Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with work

Physical Project Management System

crush-onastick — Wed, 22 May 2013 09:26:04 -0800

I direct a research center at a policy institute and I'm also an analyst. I need a project management system and I want a physical system, not software or an application. Other than whiteboards, what are my options? Among whiteboards, which are really useful? Right now I have an electronic calendar and various notes/lists to remind me to do things and frankly, it's not working. In the past, I've tried various to-do list applications, as well as Basecamp, and they did not work for me either. I have, basically, three types of workflows. Type 1 is typically an 18-24 month project, front loaded with administrative tasks (getting data sets, securing pro bono work, setting timelines, defining tasks, assembling working groups) that I am either wholly responsible for or wholly responsible for nagging into completion. Type 1 usually has a middle part that has me doing some research, interviewing, and checking in with pro bono workers to make sure they are competing their tasks. The end part of Type 1 projects have me drafting preliminary reports, meeting with working groups to discuss preliminary reports, revising and releasing reports, debriefing the project. Press releases and blog posts figure into all stages of Type 1 projects.

Type 2 projects usually track Type 1, but without all the front end admin tasks, although I am generally responsible for setting timelines and goading people into meeting deadlines. In these projects, I do research, make sure pro bono professionals are doing their research, coordinate the drafting, revising, and releasing of reports, but do not do as much writing as in Type 1 projects. Then I debrief the project for our board. Press releases and blog posts figure into some stages of Type 2 projects, which usually last 6-18 months.

Type 3 projects are managed by someone else entirely and I am generally only expected to know the timeline, do some research and writing, and other discrete tasks as needed.

At any given time, I have 5-9 projects of varying types to track and everything I'm doing now (electronic and printed calendars, electronic to-do lists, post-its on my monitor) don't allow me to visualize the entire workload simultaneously. <---- That's the most salient point: I want a physical project management board or system that helps me visualize my entire 6-18 month workload for 5-9 projects simultaneously.

Halp!

How to escape low-wage service jobs in your 20s?

bluelight — Wed, 22 May 2013 07:31:00 -0800

Those of you post-grads figuring it out in your 20s (or 30s) doing odd jobs, waiting tables, jobs not nec. related to your major, where are you now? What advice would you have if you could go back and do it again? When I was 18, I met a bunch of 23 and 24 year old post-grads living together. Some of them weren't working. Others were working part time shifts at coffee shops, restaurants, and bike shops. All of them were still figuring things out and not pursuing what they originally majored in. When I worked at a coffee shop at this age, my coworkers were late 20 somethings who were figuring things out too. They had been there for a while.

I wonder what happened to those people. And, I wonder if some of them are still working those part-time shifts, that have maybe turned full time. I'm not saying that working in retail or the food service industry is bad, but it's clear that these people had meant it to be a temporary gig.

Now that I'm a 23 year old post-grad, I'm a bit surprised to find myself in the same boat. I majored in architecture, which was hit very hard with the recession, not to mention the flood of architecture grads already looking for work. The pay for entry-level architects is not very high, the hours tend to be very long, and the work is, usually, but not always, pretty mundane as an entry-level with lots of autoCAD, scanning, and Adobe. Anyway, I've decided it's not for me. I've had an inkling of this thought in university, but I excelled as a student and didn't pay it enough thought since school was pretty easy and rewarding for me (scholarships, awards, etc.) But now that I'm faced with reality, none of those things really matter, and more importantly, I know that it's not what I want to do. So now what?

Obviously I need to get a job, so while I'm figuring things out, I plan to get a part time retail or food service job. I understand how easy it is to get comfortable in these jobs though, and that's what I'm afraid of. Waitressing will likely pull in more money hourly (+ tips) than an entry-level architecture job, you'll get more person-to-person interaction, you don't stare at a screen all day and you're on your feet which is much healthier than sitting all the time. But there are no health benefits and though it'll be enough to comfortably live day-to-day, it's not an ideal setup for planning long-term. I know the solution would be to keep your eye on the prize, which is figuring out your next career move, but I'm afraid I'll just slide and get stuck into the service industry field. I don't even know what general direction I want to go. Those aforementioned 20-somethings are now in their late 20s or early 30s and I wonder how many of them are still in those types of jobs. And with the economy the way it is, I wouldn't really be surprised if they haven't left.

