better when you are in a glutted market or in some way competing against a lot of other similar people. <S> Then there's the perhaps even more important question of what you, personally, want: do you want to work at a place that would mark you down in an interview for not sticking to the grey/black/navy blue standard? <S> Do you want to work at a place diametrically opposed to that? <S> Back to the opening thesis: you've got a lot to tell this person about yourself in a very short time <S> and you can't really afford to neglect any aspect. <S> Wearing a non-standard jacket sends an unmistakable message that you aren't looking for a job at a place that is overly-conservative. <S> Is that the message you want to send? <A> There are charitys who will provide disadvantaged/homeless people with a suit specifically for job interviews. <S> One in the United States is Career Gear, but you should hopefully be able to find others near you on Google - https://www.careergear.org/
| It should not be seen as unprofessional. No, and given that it is all you have, there isn't any other option except go without a jacket.
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Was it a selfish and immoral decision? Today, I quit my current grpahic design job because I was getting a better offer. My current boss also agreed to pay higher, but I chose growth over salary. But I made a mistake, I broke a promise. Yesterday, I told my boss that I'm not joining the new company, I'm staying with you since you'll increment my salary. Actually, I when I told my current boss about quitting, he asked the problems for quitting. I told him the I'm doing all the stuff in 3-4 hours of 8 hours working . Rest of the time is going waste somehow (I used to create future content in spare time but that also didn't seem quite right because nobody knows what works in future what not). Moreover, my boss told you can also do the work which your colleague does. But the thing is, it seemed like my colleague is not ready to give me any work, not because I can't do it, but because he feels he'd go in similar situation i.e., spare time. So he often avoids whenever I requested him for even simplest works. But somehow they (1-2 colleagues) often comment/felt like you don't have much work to do; you're sitting free for 2-3 hours OR we'll give you the work when it is worth you . Third, I personally felt my design sense is better than my colleague. I would often see basic design mistakes in his work. He'd also like my feedback. Of course my senior was better at problem solving, but I felt my creativity is going useless. All I was doing was non creative work. Nothing creative. Whenever I tried to make a design little creative (and not a copy of someone else), he'd say you're wasting time, it's too difficult to do, it's very time consuming, just copy it etc. My boss was unaware of it, but seeing that my senior is very valuable resource to my boss , he'd definitely take side of him. So I didn't discuss all these things but I told him in a single sentence : I don't see my time is being utilized properly here, I'm not doing any creative work (some conversation is already discussed above) . So he increased my salary and said we'll fix these problems. But I guess he thought increment would solve my problem. Because he's financially good. Suddenly after coming home I thought for one day again . I somehow knew that even if I would discuss the entire problem, even if my boss would say my senior to give me work, my relations with my colleagues would become bad, because they already were not very professional with me. I thought a lot about it, thought about last 2 months of work, how things went, what did I learn, how I was treated. So finally next day I broke promise (there's was no written thing, only verbal). At this, he got little frustrated (Actual words he said: "You know what it's pathetic". He also said I'll make sure you don't get any job in your career), because he didn't want me to leave. He thought money would stop me. I said sorry to him. I almost cried. 15 minutes later I again talked to him and again apologized for quitting. This time he said he was also frustrated, but here you could grow more. You'll face a lot of problems in switching to new company. I respect my boss. I also told him so. I said thank you and quit without notice period of 15 days because he said leave immediately. I even offered to him that I can do a bit freelance work for him because it's not much time consuming, to somewhat compensate this experience, to which he denied that a lot of people are applying for job here. You're not alone. Most importantly, I have already done March + half of April months complete work so they won't have any issue. So in terms of work, they didn't lose anything immediately, but what hurt him I broke my promise. Personally I feel a made a good decision, because I wasn't being treated well in all aspects. I also knew my worth is more than current job, in terms of salary and creative work. I'm also planning to get married at end of this year, so I wanted to be stable . I'm not sure about the new company's future experience, but they have a larger team, little big clients and lot of and lot of varieties of work, holiday benefits, which I always wanted. Given all that, was this a selfish and immoral decision? Shouldn't I've hurt my boss by not breaking promise and not quitting the job? <Q> Given all that, was this a selfish and immoral decision? <S> No, you took a decision which is good for you, nothing immoral about making the decision itself to move out. <S> Shouldn't I've hurt my boss by not breaking promise and not quitting the job? <S> Let's take it in two parts: "breaking promise": <S> Yes, Absolutely you should not have done that . <S> "quitting": Back to answer 1: choice is yours. <S> Moral of the story is: You should never burn a bridge. <S> You are the authority to make your decisions - but not through a broken promise which can be perceived as a lie. <S> You should not promise things which you cannot keep. <S> Learn a lesson, and move on. <S> Next time, when you need time to think to take a decision and make your mind - just say so. <S> Take time and get back with a definite answer. <S> People appreciate a well thought-off decision which may take some time, and eventually despise a prompt promise which is broken soon after. <S> Note: <S> The way your boss acted (or reacted) is also not professional and uncalled for (even when you seem to brake your verbal commitment), but that's not in your control, and should not affect your decision to move on. <S> Every now and then, people face (which they should not) <S> these sort of "threats" or personal grudge-based comments when they announce their separation from the company. <S> Not common, but neither unheard of. <A> Given all that, was this a selfish and immoral decision? <S> Shouldn't I've hurt my boss by not breaking promise and not quitting the job? <S> I don't see anything immoral here. <S> I do think it was a mistake to announce a decision, rescind the decision, then change your mind yet again and go back to the original decision. <S> In my opinion, that was completely unnecessary. <S> I think it would have been far better to figure out what you really wanted, think things through completely, weigh all the pros and cons, and only then announce your decision at the completion of your thought process. <S> And then, of course, stick to your decision. <S> I always advise this for everyone, as I don't think this sort of indecision is good for anyone. <S> That said, it's done (I assume). <S> Just work your notice period, say your thank <S> you's and goodbyes <S> , leave this job behind, and enjoy your new job. <A> Yesterday, I told my boss that I'm not joining the new company, I'm staying with you since you'll increment my salary. <S> There's nothing immoral about you initially accepting his offer, then changing your mind. <S> However, there's everything immoral about your boss' response: <S> At this, he got little frustrated (he also said I'll make sure you don't get any job in your career) <S> That's beyond unprofessional. <S> However, in a more general sense I'd say your mistake here was initially accepting a counter offer and a promise from his side that things would change, when in reality they're very unlikely to do so. <S> Counter offers in general are something I'd almost always recommend staying away from (both salary based, and promises of change.) <S> The salary based counter offers seem like a nice perk, but only make any sense if it's the only driver for you moving on. <S> Even if it is: <S> That salary may not be sustainable, and they may just look to replace you over a few months anyway <S> (then that replacement would be in their control, not yours); <S> You've forced their hand in making that offer, so don't expect to be treated favourably for raises etc. <S> in the future. <S> Offers based on promises of change are almost always empty. <S> That's not to say they're deliberate lies - I'm sure many managers mean for things to change for the better. <S> But once they've got you back on board, it's not a priority, so it'll never have the attention and drive it needs to happen. <A> Given all that, was this a selfish and immoral decision? <S> You are working for a company they are exploiting your labour to make money. <S> If the company was going bust do you think the would afford you this ethical conundrum? <S> Shouldn't I've hurt my boss by not breaking promise and not quitting the job? <S> This doesn't parse very well <S> but I think you are asking <S> Should I have kept my promise ? <S> Everyone is allow to change their mind at any point and you should not feel guilty. <S> As long as you were polite which by reading you question I'm almost 100% sure that you were. <S> I think that your boss is in the wrong by saying all of these vindictive things to you. <S> Next time don't get upset and stand you ground and stand up for yourself. <S> You done nothing wrong you simply changed your mind and being derided like what's happened to you is wrong. <S> Most importantly now forgot about that old job and good luck with your new job!
