Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Job

Help me not freak out at my boss or have my boss freak out at me

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:15:19 -0800

How to deal with a boss who might have Asperger's? I'm the new nanny for a 4-year-old child on the Autism spectrum. At first I thought my boss was a self-centered and rude to the extreme. We have been working side-by-side because her child is difficult to handle.

She completely forgot that I need to eat food. She dragged her former nanny through a museum at super speed though she was suffering from a severely injured toe. Every time I mentioned something not directly related to her, she looked at me like I was a space alien. What an asshole, right?

Then I got to know her a little bit better. It became clear that she is making a significant effort to make me feel comfortable and valued. The effort does not always translate correctly. For example, she freaked out at the prospect that I might want to eat the food in her apartment. I don't get a lunch break to go out and get lunch, besides, I need snacks, drinks, etc throughout the day. She stated that their housekeeper purchased her mother's food for her mother. So it is her mother's food. My boss took that to mean that her mother would never allow me to touch it. We're talking basics like milk, grapes, bread. Then, the next day, she told me I could eat her mother's food because, of course, her mother doesn't mind. This is a good example of her literal-mindedness and ignorance of some social norms (you let the people who are stuck in your home for 8+ hours a day drink your milk).

She now makes an effort to ask me about my life, in a bit of a stilted way, as though she scheduled that particular 5 minutes for "ask nanny about her life". She listens to my jokes politely although she does not have a sense of humor for anything but the completely absurd. Even that tends to get a surprised laugh/guffaw instead of a happy laugh.

She lectures. Oh, the lectures. They are long and boring and she does not notice when I want to talk or respond. She has described an excellent memory and academic success (in the top three of her class at Ivy League law school). It's not an issue of intelligence.

Keep in mind that I work side-by-side with her for 2+ hours every day (the rest of the day I'm with her child alone).

Questions:
Do you think she has Asperger's?
Do you know someone else who has Asperger's? What is it like to live/work with them?
Where can I learn more about it? I get the basics that one can find on wikipeda, so I'm looking for higher-level, more complex writing either by or about adults with Asperger's syndrome. Books, websites.

Any general suggestions about getting along with her, as someone who is extroverted, cheerful, playful, and somewhat inconsistent (meaning, I fluster her by not adhering to predictable routines)? Things that I should avoid doing?

The job is just what I'm looking for--challenging, their place is nice and cozy, the commute is great. Financially, I don't have another viable option. I had been looking for full time work for 4 months before finding this job. So "quit" or "find something else" are not good answers.

How should I express my internal promotion on my resume?

cosmic.osmo — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 13:44:11 -0800

I was recently received an internal promotion in my current team from a junior level to senior level title. This promotion is due to experience and performance: I will continue to work on the same projects as before in the same role. How should I express this promotion on my resume? There's also a further complicating factor (to me at least): my manager has been trying to get me this promotion for a year, but due to the economy, it hasn't happened until now. So this doesn't represent an actual career milestone to me, just when HR got around to putting their stamp on it.

I see three options:

1. List it under the same job, with just the new title, and mention the promotion and promotion date in the summary. I like this one the best, since nothing except my title and pay have changed, but I worry that some people might think it's misleading.

2. List it under the same job, but with two titles. I don't really like this as much, since it could be confusing, but it is a little more up front than #1.

3. List it as a different job. I've seen this mentioned in other places, and it has the plus of calling attention to the new title, but it's awkward since I will either have to describe the same projects twice or divide them up arbitrarily.

Account coordinator - what's it like?

trillian — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:52:56 -0800

What's it like being an account coordinator at a PR firm? I've read some job profiles online, but I'd like to hear personal experiences. What's the day-to-day work like, and what sort of person would be good for the job? I see there's a past question that touches on being an account exec, but this is the rung below, right?

DC to DUX, can't be that hard, right?

parmanparman — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:06:35 -0800

I moved across the country for a dream job at my alma mater, my job's funding was cut and I am now unemployed. I have no benefits and am losing my place at the end of the month. I don't have a lot of money but I have decided to make a go of Eugene, Oregon. I have applied to some temp places, but what else should I be doing as a professional fundraiser and broadcast journalist to find work and get my life together? I am over the despair but I need major help. I'll try to stay active in the thread. This has been a major heartbreak for me. It feels like I have lost a child.