So have you found yourself in this position as a post-grad reconsidering your career options (i.e. not wanting to pursue what you majored in but not sure of what you want)? Are you still in it? Or have you successfully used that time off whilst working part time jobs to find out what you really want?

And do you have any advice for someone like me? Or a past you?

Thanks!

What strategies can I use to successfully do a job I don't like?

lastwomanstanding — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:52:09 -0800

I need help constructing mental snowshoes that will prevent me from falling into deep drifts of work BS and frustration at a job I can't leave. I have spent more than a decade working in a field I finally realized I don't like. I have identified a new career and am now beginning the long process of taking prereqs so I can go back to school (it's health care so a degree is a must) and embark on this new career. I'm already taking a class and am very excited about this career plan.

The problem is: how to deal with a job I hate in the meantime? I need to work fulltime for at least another year while finishing the prereqs at night. I have a family and my spouse is only employed part time, with no immediate full time prospects (he works in a relatively low paying field.)

My current job is well paid, stable and the people are friendly. The work itself fills me with dread each day, however, and I think this unhappiness spills over into me being frustrated with the normal dysfunctions of organizational life. I am trying to change my role so it requires less dread-inducing work, but still, my heart is not in it.

So how can I survive day to day without either feeling miserable myself or taking out that misery on those around me?

How to tastefully indicate authorship on a corporate document.

shimmer — Tue, 21 May 2013 08:06:15 -0800

I have this problem, and I know it isn't rare. I on occasion produce excellent training materials where a knowledge vacuum exists, and as managers and power structures change within my department the memory of my past work gets forgotten almost constantly. Because I'm not really very good at the schmoozing with the new bosses’ game, I never get into the loop for new projects or initiatives where I would shine based on prior work. That’s a preface to a lot of different questions, but mostly, I'm asking an aesthetic question here, and I’m not talking about ownership of materials or anything like that. These are informal documents, but legitimately useful, and not my main job function. Basically, when they get circulated here and there... I would greatly benefit from managers and other colleagues knowing just who put this awesome thing all together. How do I do this correctly, and in a tasteful manner... i.e., basically, not put "By Me" on a coversheet in big letters, or not in a manner that would make most roll their eyes. Just some subtle recognition of authorship within the document. If you have another moment to think, some book recommendations on climbing the corporate latter in an ethical way, (based on competency, the best way to climb), in the face of the usual BS that many of us need to deal with. I enjoy my field... thats why I'm asking this, and not just finding something else to do.

65,000 US visas gone in 4 days?!

everydayanewday — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:53:41 -0800

Husband and I are applying for jobs at the moment (our contracts expire around end of July). Interviews have gone well, but the guy I was talking to yesterday said he couldn't offer me a position as all the HB1 visas were gone for this year. Apparently they were all allocated within four days of being available! And there were 800,000 applicants for 65,000 places. When would I need to apply/what do I need to do do maximise my chances? Husband can also work on an O1B visa - is that the same process? Have any of you applied for these visas, and if so how did it go/what was your experience like? Does anyone have any tips? Would it be good to hire a lawyer for this or can we do it on our own? TIA for any info/advice.

Last Night I Dreamt I Had a Marketable Skill

pineappleheart — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:34:53 -0800

I hate my job and originally only took it as a stop-gap until I found what I really loved. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what else I'm suited to do. I've been a copy editor, a social worker, and a paralegal. What on earth do I do with these skills? I graduated from college about ten years ago. I went to a decent school where I majored in history and which landed me my very first job at a small children's publisher. I loved the job but the pay was low and there was little room for growth. I applied to editorial assistant positions at other publishers in New York for about three years without getting anywhere. Although I got several interviews and always made it to the second round, there was always someone "more experienced" than I was who got the job.

I decided that if I was never going to make any money, I might as well chuck everything and go to social work school. I specialized in families and children. Once I graduated, I applied to over a hundred jobs over several months and got nowhere. In desperation and low on funds, I took an assistant paralegal job that a friend helped me secure.