| I would say you changed your mind which is perfectly acceptable. I mean given with the info you have said I wouldn't say you broke any promise. Selfish and immoral, the answer is no.
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My trainee shows symptoms. How to tactfully send her home at the time of the corona epidemic? The corona-epidemic has reached the city where I work. The number of cases confirmed by the authorities has been increasing day by day. My wife is pregnant. She is in the seventh month with our baby. These two things coinciding make me extremely worried. After the birth I will be taking a paternal leave to support my wife. During these two months I won't work, I won't even show up in the office. A trainee is there to cover part of my workload for this period. She arrived a couple of days ago and I am the one who trains her. As a workmate she is great and clever and eager to learn. We have covered already a lot. However today she started to show symptoms of an infection (Common cold? corona? flu? who knows..).She has been coughing definitely more than she did yesterday or the day before and she feels the need to blow her nose in every 15-20 minutes. She does not seem to have fever, though. I asked her if she is OK, and she answered, "no problem". But she keeps coughing.It's a scientific fact that corona causes only mild cases in many people, still these people are spreading the virus just like everybody else. The management takes corona seriously. The other day we got a memo advising washing hands regularly and avoiding the office if somebody visited Vuhan or North Italy in the last 4 weeks. My trainee hasn't been in the above places but she could have contracted the virus anywhere in our city. I do not feel comfortable sitting in the same room as a person who shows symptoms however mild those symptoms are. One can call me paranoid, I don't care: at this time of the year, having a heavily pregnant wife I just do not want to be nowhere near any person if this person keeps coughing and feels the need to regularly blow her nose.My biggest fear is getting corona and passing it to my pregnant wife. Remote work (working from home) is somewhere between hard and close to impossible for me and for her as well due to the nature of my work. So my question is what can I do? How can I ask my manager/HR to send her to see a doctor or just stay at home for a couple of days? <Q> I don't know what country you're in, or what sick leave rules are typical there. <S> But under the circumstances, you could talk to the trainee and say something like: <S> "Normally I wouldn't be worried about someone in the office having a cold. <S> But with the coronavirus in the city, and my wife pregnant, it's different for me. <S> If you want to take some days off, I can help talk to HR to make sure it's no problem." <A> It's for their own safety to take actions regarding their health. <S> If there is any policy regarding sick leave make your trainee aware of those. <S> It's in the interest of the company that no one comes to work sick. <S> (whether it's the flu or the Covid19 virus) <S> As Sourav Ghosh suggested take measurements for your own safety. <S> If the trainee persists that it's fine you can escalate to HR or anyone in your organization which is responsible for health issues/ management <A> So my question is what can I do? <S> If your company has not sent out directives already, reach out to the HR (or the Pandemic Task Force, as applicable) and ask for guidance. <S> Also keep following all the precautionary measures / directive circulated already, ex washing hands frequently avoid touching eyes, nose with bare hands <S> use medical masks as applicable <S> Also, since you have a special condition (expectant partner) at home, you can also reach out to your manager to ask permission to work from home for the time period. <S> You mentioned it's difficult, but this is also not a general case - it has specific requirements that should be taken care of. <A> I do not feel comfortable sitting in the same room as a person who shows symptoms however mild those symptoms are. <S> One can call me paranoid, I don't care: <S> at this time of the year, having a heavily pregnant wife I just do not want to be nowhere near any person if this person keeps coughing and feels the need to regularly blow her nose. <S> My biggest fear is getting corona and passing it to my pregnant wife. <S> Remote work (working from home) is somewhere between hard and close to impossible for me and for her as well due to the nature of my work. <S> It's certainly understandable that you're afraid and that you want to do everything possible to avoid you and/or your wife getting sick. <S> It's certainly reasonable to present your concerns and ask, but you should be prepared for pushback. <S> The problem here is sick leave and company policies. <S> How is your company handling this? <S> Do trainees get mandatory paid sick leave? <S> It's very possible that you'll get pushback from her if the company policies and local regulations mean she'd have to take leave unpaid and can't afford that. <S> So find out first what kind of sick leave is available, and, if necessary, lobby your HR for paid sick leave in this circumstance. <S> In addition to that, you should take the usual precautions (thoroughly wash your hands regularly, 20s scrubbing with soap <S> neutralizes most of the virus on your hands, avoid touching your face, avoid large gatherings) as well.