Perfect Career Checklist

spec — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 22:28:12 -0800

Omit passion and salary. What other aspects of a job are important? I'm 19 and I'm brainstorming possible careers.

Some people choose a career based on personal interests; others, salary. Passion and salary seem to be the only two factors shoved down my throat whenever I ask for career advice. I can't help but feel there's other, more subtle aspects to deciding on a career that I'm missing.

Philip Greenspun lists a few:
- work mostly collaboratively?
- meet a lot of new people?
- work mostly with competent people?
- work mostly with interesting people?
- able to see the direct impact of one's work?
- able to teach others?
- get to travel to interesting places on a regular basis
- able to leave work behind when you go home at the end of the day? (or do you have to prepare, read email, answer phone calls, etc. when at home?)
- able to take long blocks of time off for exotic travel?
- cog in a large bureaucracy?
- satisfaction of being the boss?
- value to employers increases with age and experience?
- able to move to any part of the country and find a similar job? (or effectively stuck in one or two cities where an industry is concentrated)

So besides the salary and job content itself, what other aspects of a career are important to you, and why? (And perhaps, what job/field would fit those criteria the best?)

Even relatively insignificant aspects are appreciated.

Salary for an expert programmer in Boston?

bokononito — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:53:34 -0800

What is a reasonable salary these days for an expert backend programmer in Boston? This is a full-time job, for a startup.

Assume a healthy amount of stock options, and a promising startup (first revenue, great investors).

Also, assume someone who has plenty of experience, and prefers to work in a startup, not in a corporation, but also wants to be paid decently.

Thanks!

How does one move across the country smartly?

Anonymous — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:24:24 -0800

I'm moving to Boston from San Diego in a year, but I don't know a soul there, nor do I know how to get the important stuff (job, apartment) set up from so far away. Questions follow. The last time I moved across the country like this was a decade ago, and I had friends on the other side who pulled some strings to get me a job and also had a room I could rent. I won't have that luxury this time. What I do have is experience as a creative director and graphic designer, some money saved, and a decade's worth of stuff to move... which is all way more than I had ten years ago. But this part I still don't know how to do....

1) What's the best way to find employment from across the country? And how soon does it make sense to start that process? I'll be able to live for several months without income if I have to by that time, and I can freelance for a while, but I'd breathe easier knowing I had a job lined up before I hit the road.

2) How the hell do I arrange for an apartment? I can pick one out and visit it, but I wonder how the application process is going to go. My credit is good (but not perfect). I'll be working at my current job right up until I move... but that will mean that my proof of income is all from a job across the country... a job I'm leaving. Does that matter?

I know that people do this sort of thing all the time, and I've done some Googling around, but this is very scary to me, and I don't know where to start!

Throaway email if needed: bostonorbustithink@gmail.com

What to do with a CISSP and little tech experience?

zombieflanders — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:45:34 -0800

I have a CISSP and 6 years experience in the IT Security field. Problem is, most of my experience is with policy, not technology. Where can I go from here? I've been working in IT Security as a government contractor since 2003, and got my CISSP earlier this year. Most of my work has been on the policy side of things such as audit response/remediation, contingency planning, and certification & accreditation. Unfortunately, I've neglected to keep up with or even study a lot of the underlying technology supporting all of it. In other words, I could quote NIST or OMB regs all day long, but put me in front of a monitor with a bunch of logic statements or log extracts on the screen, and I probably couldn't say what I'm looking at. Even worse, my only degree is a bachelor's completely unrelated to any work I've done (thanks, liberal arts education!), and I had no prior experience in the field before this job. In terms of my career path, I'm kind of spinning my wheels, and despite the itch to move on to something and somewhere else, an informal browsing of job openings tells me many employers seem to place a high value on several year's worth of experience with the tech side of things, such as VPNs and firewalls or database management. This would seem to put a kibosh in my hopes of finding something within the next 9-12 months.

So, having belatedly realized that I've been an idiot and painted myself into a corner in the short term, education- and experience-wise, am I SOL in the job search given the timeframe above? Would moving into the auditor side of things be a viable alternative? And regardless of the job search itself it's clear I need to add a lot to my skill set, so where's a good place to start?

Go to Master's Program or Job then Master's Program?