I'm thirty-two now and still haven't found "my job." I no longer expect to, but I'm almost at quitting point with my paralegal job. While some younger people or recent graduates might be more suited to strongly hierarhical settings, I'm having a lot of trouble with the expectation that I churn out mindless, micromanaged work at the behest of not-very-bright associate attorneys without the hope of ever advancing since I would need a J.D. to do so.

If you had a friend with an Ivy League degree in Modern Genocide and Total Warfare, several years of editorial assistant experience in children's books, a Master's in social work, and a year and a half of experience rganizing a near-impossible workload as a low-level paralegal at a top firm, how would you tell her to package her skills? What else could she possible do that isn't publishing, social work or paralegaling? She can't seem to get a job in the former two choices and she hates the third, but there has to be a job for writer types who like people and want a little bit of autonomy. Where on earth should I be applying? Is there anything new I can try or is it too late?

(If you recognize me from this post because you are my real-life friend and this post is high on specific detail, call me for a drink later. I'll buy you a beer.)

Do I have to share a hotel room with my coworker?

aabbbiee — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:40:51 -0800

Is it common in your academic workplace for people to share hotel rooms at conferences with colleagues? I have been in my position as an academic librarian at a state university for 7 years. Last year, following a reorganization, my position was reclassified as academic (non-regular academic). Travel policy and culture is different for staff versus faculty, and I've been confused while navigating these differences. My question is about the cultural aspect of this.

I travel 2-3 times a year for conferences, usually staying 3-4 nights. Before I was reclassified as academic, all of my travel was considered administrative, and all of my expenses were reimbursed. (Assume moderate expenses- conference rate hotel, per diem, airfare with shared-ride airport shuttles, etc.)
Now, following my reclassification, I have two types of travel. The first is administrative, as it's part of my job duties, and fully reimbursed. The second is travel for professional/academic development, such as presenting at conferences, for which I am allotted funds (equal to about 2/3 of one typical trip) from which I will be reimbursed.

To save money on this latter kind of travel, most of my co-workers get roommates for the conference. These might be coworkers, an old friend/colleague, or even a stranger picked from a listserv. Recently, I attended a conference with several coworkers. I was the only one who didn't have a roommate. One of my coworkers even roomed with her boss (though they are both in their 50s-60s). This is mostly to save money, but some have noted that they like the social aspect of having a roommate, and that it gives them a chance to chat (say, if they're old colleagues who now live far apart.)
This was the first time that the question of sharing a room on a work trip has come up for me. My boss did ask me about it, but didn't press the issue too much. Because I'd saved a huge amount on travel costs, my allotted funds covered my hotel room in total, so I didn't have to eat the extra costs of not having a roommate.
However, I am concerned that this might be pressed in the future, and that I might be requested to get a roommate for my administrative travel. This is often to conferences where I am the only attendee from my institution and where a roommate would be a stranger or acquaintance at best. While this hasn't been asked of me yet, I see the writing on the wall. I don't have any travel scheduled anytime soon. I want to figure out whether this is something that is so part of the culture that my best bet is to just learn to deal with it, or the kind of thing where I should limit my professional development only for conferences where I can afford to eat half the cost of lodging just to avoid sharing a hotel room with a stranger.

Maybe that sounds a little overkill, but I'm obviously having some issues with this idea. I really do not want to see my coworkers in their pajamas, hear their nighttime noises, or have to have them see/hear me/mine. Conferences are exhausting, and my hotel room is my area of respite. I'm an introvert; sharing a hotel room would mean that I would feel pressure to be "on" when I want to zone out. There are a lot of reasons why I don't want to share a room with people I know professionally. But this is clearly not the case for everyone.

My question: Is this a common cultural aspect of academia? Is it common for academic professionals (not students) to share hotel rooms? Do you? Did you have to get over some mild discomfort with the idea? Do you have any words of wisdom from me on this?

Sub-question*:
I am also interested in your thoughts as to whether there's a gender thing in play here. Are female librarians expected to share hotel rooms while male librarians might not be? Does a more male-dominated academic field have a different culture of room sharing?
*Sub-question is not intended to provoke an argument. I am purely speculating in that way that we sometimes do when we want to think there are unfair reasons for asking us to do things we don't want to do. I really want to learn about the broader culture of academia when it comes to this, and librarianship is very female-dominated.