| I would add asking to work from home if it is possiable. Make the trainee aware of the risks of spreading their disease
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How to communicate tasking to more experienced coworkers? I work on a small team (10 people) that has about the same number of engineers, technicians and and scientists. I'm an software engineer with a science background, just under 2 years out of undergrad, and the most junior except for one tech. The team needs to decide whether a particular metric is suitable for a report we're putting together. A couple people have done some work on this, but it's been largely unfocused and not very fruitful. My job as I understood it was to implement the algorithm for others to do experiments on. After a recent progress meeting (during which very little progress was shown), the team's manager asked me privately to take responsibility for the work getting done, but not in so many words. He also implied, but did not state, that I could give tasks to others. The work involved for this is probably on the order of hundreds of man-hours; I can't work full time on this project. It feels as though I have been given (a large) responsibility without the power to make it happen. I think I'm capable of designing a test plan for this problem, but I'm uncomfortable about how to communicate about it and get the other team members to do their part of it. It's possible the manager expects me to send it to him to ok, and then he will tell everyone else, but generally speaking he's very laid back and uninterested in anything except results. Question: How do I make a plan which involves the efforts of several people without an official way to set tasking? What's the best way to introduce something like this to my more experienced coworkers? <Q> asked me privately to take responsibility for the work... <S> but not in so many words <S> He also implied, but did not state , that I could give tasks to others <S> If even you're not 100% clear on whether you have official responsibility for this work and/or have the authority to assign tasks to others, there is no chance that anybody else will be. <S> This is especially true since you're more junior than others who'll be working on this, so you don't even have natural authority on your side. <S> Frankly you probably should expect resistance. <S> You'll be swimming against the current. <S> Go back to the manager and get these two points clarified explicitly, so both you and everyone else has this in black and white. <S> If possible, get the manager to tell everyone else directly. <S> Once this is established, simply assign tasks to people as you see fit. <S> You should encounter no issues, assuming your colleagues are professionals, but if you do then you can politely insist referring back to what the manager said - <S> this is why it's so important <S> it comes directly from them. <S> Of course if it persists further, you can report it up and know you'll have the full backing of the manager who assigned you these responsibilities. <A> Your boss potentially just created a lot of issues. <S> It's incredibly difficult to set tasks for people that do not report to you. <S> It can create a lot of tension and a hostile work environment. <S> The best you can do is try to come up with a plan that would get the tasks completed and have a meeting with your manager to ask for help implementing the plan. <S> Without authority coworkers, especially senior coworkers will most likely not listen to what you have to say. <S> Unless they respect that what your putting forth would positively impact the assignment, or unless they just genuinely like you. <A> Given that you are relatively new to the workforce, you might not have learned one of the most important lessons on how to be successful: Ask your manager! <S> Your manager's job is to provide you with the knowledge, tools, plans, etc., to be successful. <S> This isn't based on any altruistic impulse, but based on the simple fact that if you aren't successful, your manager cannot be successful either. <S> If you aren't sure on how to accomplish something, ask them for a plan on how to do this. <S> Ask if you are indeed responsible for getting this thing done. <S> Ask how you are supposed to do so, given you don't have the formal authority. <S> I think new employees often think that if they ask for clarity, or ask for help, that they'll somehow "look weak". <S> This is the wrong mindset, it is self-defeating, and it is really hard to succeed with it. <S> Instead you need to change your mindset to one where you try to get as much clarity, advice, resources, suggestions, etc., as you can get, as the more you can get, the more likely you'll both be successful.
| If you manager assigns you something that isn't clear, ask for clarification. Ask if you are responsible for assigning work to others.
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What is the point of group interviews? I recently had a group interview with about 10 interviewees and one interviewer. We all sat around a long table and answered the same 3 questions one at a time. So assuming each person spent 3 minutes per question, this is 9 minutes per person talking out of 81 minutes of other people talking. This does not include the time the interviewer spent talking about the company. We didn't really get a chance to ask questions. What is the point of doing the interview this way? It seems to take a lot more time from the candidates and does not save the interviewer any time. I had been to a less formal group interview before. People would mingle with each other and one of two interviewers would take 5 minutes to speak to each candidate individually. I guess in these situations they could observe how well the candidates could form connections with other people in the room, but this certainly didn't happen in this one where we all sat and listened to a lecture. <Q> What you are describing/have described in your other questions is very similar to what Japanese companies call a 説明会 (Information Seminar). <S> It's sort of a round-0 interview. <S> The idea is that you can explain the company and positions to everyone at once and weed out people who applied without much knowledge and aren't actually interested in the company. <S> Regarding the questions, even simple questions can say a lot about you. <S> Consider this another round of filtering, and an ice-breaking exercise. <S> What you didn't mention in this question, but did in your other questions, was that there were other/was another communication and presentation exercise. <S> This was again a good chance for the company to weed out applicants. <S> In short, the purpose is: A sales pitch for the company (why you should enter) <A> What is the point of doing the interview this way? <S> The normal point of group interviews is to set a team exercise and then use the time to assess how everyone behaves in a team setting - if they're bossy, try to take control, push their opinion on others, stay too quiet, don't really contribute, etc. <S> - it can (theoretically) give you a glimpse about how they'd normally work in a team setting. <S> However, that's not what seems to have happened. <S> As you described, it's weird <S> (I've never heard of that before) and IMHO utterly pointless, other than to maybe try to save some time on the company's front. <A> I don’t know what the questions were, but this seems like something marketing or sales would do. <S> You have (are) a product that you are offering and so are a ton of other competitors. <S> This is your time to sell yourself and respond to offers of others. <S> I would think they are looking for you to take strategies you’ve learned and apply them to sell yourself. <S> First and last ones to go are the toughest, but I assume because of that they can also impress the most. <S> In any case, if you are just agreeing a lot with what others have said, you probably aren’t progressing an idea and that’s a red flag. <S> Never been in that position, so this is just a guess. <S> Also, in just about any industry, being able to build on the progress of others is important and for some it may be extremely important.
| An easy way for the company to weed out those who are uninterested An easy way for the company to weed out those perceived to have poor communication/social skills It also gives the company a chance to make their appeal.