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:14:32 -0800

Is it better to go immediately to graduate school in electrical engineering or work in the area of specialization you like and then go to graduate school? Asking for someone else:

A friend of mine is about to finish his bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and is considering either going into a Master's program or going to a job (he's already been pre-offered one) before going into graduate school. The catch is the graduate school is the same one he currently attends undergrad at and he has had problems with the administration and some faculty members of the graduate school. He has also not had the most stellar grades as they go and has had problems graduating on time so he's finally finishing his bachelor's degree in seven years in a program that's normally five.

He worries that if he goes into the job market he won't be able to eventually go to graduate school given that he thinks his grades will severely affect him more than the possible benefits of working in the area and field that he plans to specialize in.

Also, the graduate program he could get into was at some level, strong-armed by a professor into letting him into the program after he was rejected and definitely holds some conditions that are rather less than favorable.

One of the conditions is that he will be treated as a Master's student that has failed his first year and therefore has several grade requirements to be met, etc.

Would it be better and possibly more advantageous to get the job that lets him work on his field or to go into this Master's Program?

Throwaway email at gradorjob@gmail.com

Looking for a colorful desktop nameplate

yersinia — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:41:06 -0800

Looking for a colorful/artsy name plate to sit on an office desk. Does such a thing exist? If so, where? And if not, what might be some possible substitutes? I'd like to get this as a gift for someone who was recently promoted-- one of those desk name placards seemed like a nice way to recognize the person in their new role. The job is in higher-ed administration, so not a very formal working environment; her office is filled with lovely, colorful objets-d'art, and I was hoping I could go beyond the usual blah Lucite/marble/brass/wood rectangles and get a colorful or otherwise artsy and unusual nameplate holder that'd fit into the existing decor. Bonus points if engraveable, and/or possessing a math-y or abstract theme or feel.

I thought such a thing should be easy to find-- heck, I'd like one. But after combing pretty much every single website in this list and on the Gift Wiki, I've had zero luck. Does anyone know if this kind of nameplate exists? And if no, does anyone have any ideas for creative substitutions-- personalizeable, colorful, office-desktop-appropriate-- that might serve the same purpose?

What non-monetary things could I ask for in my contract re-negotiations?

Anonymous — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:00:17 -0800

What non-monetary things could I ask for in my contract re-negotiations? Due to some contractual inefficiencies that aren't worth getting into, I have been asked by my boss to suggest some non-raise ways of increasing my employment package. I have a basic idea or two (more vacation time, built in raise at the end of the year of X%), but am looking for some more suggestions.

About my job: Have been on contract for 1.5 years; new contract will be Jan 1 to Dec 31. Work for a large publicly traded communications company in a senior-ish role. Can't get a permanent role until someone leaves, which, for reasons that aren't worth getting into, will almost definitely not happen before Jan 2011 at the earliest.

Financial world post apocalypse

namewithhe1d — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:08:46 -0800

What types of job opportunities exist for people with a skill set derived from 3-5 years as an sector trader on the international trading desk for one of the top private equity investment firms? Do those skills translate well into other positions outside of trading? This role was to execute the trades of portfolio managers, research industries and portfolios, trade with sell side brokerage firms as well as electronic algorithms and direct market access.
Product managers? Project managers? Market analysts?

Any ideas are a big help... Kudos if these opportunities exist in the northeast.

Can I get paid just to be somewhere for a long time?

niles — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:12:13 -0800

Starting next summer, is there a way I can make money just by being somewhere for up to 18 months? I'll only need an internet connection. Starting sometime next summer I'll be wrapping up my degree online, and will therefore not really need to be in any specific location. Is there a way I could relocate and turn this into some sort of income?

Because of the time I'll be spending on school, things that require a lot of work, like WWOOF are out, but something low-key, like long term paid house-sitter (or Gondorian Warning Beacon Guard) would presumably be a perfect fit. I plan on taking anywhere from 12-24 months to finish, with a more definite time to be determined in the next few months.

Beyond house-sitter - can I even get paid for that? - are there any other "jobs" that would pay me just for being somewhere? Being located in the Mid-west would be ideal, but I'm very interested in anything else.

"Buy a condo," they said. "It's the best investment you can make," they said.

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:11:45 -0800

Caught between a potentially troublesome mortgage and a bad job. How should I proceed? I moved across the country, largely to take a certain job. To do that, I had to rent out my condo because it would have been hard to sell in that market. (And would still be hard to sell now.) That condo is under a 5-year ARM (adjustable rate mortgage) that starts adjusting in almost exactly one year.