Rebuilding shattered self-confidence after grad school?

zeek321 — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:12:12 -0800

So, now I've got a PhD. But I'm crippled by zero self-confidence as I start applying to industry jobs. Did you rebuild your self-confidence after a PhD? My PhD was five years of "failure," of nothing working right, of having no idea what I was doing, of feeling incredibly stupid, a grueling marathon of slow-burning anxiety and impostor syndrome, culminating in three quick successes (dissertation chapters) and a successful defense. Now I've got a few months before my funding runs out, and I'm trying to turn my mess of a dissertation into a couple publication-quality papers. And it's like those first five years all over again.

I did take a break for a few weeks. And I've only been picking apart my dissertation for a few days. But, I feel like nothing's really changed in that I have zero self-confidence in my capacity to function in the real world, I think because I've delivered so few "complete and done" things in five years. My success' have been little blips in half a decade of "failure."

Anyway, I realize this is just a feeling and not reality, it's barely even a "belief." I satisfied my committee, I'm really smart or something, etc., etc., etc. Probably lots of grad students feel this way, and then they get out into the world and input from reality re-teaches them that they actually are perfectly functional in a much-faster-moving work world of daily, weekly, and monthly deliverables.

But I don't *feel* like I'll be successful in the working world. I compare myself to the published grad students in my lab. I feel like I'll sit down and something that needs to be done in a day or a couple weeks will seem impossible to me, just like my research was "impossible" and took years--which I don't have in the workplace. And it'll be really stressful, and it'll prove I'm as thick and useless as I feel, and I'll get fired and stuff.

I'm in a great relationship, I've got friends, I've got passionate hobbies (that don't involve "deliverables"), and I can talk about this stuff openly. So I don't really think I'm globally depressed. And, I *realize* this is irrational, so I'm not too keen on doing CBT or something. But it is distressing. And it's making it hard to network and submit resumes as systematically as I'd like to be doing. (But I am doing it, in fits and starts.)

And, I've tried doing some little projects. I learned the fundamentals of JavaScript (my PhD was programming-heavy) and put a little interactive demo on the web, all in a few hours. But my relief in being able to learn something quickly and deliver was short-lived.

So, my question is, was your confidence completely, irrationally shattered by your graduate program? How did you rebuild it or how did it get rebuilt?

Which retirement plan should I choose?

Anonymous — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:10:46 -0800

I find this comparison really confusing. I'm starting the job in August. I'm an early 30s married woman who would like to become pregnant in the next year. The contract only lasts through the end of 2014. I do want to continue on working there, but I have no idea if additional grant money will become available at that time. Which plan would you choose? Or, failing that, which are the important factors to consider?

Getting Your Creative Motivation Back After A Long Dry Spell?

Anonymous — Tue, 07 May 2013 09:56:30 -0800

I went on a long, long break form my creative career cause I was feeling burnt out due to some failures and now I can't seem to get back into it, possibly because I no longer have a financial incentive to do so. How can I fix this? Warning: Long, super privileged person problems. Back-story: Due to some very lucky sets of circumstances I got to basically retire at 30. If I keep my expenses small and baring some horrible catastrophe, I don't really *have* to work ever again. I can devote all my time to my creative career(s). To celebrate this, I took a six-month break from working.

During this break I wasn't eating bon bons on the couch - I learned how to cook, to clean, to garden, went to the gym five days a week, got boots on the ground involved in politics, I helped friends out with their creative projects, spent a lot of time with my SO, and traveled around the world.

I had a set time to end this "vacation" where I didn't think of or work on anything "important". It passed three months ago. I still can't concentrate on my work. I sit with my brain and go "This is what we are doing now. We are working on THIS now."

And I can't. It's not block, I know what block feels like. It's not depression, I know what that feels like. I know exactly what I have to do and made charts and graphs and research notes for years and then I sit down and a fog descends over me and I can't physically make myself think about what I have to do. It's a complete and total fear response. Just thinking about the work ahead makes me literally start to sweat and want to flee the room.

My last two/three big projects have been flops or didn't perform as well as expected and now people are starting to not return my calls/e-mails. I've had success before, I know I'm not untalented. I know I am good at this. But I'm not getting a lot of ....external validation that I should keep trying now that I no longer *have to* for economic reasons.