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Why so little paid holiday in the US Just read this question: Is it reasonable for my employer to make me use unpaid time off to drive back after a work conference? And the first thing that I thought was: why is there so little annual holiday / PTO in the US? 10 days per year for the OP in the thread above. In Germany 30 days/year is typical. (As for unpaid time off, I'd have thought it'd be down to employer discretion.) Why do workers in the US get so little PTO compared to Europe? <Q> As a frame challenge to your question, I'm not sure that it makes sense to take a (potentially limited) description of one person's PTO availability and extrapolate it to an entire nation's workforce. <S> I'll use myself as an example. <S> In my current role, I have 26 days of PTO, 12 paid holidays, 5 paid sick days, and 3 days of paid volunteer time (I'm able to take time off work as long as I do volunteer work for a non-profit on those days). <S> At a prior employer, I had 18 paid holidays, 36 days of PTO, and 5 sick days. <S> I have a life to live and value availability of time off, so when I'm selecting jobs, I'm sure to evaluate employers on that basis. <S> Others may feel differently, and may target employers who compensate in other ways, versus time off (advancement, or salary, or other things). <S> If we assume your theory is true, and there are (on average) less days of PTO in the US, your question of "why" may have many different answers. <S> While there is less regulation in the US than in some countries around paid time off, this isn't inherently a good or a bad thing, as it essentially means that PTO becomes another point of negotiation when working out the details of a job offer. <S> Some people see this as an advantage, since it means they can push for what they want, rather than having their outcomes dictated by regulation. <S> Other people want to be protected from potentially abusive employers and would rather work under a more highly regulated environment. <S> Unions play a role as well, when they're able to act in a manner where they can collectively bargain with an employer to set certain standards for things like PTO. <S> Further, Workers in the US also have protections in terms of being allowed to take time off for specific circumstances - for instance, if you have to take leave to care for a sick family member, FMLA protects your job under certain circumstances. <S> And we have programs where people out on disability or for other reasons either have protection for their jobs or may receive (limited) pay while they're out. <S> As such, these special cases don't need to be accounted for when an employer determines how much PTO to offer. <A> I can't speak to the European view on this topic but I consider myself an average American and this is my opinion on this. <S> It's not necessarily the opinion held by others. <S> 30 days paid vacation seems wasteful of human labor resource. <S> I'm not saying 10 days/2 weeks is enough, but 6 weeks of paid time off is unheard of in American culture and seems quite excessive. <S> Employers are paying you a wage to perform some form of labor. <S> There is no reason that an employer should have to pay an employee for labor that they did not perform. <S> Labor is a product that is being purchased by the employer from the employee. <S> Therefore if one is not working, they should not be paid. <S> Also in America, PTO is used as a bargaining chip in wage negotiation. <S> Often those with high seniority and/or occupying high positions have "earned" more time off due to their position. <S> It is used to incentivize people to to get promotions/stay at a company longer. <S> American's view PTO as a privilege, not a right. <S> If American companies were to give that much time off, then they would pay less. <S> Personally, I would rather have 20 days worth of pay than 20 days off. <A> There are no laws requiring employers to give any paid time off in the United States. <S> While it is not the only country that doesn't do this, it is not the norm: Wikipedia - List of minimum annual leave by country . <S> Relevant data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - Employee Benefits Survey : Access to Paid Holiday in 2019 <S> Civilian <S> ** Employees: 78% <S> Private Employees: 79% State and Local Government Employees: 68% Access to Paid Vacation in 2019 <S> Civilian Employees: 76% <S> Private Employees: 79% State and Local Government Employees: 61% Access to Sick Leave in 2019 <S> Civilian Employees: 76% <S> Private Employees: 73% State and Local Government Employees: 91% <S> BLS also has several PDFs on how much leave employees get : Amount of Paid Vacation at 1 year (Mean/Median) <S> Civilian Employees: 11/10 Private Employees: 11/10 State and Local Government Employees: <S> 13/12 Amount of Paid Holiday (Mean/Median) <S> Civilian Employees: 8/8 Private Employees: 8/7 State and Local Government Employees: 11/11 Amount of Sick Leave at 1 year (Mean/Median) <S> Civilian Employees: 8/7 Private Employees: 7/6 State and Local Government Employees: <S> 11/12 <S> How much a specific employee is likely to actually get in paid time off will vary with the job/industry/location/employment type. <S> **Private industry workers and state and local government workers combined.
| The fact that paid time off exists at all in many jobs is due to workers demanding it as a condition for taking the job.