I went shopping for refinancing, and the condo's status as an "investment property" and the loss of equity is killing me. Only my current lender is able to offer me a reasonable (although not great) deal for a fixed rate mortgage. However, the refinance process will take about three months, and during that time, I have to stay at this job.

The problem is that I hate the job and was planning to move on around now. It's easily the worst job I've ever had. It is bumming me the hell out, and I'm at the end of my rope. I was planning to start looking for contract work for a while, and then get started on my own consulting business. I'd really like to not have to stay or to hop into another full-time job for a while.

So, I guess my options are to stick it out for the refi or to move on and see what happens with the ARM next year. Some lenders have told me that I might be OK with it because interest rates are so low, but can it be reliably predicted that the Fed won't raise them in the next couple of years? A friend of mine in finance says that knowing what happens

I completely missed the non-resident-owner problem with refinancing when I made my decision to move, and I'm hoping I'm not missing anything this time before I make my decision. Please let me know if I am.

Am I being ushered out the door?

parkerama — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:40:30 -0800

Am I (nicely) being shown the door? I'm getting very mixed signals from my boss. For the last few months, I've been trying for a job grade increase--one that my boss supports and agrees that I deserve. (I work in the corporate head office as an administration manager). My position has changed significantly since I started 5 years ago, with a much bigger scope and many more responsibilities. Human Resources asked for an updated job description, then evaluated it and concluded that my job grade would not change. I was very disappointed, but I accepted their decision.

In the meantime, a co-worker who started several grades below me in a junior position, has leapfrogged over me (and over several others in the department) to a management position, in under three years--seemingly solely because she supervises several part time staff (I supervise three full time staff). The complexity, scope and level of responsibility in her position is much lower than mine (and other positions she has also eclipsed), and the staff she supervises are all the same position: entry-level data entry. She is a good worker, but not a superstar by any means. I am getting bitter about what feels unfair, and it's making me miserable and stressed out.

At my review, when I approached the subject of career development opportunities, my boss basically admitted that my position is probably a dead end. Many of the positions in the department are quite specialized (i.e. involving years of specific training)--and there is not a lot of potential for promotions into other department positions. Therefore, the only way to move up in the department is to grow the scope and responsibilities within the same position--which I have deliberately worked very hard to do.

Today, my boss suggested that, considering all of the above, I might want to pursue the option of contract work (with this department). He will be retiring in a few years and has reiterated many times that he does not want me to leave, and that he REALLY doesn't want me to leave before he retires. But, contract work? This is a Big Red Flag in my mind. Is he (or HR) nicely trying to usher me out the door?

I have many golden handcuffs holding me to the company, including a staff mortgage with 28 years left on it. My husband and I need to make at least as much money than we do now, just to maintain a modest lifestyle and not lose our modest home (we live in an expensive city). I feel trapped and angry about what feels like doors slamming in my face every time I try to open one. A grade increase/raise would go a long way to make me feel as though I am valued and respected at the company. Any suggestions about how I might be more successful with this pursuit? Or is this a lost cause?

Nerd seeks Leigh Steinberg

Anonymous — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:25:01 -0800

I'm a veteran software engineer / technical lead working for an internet company. I think I've got an opportunity to really cash in at my job, and need guidance on how best to do this. For the past two years I have been working on a product that is about to make my company some serious revenue.

Right now, I feel pretty irreplaceable. Because of some organizational turmoil and chronic understaffing, I have enormous development, management, and operational responsibilities. I have no backup for any of these roles. I have a good reputation in the company, as far as I know, and have done well-received presentations for our executives. I also have offers from other companies as a security blanket.

There will be a short window of opportunity for me to cash in, between the time when the deal to sell the product is signed and the time when I can train up whatever new staff comes along. Our product is a B2B thing with significant professional service opportunities. It's not turnkey. During this window, the sale will live and die on my efforts.

I would like to capitalize on that in a career-defining way. Exactly how I'll do that, I'm not sure. I have some ideas, but I need help with them.

So: I would like to hire someone who can give me a reality check, who can help me hone my pitch and define my requirements, and who has a background in business, negotiation, and contract law. I want this person to help me look like I know exactly what I'm doing. I don't think I want to hire someone to do the actual negotiating; I want more of an advisor. Can anyone suggest where to find such a person? I am in Seattle so if you have a recommendation in this area, that'd be especially cool.