What do you do when one of the one things you're really very good at just stops being fun? Like at all? I'm getting a little tight-chested just writing this but I can't take another failure, it takes so much effort for so little reward, and it makes me feel weak and self-involved that I'm hurt so much by professional rejection or lack of recognition.

And then I feel guilty for being such a whiny bitch who has a perfect fucking life and is totally an ideal situation to do whatever they want that people would kill for so buck up, shut up, and just do it. Everyday spent avoiding it is another day wasted.

And then I don't do it and feel worse. I'm terrible with self imposed deadlines cause I know I can ignore them and that makes me feel even worse. All my other successful projects have been contract work, with strict deadlines attached. Now I'm doing mostly spec and it's impossible to visualize the end-game.

So, how do I get myself out of this funk? And it really feels like a funk, like I crashed from the highs of the vacation and now can't will myself out of no matter how I try and chant CBT slogans to myself. How do I get my desire to work back? How can make myself do things I don't *have* to do? Where did my ambition go and how can I get it back?

Do I tell him why I am not being my normal, friendly self?

Anonymous — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:54:13 -0800

I am married and recently realized I had developed romantic feelings for a friend/coworker (also married). I have stopped speaking to him for the sake of my marriage. He really wants to know why I am avoiding him. What's the best way to handle this without making him feel bad? To sum up everything as quickly as possible, I met someone at work and became fast friends. Due to having a lot in common with this man, and having a good deal of respect and admiration for him, I caught feelings for him. Bummer. I did not realize I had developed such strong feelings until I began to notice a good deal of distance between myself and my husband, and was starting to look forward to our conversations in a very unwholesome way. I am normally excellent at keeping platonic things platonic. Our marriage is not so great at the moment which I suspect is also contributing to my current state. Husband and I are working on it.

I decided that it would be best if I went no-contact, or as close as possible to no-contact when working together. This is becoming somewhat painful for me because he seems a little bewildered about the sudden change in my demeanor and the way I speak to him. Despite being a pretty great person, he does not have high self esteem and has made this known to me in the past. I do not wish to add to this.

I need advice on how best to handle this... Have any of you had situations where you developed feelings for a friend and were able to ditch the mushy stuff and keep the good-time-friend-vibe?

Help, I sound like an intern.

mochapickle — Sun, 05 May 2013 10:04:07 -0800

How do I sound older (35+) on conference calls? I started a new consulting position in a new industry about seven months ago. A great deal of my work happens on the phone -- calling subject matter experts, calling executives, gathering consensus with contacts across the US. I'm well over 35, but during these calls I often get mistaken for early 20s, even during non-technical calls. Most of our other consultants are in their 40s and 50s and sound more mature.

Obviously, picking up the taxonomy/alphabet soup of a new industry takes time, so I understand that a likely contributing factor is my not having the correct lingo at 100% just yet. Also, I have been mindful of removing words like like from my standard vocabulary.

I'm very candid and approachable on my calls, I'm a good listener, and I often strike an instant rapport with my contacts, but I sometimes get thinly veiled (and thickly shrouded) questions about my experience level. Last week, a contact said he wanted to drink whatever I was drinking (I was stone sober).

I love the phone aspect of my work. I want to sound my age (35+), but keep the approachability/candor. I have a solid reputation with my ongoing contacts, but the new ones definitely get thrown for a loop at first. I feel like sounding young makes me have to take more steps in building their trust in me.

If you used to sound young on the phone, did any changes work for you? Do you know of techniques for dropping an octave? Are there words and phrases I should banish forever?

Should I stay or should I go now?

liquorice — Thu, 02 May 2013 18:55:04 -0800

Should I stay in the job I've always wanted (at the expense of a dream) or go on the trip that I've always wanted (at the expense of stability)? I’m contemplating (well, more than contemplating, I really, really, really want to go – is that more than contemplating?) moving to Canada next year on a Working Holiday visa.

I’ve always wanted to live overseas, it’s been a bright flashing number one on my bucket list since as far back as I can remember. I wasn’t able to study on exchange while at University for a number of reasons and it’s a regret that I carry.

So, I guess it feels like this is the ideal time to do it. I’m 25, I have no real responsibilities or real assets to tie me here and I have a stash of savings if things go south.