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How should I handle a dead project that nobody is working on anymore One year ago me and several other people were assigned to work on a small project (as an addition to our main responsibilities). We did some work, spent a lot of time waiting for third parties, and at the moment we have the following situation: One third party company that we hired isn't replying to our emails for already several months (we haven't paid them yet, so it's not a big problem). Some team members left the company or got different positions. The person who was supervising the project left the company. We never receive any emails from the management asking for the status, I believe they remember about the project only when we actively remind them. Nobody in the team is really working on it, we only write follow-up emails to that third party company once a few weeks. We don't really hope to get a reply anymore, it's mostly to not feel bad about not doing anything. At this stage it's clear that the project will bring no benefit to the company. How should I handle this? I asked my manager for an advice and he recommended to just stop doing it and stop reminding people about that. (My manager has nothing to do with the project, it's supposed to be supervised by people from a different team. So it was just an advice.) I'd feel uncomfortable to just stop working on the project without notifying anyone, but I can't think of a professional way to say "Hi, we are quitting working on the project A since it doesn't make any sense anymore and we all have better stuff to do". Upd : All answers are good so far, but I think my question wasn't precise enough. I want my actions to lead to the project being cancelled, I don't really want to proceed working on it as it would be a waste of time and money. <Q> How should I handle this? <S> You already did the right move here and asked your manager, and you got an answer. <S> I'd feel uncomfortable to just stop working on the project without notifying anyone <S> You already notified your manager, and also asked him for guidance on what to do. <S> There is no need to feel uncomfortable. <S> Perhaps you are feeling that way because of the "lost" time and effort you put on this project. <S> It's not the best feeling, I know, but this can happen now and then with any kind of project. <S> Better to focus on the ones that can be achieved or completed. <S> You mentioned in comments that: <S> So far we only informed them about that company not responding for months and got a reply saying something like "just try to message them again". <S> Once again, you already asked the ones in charge of the project and got your answer: message them again, try to get a reply. <S> Seems to me that it's pretty easy how to handle both your boss's and the team's feedback: <S> keep trying to get a response from them, but in the meantime don't stall and wait with arms crossed, and continue working on other projects your manager assigned to you. <A> While following your managers suggestion and simply halting all work on the project does sound like a reasonable option, in your situation I would seek to formally extricate myself from the project. <S> This could lead to the project being formally shut down, or potentially revive it, but without your involvement. <S> Do this with a straightforward email that explains why you feel the project is dead/deserves to die. <S> Send it to whoever is theoretically "in charge" as well as the other team members who are working on the project and any other managers/stakeholders/future users etc. <S> If somebody wants to jump in and keep the project alive it will fall on them to champion it and get it moving again, hopefully without you. <S> Hello All, <S> With regards to project XYZ initially commenced in January 2019 by Ms. ManagerWhoLeft. <S> Please be aware progress has been stalled for some time [optionally include some reasons] and <S> the benefits of completing this particular project are no longer apparent [optionally include some reasons]. <S> I am now in role ABC and will no longer be involved in leading/working on this project, and from my perspective it seems like this should be abandoned altogether. <S> Certainly feel free to let me know your thoughts on this. <S> Thank you, lawful_neutral <S> The idea here is to have a written record that you are off of this project and that nothing is happening under your watch. <S> This leaves you free and clear, without the possibility of getting an email in a years time asking you why this was never finished. <A> it's supposed to be supervised by people from a different team. <S> Pass the issue to these people, it's their responsibility, not yours. <S> If they tell you to keep contacting, ask them to contact the third party direct as you have had no answer. <S> They're not your manager, they can't order you without going through your manager.
| If someone wants to push back and re-engage you on the project, they will have to make some kind of case for it and put in some effort to get it going again. I asked my manager for an advice and he recommended to just stop doing it and stop reminding people about that.
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Should I get paid for un-worked weekend days during business travel? My (US) company is sending me on a trip (about a 4 hour flight away) spanning Weds to Weds. The organization I'm visiting will be closed over the weekend, so I don't expect to do any work on Sat and Sun. However, I'd still be stuck away from home and would have to cancel my weekend plans. I'm salaried and my work typically has a flexible schedule, e.g. we can usually get permission to work on weekends and take off a week day as long as we work the full 40 hours. Would my company be morally or legally obligated to pay me for Sat and Sun (that is, include them towards my 40 hours for the week), even though they are not typically workdays and I wouldn't be able to get any actual work done? <Q> Most people wouldn't count the weekend as anything more than an opportunity to see somewhere new for free. <S> If it's an issue for you due to weekend plans etc., perhaps turn it down so someone else can get a chance to go. <A> Electing to stay away from home over the weekend usually disqualifies you from compensation for non-work days. <S> Instead, your company should give you the option to travel home on Friday and back to the meeting on Monday. <S> If you are choosing to stay over the weekend (and you have the option to travel home for the weekend) <S> then you are not entitled to any compensation or expenses. <S> However, if you are being asked to travel on the weekend with no alternative, you may qualify for compensation: <S> You might be entitled to overtime if you are a non-exempt salaried employee - the extra days over the weekend are work days and should accrue hours for you. <S> This is usually a small fraction of your equivalent hourly rate. <S> Most likely though, even if you are being coerced to travel over the weekend, you are not entitled to additional compensation. <S> Salaried employment in the US is pretty "free range. <S> " <S> Your employer is allowed to ask a lot of you and your only recourse is to quit (i.e., "at-will" employment). <S> The best thing to do is discuss the situation with your manager and agree on some sort of arrangement that you both agree adequately compensates you for your time (e.g., two extra paid days off). <A> Would my company be morally obligated to pay me <S> No. <S> Paying weekend travel as work time would be highly unusual in the US. <S> Most people do consider this a perk: it's an all expense paid weekend trip. <S> Would my company be legally obligated to pay me <S> Check your contract, your employee handbook and your company policies. <S> These determine the rules or your employment and not random strangers in the Internet. <S> This being said, it would be highly unusual for a company to do this. <A> Would my company be morally or legally obligated to pay me for Sat and Sun <S> I think I will have to first ignore the moral obligation question as companies are amoral as they exist to make money for the stakeholders, period. <S> As for the legal obligation, do you have a contract ? <S> If so the answer is in that contract. <S> It's highly unusual for salaried employees to get paid extra for overtime / weekends. <S> This is the case in most countries. <S> Usually if you look at your contract there will be a clause about working a little extra and on different days (e.g. weekends). <S> I know this as I once asked if I would be paid extra for the Sunday I travelled to London on a training course. <S> The answer was no and that I should be grateful that I got the time off to go for a training course.
| You might be entitled to "call pay" for being asked to be away from home and available for work outside of normal work hours.