How (if) does the US résumé differ from the European CV?

threeants — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:37:59 -0800

I am applying for a job at a nonprofit in Europe with a rather international-seeming staff. They ask for a CV. Is the European non-academic CV pretty much equivalent to the US résumé, or is it a beast of a different nature? For example, being a fairly recent college grad, I have been very judicious with my usual resume in order not to have it exceed one page. However, when I think 'CV', I think of the insanely thorough documents that academics possess which list not only everywhere they've worked and everywhere they've gone to school, but also entries detailing every paper they've ever written, every class they've ever taught, every grant they've ever received, every car they've ever driven... what kind of detail is expected from a CV in the European job world? As an example, my current one-page resume allows me to put bulleted descriptions under three key jobs but leave the rest as single-line titles. The whole document is also in 10-point font. Should I upgrade to two pages and put more detail in all around, or would that be considered as ostentatious as it would be in the US? Enlighten me so I can be a CV Wonder!

What is asked in the 3rd step of a job interview?

beerbajay — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:06:17 -0800

I'm applying for a programming job. I've had two steps of interviewing so far. What are they going to ask in the 3rd step? This is for a firm which has historically done all of their development through contractors. The first interview was with a HR person and someone who seemed like they would be my direct superior; they asked mostly general personality-based questions (why do you live in this foreign country, would you work overtime, how do you want your coworkers and superiors to act). The second was a phone interview with a consultant who asked entirely technical questions. I have a scheduled third interview with the vice director of the firm on Monday. What would they possibly ask?

Online career change exercises wanted

reenum — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:22:57 -0800

Are there any websites or online resources for people considering a career change? I've been thinking of changing careers for a while, and after some recent events at the office, it's time to get up and start figuring some things out.

I'm going to get "What Color Is Your Parachute" and a few other recommended texts from other threads, but I'm wondering if there are any websites or other online resources (preferably free), that have exercises and other things I can use to try and evaluate what it is I truly want to do.

I have a lot of free time at work. For obvious reasons, I don't want to show up here with career change books.

Thanks!

Help Get Me Going at my New Gig

sidd.darko — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:17:28 -0800

What are your tips when starting a new job as a software developer? Looking for coding, organizational approaches and social hints as well. Happily, my way out of this situation was to find myself a new job. YAY ME !

I've read this thread but I'm hoping to find answers specific to development. I'm also going back to a language on another platform and I'd like to ramp up quickly. Any tips along these lines would also be appreciated.

Thanks Green !

Oh what a tangled web we weave

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:58:09 -0800

I need some advice about how to move my life forward. Relationship, job, and home. A simple question: should I stay here or should I go back home, but with the usual tortured backstory that I will try to keep as relevant as possible! Backstory: I am a male, mid 20s, in the UK. I moved 200miles for a job that I loved. It came with own accommodation. I met a great girl (X) there, and started going out with her. Lost job (and therefore place to live) when company collapsed. X was very supportive. Moved in with her for a couple of weeks, she helps me look for jobs. Relationship is strained for a little while due to being in each other's company 24/7. (X is about to start full-time job, after finishing masters degree, so has previously had a lot of free time to be with me)

I want to stay in area, and not go back to my hometown, partly because I would need to do exactly what I am doing here; find jobs, place to live etc, and also because I now have a reason to stay= girlfriend. Decide to stay in area, and stick it out. Decide to find a place to live locally. Ask X whether me living locally is going to work out for both of us. She agrees that it will. Find a small, cheap apartment, fairly close to X. We're happy. Both looking forward to *ahem* christen... new apartment.

I move in. X excuses herself for a few days. Week later, X decides she wants to be friends only. I am heartbroken. Several weeks go by where X causes more grief by "not knowing where she stands", and giving me [false] hope. In the meantime, she's still being supportive, helping me move in other stuff, lending me furniture, still looking for jobs etc. We still do things together when we can; shows, sports and movies. And still talk a lot. Has been platonic only.

I still have feelings for this girl. She is awesome, intelligent, gorgeous. But it means that any glimmer of mutual feelings she shows I jump on (in my mind) as her wanting to get back with me. This is not good. I know that going from 'boyfriend' to 'just friends' is a bad idea. But she is honestly a good friend too.