The issue then, for me, is my current job. Everywhere I turn I feel the doom and gloom of the Economy and the unemployment rates seem to remind me that it’s a really stupid idea to give up on a decent paying job in a field I’m passionate about and within an organisation that I believe in. It’s basically my dream job so now it feels like my two dreams are warring with each other.

But if I don’t go now, then when? Things like marriage, and buying a house and all that jazz will probably come up in a few years and that’ll make things a lot more difficult to just get up and leave.

I’ll have been in my position for two and a half years by the time I head off, so while I’ll have some experience, returning back to Australia after my visa is up in an arena with not amazing job prospects (law) and relatively limited experience seems foolhardy at best.

There’s no guarantee that this same job opportunity will be available to me when I get back, so I could potentially be unemployed for who knows how long given the state of things. Worst case scenario, I won’t be homeless and my family will support me for as long as necessary. But, taking the long term view, giving up on my current job prospects which offers continuing stability, I’m starting to doubt if this is the right thing to do.

It’s not just that I want to live overseas, there’s a very big part of me that feels like I need to do this. In terms of priority - travelling, experiencing different places, getting immersed in another culture are basically the dreams I’ve been working towards since I was 16. But at the same time, I’m trying to be sensible about how I approach this.

I get that no one else can tell me what the ‘right’ thing do to is, but any guidance, advice or direction as to what to take into consideration, how to evaluate this and what you would do in my shoes, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

New baby having an impact on job performance?

falldownpaul — Thu, 02 May 2013 08:38:06 -0800

My super-star employee returned from maternity leave a completely different worker. Her performance has gone from first rate to marginal / unsatisfactory. These are the exact same tasks she excelled at only half a year ago. Could it be a baby thing? And if so, what do I do? Lest I come off as insensitive or anti-mom, let me preface with a few details:

- I (her department head) am a woman, no kids.

- I do not in any way look down on women who choose to be moms, and while I have no first-hand experience, I am sensitive to the challenges working mothers must face.

- The employee, "Jane", is middle aged; she has other children. Her husband is an active dad. She has a solid childcare arrangement.

- I urged Jane to take as much maternity leave as she needed. I did not pressure her to return too soon. She insisted she was ready to come back to work after a couple of months.

- I am supportive when she needs time off for baby reasons and have accommodated her breastfeeding requirements in the workplace.

- I'm aware that there are lots of non-baby reasons for poor employee performance - but I know Jane well enough to rule most of those out.

So here's the rub. Jane has a demanding job- but pre-maternity leave, she knocked it out of the park. I could not have been happier with her performance, and I told her so all the time.

She's been back for 5 months. I knew it would take her some time to get up to speed and tried to ease her into things. But it's been 5 months, and if anything, her performance is getting worse.

Key differences: her numbers are dismal. Huge drop off in quantity of projects completed compared to last year's numbers. Quality of work is also a problem. Her reports are a mess. She maintains a database of information and I'm always finding errors now where I did not before.

She also seems "lost". Routine tasks now baffle her. "Oh, did you want me to do that?" "What do you want me to do with x ?" Things she always handled before, now she seems completely unprepared.

As I would with any employee, I have addressed these issues with her. I try to listen and focus on problem solving. All I get are defensiveness, excuses, and tears. She insists she still loves this job and is doing the best she can.

Post-partum depression seems a possibility - but she's the least-depressed person I've ever met. Outgoing, upbeat, all smiles. She also doesn't seem sleep deprived or especially tired, no more than the rest of us.

I've heard women joke about being addle-minded with "pregnancy brain". Is there such a thing as "baby brain"? (Again, not trying to be insulting.)

I hesitate to ask her because it could be misinterpreted as an anti-baby hostile work environment thing. So I thought I'd ask if any of you had experienced something similar when returning to work after having a baby?

What helped you / would have helped you?

Thanks!

Did I box myself in with a low salary?

Two Stranger — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:00:12 -0800

I just had my first phone interview for a prospective software engineering job, which was a ten minute phone call with an in-house recruiter. I wasn't expecting the topic of salary to come up this early in the process, which I grant was maybe naïve, but they asked me and I gave a lowball offer. Now I'm wondering whether I've screwed myself here. Basically, I wasn't entirely prepared and gave an offer that, now that I've done the research, I see is a good 20% lower than the salary range that Glassdoor reports for that company and that position. Am I going to be able to negotiate upwards later? This feels very early in the game, but I don't have that much interviewing experience.