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Negotiation of starting day? I got an interview yesterday, and then 2 hours later, they emailed me with the offer in my email. In the interview, they asked when I was looking at starting, I said " probably at least a few weeks after my graduation date" (May 8) because I am taking the Engineer in Training exam after and then wanted a mental break after that. No date was said and they seemed fine with it nor pushed for any specific date. In my contract, it says May 26 as the starting date, so it seems the employer took "a few weeks after" literally, which is fine, and makes total sense. But since no date was said, is it reasonable to start later (3-5 weeks instead of 2)? I do have a one week trip in there which is one of the main factors, but if I'm potentially gonna be working here for a long time, I'd think a 3 week extension wouldn't be too big of an issue. How can I ask for different start date after receiving (but not yet signing) offer? <Q> You asked for two weeks after graduation. <S> They gave it to you. <S> Now, there are some really good reasons to wish you had asked for more; but, you will have to weigh the cost of renegotiating the start date after it was settled with the benefit of the extra weeks. <S> I know that you present the situation as if the start date wasn't really settled; but, from your description, the only place it wasn't settled was in your mind. <S> Unfortunately you did tell them a date (by telling them two weeks after a specific date) and they accommodated you. <S> Take it as a lesson to be learned; be prepared for the obvious questions arising during a job interview. <S> That includes, "when can you start", "how much pay do you expect", and (for future you) "why are you leaving your current job?" <A> If you are sure you actually said something vague like 'at least a few weeks' you should be fine. <S> They tried to put that into a concrete date but interpreted it differently from you. <S> Talk to them, explain that you actually meant something like 5 weeks instead of 2 and ask whether this would be a problem for them. <S> It shouldn't be. <S> Just think about what you want to do in the case where they don't want to budge or say 1 week later at most or something like that and have an answer ready for these situations. <A> Most of the time, it is just fine. <S> I've talked to many people who have asked for a negotiation of start date. <S> The most pushback I've heard is the company asking the reason for the later start or a company saying they have certain times where hires come in <S> and they give you more options (usually with larger companies). <S> Now, some companies may give you a flat out no and you'll be the one to have to adjust, and in my opinion, that is the worst case scenario. <S> Similar to you, they asked 'around' when I could start, and I gave them an earlier date to make me look better and thought to myself I could negotiate later if I indeed got <S> an offer(this was my first job interview). <S> While it all turned out great, the guilt ate me alive in asking for a later start date because I know what I said <S> and I was so scared they would think less of me. <S> They didn't at all and they were so willing to negotiate, but it would have been so much easier <S> had I just said the date <S> I know I could have started. <S> It's all through experience, don't beat yourself up about it. <S> A 3 week job negotiation isn't that big of a deal at all. <S> They're waiting 2 months for you to graduate and start working, trust me, I think they can wait 3 more weeks because they WANT you! <S> While it's great to get wonderful advice from people here on StackExchange, take everything with a grain of salt. <S> I asked for advice and googled the heck out of it, and that worried me even more since people started using things like 'rescind offer' or 'the company might not be happy' or 'it doesn't make you look good'. <S> So just ask, and take it as a great learning experience! <S> You got this! :) <A> It's simple - just ask them to change the date to the one you prefer. <S> You're overthinking this. <S> Especially if you did not set a clear date, and they just filled in something reasonable , it might not even be a thing for them.
| One thing I've learned in my job interviews is to always be honest to the questions they ask.
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How long does a recruiting process usually take? I was approached by a company a while ago. Almost 2 months ago a recruiter offered me a position, and only several weeks later I was contacted by the company to set up a video interview, which would take place 2 weeks later. This interview was very obviously to screen out non english speakers, since it's a requirement (I'm not US based). The interviewer seems satisfied. About 2 or 3 weeks later I'm invited to a technical interview, which goes reasonably well. I'm told they would "probably" have an answer by next week. I was also asked how soon could I join them, if they decided to hire me. I'm surprised by the amount of time this is taking, since they seem in a hurry to hire people, but at the same time they're taking a good while for the different interviews. I know the "market" in my area, and basically the thing that keeps most candidates out is poor english. Companies are often keen in hiring inexperienced developers with good english, rather than "good" developers with poor english. So my question is: Is over 2 months a normal time for a recruiting/interview/hiring process? If they decide to make me an offer, should I play the same "game", and delay my answer? I'm currently employed at another company, looking to switch, but not willing to lose benefits or take a salary cut. This company hasn't made any monetary offerings yet (first interviewer was from the USA, second was local but technical. Neither of them seemed like the appropriate person to discuss salary with). My only other hiring experience was a company that hired me basically when I walked in, so this is strange for me. <Q> I can say for certain that 2 months is not normal . <S> I've been employed by 5 companies to this day and went over 20 interviews in my career. <S> Each one of them had me have an interview with them in a week at most. <A> Highly company dependent <S> I interviewed for a company <S> who's recruiting process had 8 stages and lasted 3-4 months. <S> Resume, then later long answer essay question, technical project, personality interview, another personality interview, technical interview, a motivations interview, a project understanding interview, and a group interview. <S> I have interviewed for other companies and got an offer the next day. <A> I just started a new job where I was contacted by a company recruiter, given a "take home" programming assignment, had a phone screen 2 weeks after, an all-day onsite a week after the phone screen, and an offer that day. <S> Other jobs I have taken have moved from first contact to offer in not much more than a month, so I would say, they aren't really in a hurry. <S> I'm currently employed at another company, looking to switch, but not willing to lose benefits or take a salary cut. <S> This company hasn't made any monetary offerings yet (first interviewer was from the USA, second was local but technical. <S> Neither of them seemed like the appropriate person to discuss salary with). <S> You're entirely correct with this assumption; it should have nothing to do with length of time it takes to go thru the process. <S> What IS important is, as you do interview: <S> How would you feel about working here? <S> Interview them as much as they interview you. <S> Ask about things that are important to you; one thing that is important to me is the amount of autonomy I have for choosing tools and configuring a work machine. <S> It goes to how I feel the employer trusts its employees. <S> Some industries don't allow that; I want to know that up front and choose not to work there. <S> Your mileage may vary. <S> If you DO get an offer, don't give up benefits or salary. <S> If what they offer you isn't better, negotiate. <S> If they won't give it to you, don't take the job. <S> If the offer is way below what you're getting, walk away; you probably won't be able to get up to where you were, much less improve. <S> For me, I won't ever work for a company that does a bank of PTO that is supposed to incorporate sick time and vacation time. <S> I have worked long enough that I don't have to put up with that. <S> You may have your own set of must haves. <S> Stick to them. <A> Is over 2 months a normal time for a recruiting/interview/hiring process? <S> It's not "normal" but it does exist. <S> By my company's standards you're moving at light speed. <S> Managers hate this and it impacts us but whatever. <S> This is a reflection of the company's size and how efficient the HR department is. <S> This sort of delay has NOTHING to do with any other aspect of the company. <S> If they decide to make me an offer, should I play the same "game", and delay my answer? <S> No, bad idea. <S> You're opening the door to the offer being withdrawn and/or annoying the hiring manager. <S> If HR is disorganized enough that the process takes this long, then it's STILL a really bad idea for you to deliberately give yourself anything like their rep. <A> Is over 2 months a normal time for a recruiting/interview/hiring process? <S> So little information <S> it's hard to speculate with anything useful. <S> I want to say no, but it could be the position was advertised the day someone put in a really long notice <S> and maybe they're not in a huge hurry. <S> It may also be something sinister <S> like maybe it's a high turn over position and they keep it advertised <S> and now it is your turn. <S> It's hard to say and you really need to go in to feel the vibe. <S> If they decide to make me an offer, should I play the same "game", and delay my answer? <S> No. <S> It's obvious they can afford - or don't really care - for a really long interview process <S> but they might not allow the other side the same benefits.
| It could at most lasts for 2-3 weeks and even there that's stretching it.