However, I do want to get back with her. But if I can't, then she is a really good friend I don't want to lose. But even though she's quite happy being friends, I'm not at that stage yet. If there is no hope of getting back together, then I need to get over her.

~~~Meanwhile~~~

Looking for jobs still. The job market is rubbish, as it is back in my hometown. Doing all I can. Get part time job at low pay, whilst still searching for other jobs.

Here's a catch: In a few weeks, I have the final selection process (week-long) to gain entry to Sandhurst, the British Army Officer military academy (please, no comments on whether this is a good thing or not). If I pass, then entry will be in May 2010. If so, then I will have a career sorted for a few years at least.

But until May, or god forbid, if I don't pass, then I still need a better paid job.

The crux: I am barely scraping by here. I can just afford rent now, but I haven't been paid by this job yet. My gas, electricity, water is all metered so I can just about keep on top of those.

My parents, back home, have said that I can live with them for as long as I need. Ultimately I would still be in the same situation, looking for jobs, possibly looking for place to live (parents have small house).

However, I kinda feel settled here. I'm making friends; there's possibly better jobs on the horizon; I like my new apartment; and if I pass this selection course, I would only need to be here for a few months. And I feel like I should man up, and stick it out. I don't want to give up!

So, sorry for the length. With all the above information, can you help me out?

Should I stay here? And try to get over X, carry on looking for jobs (and working part time), and hope that I pass the course.
Or should I move back home? Never see X again probably, still look for jobs (losing part time job), hope that I pass the course.

Throwaway email: hereorhome@googlemail.com

_{(Ideal happy ending: X gets back with me. I get a (temporary) job that pays well. I stay living where I am. Bonus points to get me all three! )}

Propitious places to move to & unusual living situations for having 3 or 4 days a week free to work on personal project

cotesdurhone — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:39:38 -0800

I'm working on a project that requires at least 3 or 4 full days attention each week. What are some places in the US or world I could move to, &/or unusual living situations, that would give me a good chance of doing this? Other considerations:

• Part-time job terminating Jan 1, and definitely want to move elsewhere (currently live in Boston)
• Have $5000 savings. Will probably also be able to continue receiving unemployment (about $1,000 month) if I move out of state (but not country, obviously)

• Age 30. US Citizen.
• Languages: English, Russian
• Skills: Writing and editing, visual art, Russian translation (but no graduate-level degrees to show this)
• BA from Liberal Arts college + semester (2 terms) at Oxford

Any and all reasonable options considered.

• Preferred urban environment: vibrant arts scene, inspiring architecture, not overrun with college students or sports fanatics, ethnically and age-ally diverse
• 'Ideal' destinations: Montreal, France
• Hypothetical order of preference: 1. Montreal & France (tie) 2. EU, Scandinavia, & Turkey 3. Eastern Europe 4. USA & Canada 5. South America 6. Asia 7. Australia/New Zealand 8. other

• Preferred rural environment: the more (interesting) people around, the better

• "unusual living situations" = housesitting - caretaking - living in some cabin - (earnest) meditative community - collective farm - kibbutz - teaching abroad - or anything else

• If it's helpful to know— the project is of a literary nature (a novel and other writings)

Finally, what are the very best resources (books, websites, magazines, etc) that might be of help?

Is there a good way to get notified when jobsites post new listings?

RachelSmith — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:48:12 -0800

A wildland firefighter/fire ecologist, I have a rather unique skillset. I know most of the websites appropriate jobs are posted, but few of them have email alerts or rss feeds. Is there any way to stay abreast of new postings without going to each site every week? I'm a wildland firefighter, just finishing a degree in fire ecology and environmental management, with international and policy experience. I have a bit of an unusual skillset, and the jobs I'm interested on are typically not posted on sites like Monster. The kind of jobs I'm looking for are mostly posted on pages like this, with no rss feed or subscriptions.

Right now I just have a list of website to check in with every week or two, but sometimes I forget and miss potential interesting opportunities. Is there any way to find out about new listings on websites like this? Thanks!

Should we take the risk and buy a bigger house now or should we save up a safety net before we buy another house?

Anonymous — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:57:02 -0800

Should we take the risk and buy a bigger house now or should we save up a safety net before we buy another house? I am in my early 30s. I live in St. Paul, MN. I have two young boys (4 & 2 yrs - neither is in school yet). I have a good job. However, I am worried that if I lose my job I won't be able to get another at anywhere near the same salary level. Also, We don't have a financial safety net. The wrinkle is the kids are starting to get ready for school and we have decided we are moving in the next couple of years. So if we didn't buy a house we would be moving into an apartment.