Possibly relevant background:
1. I'm currently employed.
2. I would be relocating for this job.
3. It's at a mid-stage startup.
4. This short call went well, so I've got a phone interview coming up with the actual department lead tomorrow.
5. I'm just beginning the process of looking for new jobs in the last few weeks, with the hope that I'll have something in hand by August, and, while you never know with these things, I'm fairly confident that I'll get an offer at some point in the next few months, not to mention that if worst comes to worst I don't need to leave my current position. All that is to say that I don't have much to lose in negotiations.
6. I live in an area with a really low cost of living, and this job is in an area with a really high cost of living. As a consequence, that salary range from Glassdoor that I mentioned above is twice what I make in my current position. I told the recruiter my current salary, rounded up to the next thousands place.

So, what do you think? Am I locked in, or can I still negotiate freely without harming my chances of getting the job?

New job prob

showbiz_liz — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:42:14 -0800

I just took a new job, which starts in two weeks. Upon accepting the job, I asked for a day off on June 7th, which is the day before my friend's wedding (in which I'm sort of a bridesmaid). I'd already gotten that day off with my current employer. This was fine with the new job. Now, I've realized that to make it to the bachelorette party, I will have to leave early on May 17th too... on my third day of work. How and when do I bring this up? Can I, even? By 'sort of a bridesmaid,' I mean she isn't having bridesmaids, but I am helping out in various ways and have promised to help set things up for both the wedding and the bachelorette party.

The new job starts on May 15th, and it's in a very small nonprofit office. The friend getting married lives in a small and inaccessible-by-public-transit town in Virginia, and I'm in NYC. It'll be easy for me to get to the wedding because I'll be splitting a car with friends, but that's not an option for the bachelorette party- no one else from NYC is going, and I don't drive.

Therefore, the only possible way for me to get to Virginia on time for this party (which takes place on Saturday) is to take a Chinatown bus from NYC to Fredricksburg on Friday night. The Saturday bus would arrive too late. The bus I want to take leave at 5pm on Friday.

This will mean that I have to leave work an hour and a half early on Friday- my third day of work- in order to make it to the bus in time.

I'm really worried about this. I mean, if I ask and they say "no," I'll live, but I don't want to get off on the wrong foot with my new employers, especially since I did already ask for one vacation day.

Is there a good way to ask for this? Would it be better to do it by email now- risking them thinking that I'm the sort of person who constantly asks for days off? Would it be better to ask in person- even though it'd be three days before the requested time? What can I do here?

Making A Something-Level Career out of Very, Very Little.

Ashen — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 18:39:38 -0800

I have recently acknowledged that my aimlessness has kept me trapped in retail and unable to find better for myself. My goal from several months ago - to find a double-digit hourly position by the anniversary of my graduation from college - is far from accomplished. I am not giving myself another year to mess up, but I'm having some trouble discerning where I should go. These are the facts:

1) I have a 2.5 GPA from a high-ranking Southern university. I fucked up college, too. LONG story short, mental health is more important than I thought. I was smart enough to get in, but that's pretty much all I can say and prove about my academic abilities.* I underutilized the Career Center and they have been reluctant to help me since graduation.

2) My degree has worked against me. An extended period of living in Survival Mode has decreased my inclination to do morally-rewarding non-profit work, which is precisely what my degree slots me towards. Right now, I just want to make a lot of money. Or at the very least, enough money that rent higher than $350 wouldn't leave me anxious and very, very hungry.

3) Most of my experience is administrative, with the exception of my post-college experience, which is retail. I can't help but wonder if this is going to be a significant detriment to me finding work that doesn't make me feel ashamed and depressed.**

4) I no longer speak a level of Spanish that would be valuable beyond being able to understand my current customers in retail.

This is what I would like to do:

1) Write a book. This is mostly a pipe dream and I've accepted the odds of my novel being published as Mind-Numbingly Slim, but something I'd like to do nonetheless.

2) Work as a writer for a video game company. Like the plot-writers at Bioware. I'm aware of how high the odds are stacked against me because I don't have a programming background nor experience with a publishing company, but if you have any suggestions as to where someone like me could start...please let me know?