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What exactly is a probation period at a new job? I'm about to accept a job with a 90 day probation period. What does this mean and why do these exist? I've heard an input that after that period my salary might increase slightly (my salary is almost 10k below average for engineering). Does this mean if I don't perform to their standards they could decide to let me go after those 90 days or earlier? There's not much in my job offer that states more about it, but days off and vacation begin after it and so do benefits I believe. <Q> I'm about to accept a job with a 90 day probation period. <S> What does this mean <S> and why do these exist? <S> It means that for 90 days both you and the company have the chance to get a look and feel of each other, to see if you are a good fit for the company, and also for you to realize if this is job is a good fit for you. <S> Usually this implies that if any party does not wish to continue with each other after the probation period, you can part ways gracefully. <S> In other words, they could fire you at will, and you could quit at will during this period without major drawbacks or hassle. <S> It's also usual that during this period you will be given an on-boarding process or introduction, so you can learn your ways around the company. <S> Does this mean if I don't perform to their standards they could decide to let me go after those 90 days or earlier? <S> There's not much in my job offer that states more about it, but days off and vacation begin after it and so do benefits I believe. <S> Yes, they could let you go when that period ends or before. <S> You are also in position to quit when or before that period ends. <S> It's likely that as you stated vacations, PTO, and other benefits start counting after the Probation Period. <S> In most cases, when the Probation Period ends and both parties are happy and wish to continue, a new contract is made and signed, where more permanent arrangements and benefits can be reached. <A> It really depends on the your location and the labor laws that apply, as well as whether or not your place of work or your industry is unionized. <S> In my case, I had a probation period of 1 month, and during that time, both me and my employer were meant to evaluate each other, and decide whether or not we are a good fit. <S> If either of us would have decided that this will not work out, we could have ended it without any notice period. <A> Does this mean if I don't perform to their standards they could decide to let me go after those 90 days or earlier? <S> This depends on the country and what kind of contract you have, but in the U.S. at least that's typically exactly what it means. <S> (In at-will employment states, they could technically fire you at any time, even outside the probation period, and for any non-illegal reason). <S> Even in other countries and with other "special" kinds of employment contracts (e.g. union contracts), it means something similar to that; at a minimum, the process to fire you during that time (even in countries with stricter labor laws than the U.S.) will often be a lot less strenuous. <S> Many companies that have a probation period will also have some kind of formal process for regular reviews during this period to make sure that you're progressing according to their plan (or, at a minimum, a review at the end of the probation period to make sure that you're performing up their expectations). <S> (Even if you don't have this kind of a process at your company, I'd definitely recommend that you ask them what their expectations are). <S> It's also not uncommon that your salary and/or benefits will change somewhat after the probation period.
| You may get a salary review at the end of the probation period, and you may become eligible for certain new benefits (like vacation, additional company-provided insurance, etc.)
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Is it possible to protect my employment while taking a leave of absence due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic? I am a junior software developer in a governmental organization that has the ability to give its employees remote access to their workstation so they can work from home, but uses it sparingly and generally reserves it for more senior developers due to concerns over data security. Recently, the COVID-19 epidemic has been officially declared a pandemic, and areas near my city have confirmed multiple cases that are spreading quickly. My workplace seems to be dragging its feet on the issue and making us come to work as usual while many other private organizations have already sent their people home. In essence, they are waiting for the first confirmed case to pop up inside the specific building that we work in before they close things down. I have relatives at home who are very much at risk from this pandemic due to their age. I cannot in good conscience allow COVID-19 to enter my home and risk my family members' health. As such, I've already made my decision and I have talked to my manager about providing remote access to me and allowing me to work from home, but I was turned down because the office hasn't yet decided to close up and that this decision out of their hands. I am currently planning to stop coming to the office in order to protect myself and my family. I have consulted with an attorney and I've determined that that puts my employment and my relationship with my manager at risk, because I am in an at-will employment state in the US and technically a pandemic doesn't really protect me from being fired. I don't want that to happen, but I am prepared to accept that outcome. However, is there an alternative solution to this problem that I am not considering? This is in the US, by the way. UPDATE: We are now allowed to work from home. I was told that the decision for that would likely be made sometime in the middle of next week, so I started taking my PTO, and then that same day that I took off, we got the temporary policy change from the upper government people the next day. I'm not important enough to have affected that process though since I'm a junior so I guess it was just a happy coincidence. But escalating the request and taking PTO until the decision is made seems to have been the best and most diplomatic option. Thank you! <Q> However, is there an alternative solution to this problem that I am not considering? <S> Government employees are usually hard to fire. <S> As a matter of policy, it is usually difficult to fire government employees as the process is lengthy and complicated. <S> As a result; your chances of getting summarily fired for making requests is extremely low. <S> Managers in government are also disempowered in enormous ways. <S> In your case, the manager probably wants to help you but just isn’t allowed to do so. <S> So what you want to do is escalate your request. <S> Ask his manager. <S> If he can’t approve it, ask their manager. <S> Go all the way up to the general manager if you must. <S> They have the power to authorize these things. <S> I work for a government agency. <S> My manager couldn’t approve this kind of thing. <S> His manager can and would approve it, but if he didn’t, I could easily go and get it approved at a higher level. <S> You have not yet exhausted all possibility of getting your preferred option of working from home. <S> EDIT: I am interestingly now in this situation myself with a stubborn government. <S> Shall see how this works here. <A> Talk to your boss. <S> There are two interesting things to consider: US Congress (House and Senate) are drafting bills right now to mandate 7 days sick leave, and/or 2 weeks sick leave for employers to give to their employees. <S> This is no matter what they currently have in place. <S> A lot of government sites are looking to force telework for everyone. <A> Difficult. <S> Let’s say Coronavirus gets bad. <S> And to help things your boss suggests: Everyone comes in every second day but works 12 hours. <S> So people sit further apart (good), travel on public transport when it’s empty (good) and travel only half as often (good). <S> If everyone focuses on their work for a change, you get almost as much work done as normal. <S> And you decided not to play but just stay at home. <S> If I was your boss, you’d be fired.
| Yes if you have the ability to work from home, it might be possible.