One thing to note. I don't care about timing the housing market or interest rates for mortgages.

Throwaway email address is here: stpauldad@gmail.com

Our Current House:
------------------------------
Purchased 5 years ago. Our monthly payment is around $1400. Our house is a small 2 bedroom (~800 sq feet). Our house is in a BAD school district. We ARE moving sometime in the next year.

Income/Careers:
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My wife previously made in the < 30,000 range as a secretary. She is now a full-time mom. Realistically though she won't be back in the workforce for another 4 years. She also has a side job (3 hrs a day from home) that pays around 700 a month.
I work in "technology/internet". I am making $84,000 and have a cap in my current job at around $120,000. My biggest worry is I am the primary breadwinner. Also we don't have savings to cover mortgage if anything happens. However, my job is fairly steady and with a reliable medium sized company. I have had my job (with diff titles obviously) at the same employer for the last 12 years.

Current Financial Situation:
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- We have around $10,000 in debt (credit cards, bank line of credit - stupid stuff)
- Each month we have around $1,000 extra income that we can apply to debt or savings.
- $0 - our current savings (I have around 50K in a retirement account but I don't want to touch that)
- we own one of our two cars
- our net (combined) salaries are around $5000 a month

Option 1 - Buy a new house now:
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To make this happen we would have to save like mad for a down payment (before the $6,500 credit expires) and forgo the savings. The one thing that helps is we usually get a substantial tax refund (near $10,000 last year). So we could use that to wipe out our debts.

pro - $6,500 tax credit for second time home buyers
pro - we would have enough space
pro - good school district
con - cost.. we are looking at houses in the $250,000 range - monthly payments would be $1,700 +
con - because of the increased mortgage - we will be in a worse position to build up our savings and pay off our debts
con - we are in a much less flexible situation if I lose my job

Option 2 - Move to an apartment and save until we have enough cash for 20% down payment & have an emergency fund:
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pro - cost savings - we could rent an apartment/duplex/house for less than or mortage (probably $1,200) so thats around $500 in monthly savings
pro - good school district
con - we would have to move 2x (assuming we eventually buy another house)
con - we have a ton of house shit that we would have to store or sell (snowblower, mower, lawn stuff, etc.)
con - we would probably have less space than if we bought a house
con - we would miss out on a year of the tax rebate, right? or do renters get money back too?

Does my informal job contract at least state an intetion to pay for my vacation?

Anonymous — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:39:21 -0800

Does my employer owe me vacation time? Does my contract make clear an intention of paying for my vacation? I work as PA for a wealthy woman. I was hired quite informally and given two options of how I would be paid (see below). I am 80% sure my boss mentioned that when she took her two weeks vacation in the summer, I'd be paid because she didn't want me to be left in dire straits just because she is going to Dubai or whatever. I know verbal reassurance doesn't matter in the long run. More importantly, I agreed to this contract quoted below (copy-pasted from our emails), except obviously with real salaries filled in. I chose option #2. It seems to me that even though I picked the hourly rate, the "both options" part regarding vacation time means I get two weeks paid vacation. Is this right? The contract reads as follows:

"Option 1: $1200/week
-Hours would be 9:30-6:30, if you work later than 6:30, I would pay you $30/hour
-Weekly rate, even if I take a day off
-public holidays paid

Option 2: $30/hr
-Hourly rate (so if I take a day off, it's unpaid)
-no public holidays paid, in other words...paid for hours worked

Both Options:
-2 Weeks Vacation ($1200/week)"

Yes? No? Or does the document need further elucidation?

When the woman left for vacation, she didn't pay me and I forgot to ask in the hubbub of getting her and her 4 chihuahuas to the airport on time. A couple days before she returned, I sent an email letting her know that I was going to count the past two weeks as my vacation as well, and wouldn't be taking another two weeks off this year. We peripherally discussed it again when she returned, and because she seemed totally oblivious to this condition I re-sent the email document. Nothing happened. My husband and father both looked over the terms and say that the contract states an intetion to pay me $2400 vacation time.

To be clear, I don't think this woman is trying to screw me over as much as she has simply forgotten, but it's getting close to the holidays and that unpaid two weeks is really hurting. If I asked flat out, she'd pay me, but I I want to make absolutely sure that the email in question seems to state that she meant to pay me before I walk in demanding two weeks' salary.