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Which party should I notify first when leaving a contract job through a staffing agency? I am currently on a contract job through a staffing agency, where the staffing agency is my legal employer and I'm on a contract with my job site. I've secured another job offer and will take it. Which party should I notify first? I rarely interact with the staffing agency so it won't affect them beyond some paper work, but they are my legal employer. On the other hand, the job site company would be most affected, but they aren't technically employing me. <Q> Notify only the staffing agency. <S> They will want to control the messaging to the client, possibly line someone up to take over before telling them, and so on. <S> They may well be rightfully angry at you if you tell the client directly. <S> And the client doesn’t want to have to worry <S> /think about it, that’s why they are using a contract firm. <S> That is the professional norm. <S> They can then tell you if, when, <S> and how they want you to communicate your departure to the job site company. <A> Notify the staffing agency <S> You don’t want to tell the company you are contracted to, have the boss there send off a hasty email to your company, and have your company be blindsided while you get stuck in a chat with a co-worker before you can tell them. <A> Notify the staffing agency first, then let them decide how the company you're contracted to is notified. <S> Assume that the party who is told first, may inform the other party before you get a chance to do so yourself. <S> If you inform the company first and they inform the agency before you talk to them, your actual employer will hear that you will be leaving, not from you, but from somebody else. <S> That is bad. <S> You also give them the opportunity to communicate with their client (the company you're contracted to) in a manner of their choosing. <S> Perhaps they want to present another candidate right away. <S> Perhaps their contract with the company is under negotiation and this will factor in. <S> You don't know, so notify the agency, then ask them what your part in informing the company should be. <A> I was in a similar situation where I got a contract job via a staffing agency in a large consultancy firm and via the consultancy firm I worked for another company. <S> Although I had a legal contract with the staffing agency, I first notified the consultancy firm because I wanted to keep a good relationship with them <S> and I explained my reasoning for leaving. <S> The staffing agency was not really happy with it <S> but I knew I was not going to work with them anymore <S> (I was actually tired of being sold "via via" like a product and them profiting from my work). <S> I knew that I may have some possibilities with the consultancy firm in the future though. <S> A manager in the consultancy firm left me with a recommendation and even contacted me later to see if I wanted to return. <S> I am convinced that if I had not done things this way, I would not have been able to keep the good relationship I have with the manager from the consultancy firm. <S> If I were you, I would determine first who is important to you or could be important to you, and take your action accordingly. <S> As other answers have stated, if you are unsure, just talk to the one you have a contract with.
| If you inform the agency first and ask them if and how to notify the company, you avoid your employer hearing it from someone else first.
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Engineer of all trades, master of none - Career options? currently, I've been employed for a few years as R&D-Engineer in a medium to large company.Pay is decent, work is mostly interesting, the colleagues are great and the hours are ok (leaving me enough time for my family). Unfortunately, my boss and his boss (and that's about the hierarchy in our company) are both unable and unwilling to organize anything but rather tinker with technical details of our work. Deadlines, budgets and people-hours are completely meaningless, if we can just do another revision to squeeze the final .1% out of any design. Needless to say, nothing much gets done and always our department is to blame. This is so frustrating to me that I consider quitting any day now. And now to the question - what is supposed to come after? From school over my PhD to my current work, I have always tried not to focus too much on any single field of competence. And so today I'll probably write some lines of program code, design, assemble and test a mechanical device tomorrow and yesterday I might just have rendered a beautiful animation of one of our products. (Note that while I can do all those things and more, I am necessarily a lot slower than any specialist in the respective field!) All standard career advice seems to point me into the direction of seeking an entry-level (or higher) management position next. Unfortunately, I know myself to be as bad in organizing as my current boss and I really don't like being responsible for other peoples' work. Other suggested career-paths appear to be specialist or consulting positions, which don't really seem to fit my profile either. My concern is, that for a position that is somewhat comparable to what I am doing now, at nearly 40 I might already be viewed as slightly too old (read: inflexible) and my pay expectations may be too high. So, where should I look for a job that gives me the freedom to make use of all my talents but is hopefully better organized (and paid!) than the current one?Or more specifically: What keywords or position designations in job offers should I look for? I know, I know, I'm having a bit of a luxury problem here, but still I'd be grateful for any advice! <Q> Don't sell yourself short <S> You have experience and you did stuff. <S> Now you need to define what is this stuff. <S> Begin listing all your achievements this last years <S> , have someone review it and again don't be too humble. <S> This work will allow you to find out (hopefully) that you're not en entry level engineer but someone competent and experienced that deserve a better position or a better job. <S> Job seeking As for finding the job you want there is no magic formula. <S> If you can do a lot of things it means you have a lot of possibility that's good for you. <S> It also means you have good adaptability and that may be something sought after by potential employers. <A> Have you considered a sales engineer or professional services <S> role? <S> These require people with wide-ranging engineering skills capable of talking to both customers and the company's engineers, and putting together demos and prototypes at short notice. <S> Typical downsides include sales compensation (good when you hit your quota, bad if you don't), potentially a lot of travel, and having to endure lots of meetings, but there's a lot of variation in these roles depending on company, field, skillset, etc. <A> University research engineer? <S> The jobs I see advertised there often require a flexible engineer who can help design, build and program experimental devices and test builds. <S> They often don't advertise their jobs on the normal job boards - you have to apply directly. <S> (I live in UK, so <S> maybe things are different where you are).
| Look at a lot of job ads, be proactive, do a lo of interview if necessary, ask the question that matters to you.
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