3) Make lots of money. I don't particularly care how (with the exception listed below). Companies hiring for clerical positions have continued to avoid me like the plague and I haven't had an interview in months. I need another in.

Where do I start? Do I just totally forget about the novel and working for a video game company? Do I have to accept the fact that I'm stuck, and just quietly work my way up the retail management chain? Everyone has advised me to stay put because having 2 jobs in one year looks terrible, but I CAN'T keep living like this. I removed myself from Facebook and haven't updated my LinkedIn account in part because I haven't done as well as my peers. Also, being paid at such a low level is doing really bad things to my self-confidence and I don't have the money or the insurance to fix that.

Thank you.

*The GPA and the reasons behind it are my key roadblocks to grad school, where I'd likely take up a Masters in English. If I got in. Which is not likely.

** Pro-Domming, is not, for my current body type, an option. I am also terrified of it being a kiss of death on any attempt to leave the field afterwards.

Help me write my start up contract

burlsube — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:50:33 -0800

A local web start up asked me to help start their web based business. I would be employee number 1. The venture is being funded by the founder who is a successful entrepreneur. I have only ever worked for very large Fortune 500 companies so this is uncharted territory for me. My general work experience involved very structure contracts with incentive plans laid out front.

The job offer gives me a sizeable pay raise, about 15%. The rest of the contract is up for me to determine.

So far I have requested:
18 days vacation
unlimited sick days
9 holidays
4 personal days

In terms of an equity plan or bonus, the founder said he is up to either. I am leaning towards a bonus in case I dont stay long enough to become vested. I am thinking of a 12-15% yearly bonus that would be paid out twice a yr. So 6-7.5% paid out every six months. A small equity option would be offered after the first yr of service.

Does this sound inline with a start up contract? I live in the northeast if that is helps.

Am I missing anything ?

What will happen to the volunteers?

CollectiveMind — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:17:03 -0800

An non-profit organization with staff and volunteers has been non-union for its existence. Because of proposed changes by its board of directors, staff have applied to unionize. Some staff perform the same tasks as volunteers, but volunteers perform the overwhelming majority of the core work of the organization. The ratio of volunteers to staff is about 35 to 1. First, can a non profit unionize? And second, if it becomes a union shop, what will be the status of the volunteers?

I don't like the feeling of this...

Anonymous — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 07:00:19 -0800

Is there any good reason why top-level management would ask me why I chose to work in their company after I started working there? I'm afraid to be too specific lest this question gets pinpointed to me, but that's basically what happened: I was asked which other companies I applied to, what other offers I got, and why I chose to work with that company. I don't think I answered that very eloquently since I was put on the spot with the question. I haven't reached my first month yet, and the person who asked hasn't gotten around to asking my own superior how I was faring. Nevertheless, it got me pretty worried.

It would be nice if I had a steady job by the end of the week

GleepGlop — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:45:49 -0800

What are my options in Toronto for a steady entry-level job that I could start within a week? A line of work where they are always looking for new people and are willing to try you out without a lengthy application and interview process.

I can do the job, mostly, really

Fee Phi Faux Phumb I Smell t'Socks o' a Puppetman! — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:20:37 -0800

I have a tricky job-application scenario: basically, I can do all the requirements that were advertised, but I have excellent reason to believe they expect the person in the position to semi-regularly do something my health prevents me from doing at all. How do I handle this in the application/resume process? The job description and situation, as advertised, is basically perfect for my skills, interests, and everything else.

The thing is, I know the person who had the job before was on-call 24/7, and sometimes had to drop everything (including sleep) and run off to take care of something (the something - it varied - could happen anywhere in a ~450 mile radius.) This only happened a few times a month at most, and I have no philosophical problem with it at all; in my younger and more foolish years, this would have been a plus, honestly.

Unfortunately, health reasons prevent this from being even a remote possibility for me - this is well inside in "my doctor will make me go see someone else if I sign up for this, because it really is that irresponsible" land.

So! I'm in a pickle. Two questions:

1. Do I bother applying?
2. At what stage do I let them know about my problem?

I don't want to waste anyone's time, but I would love the job as advertised. I'm reasonably confident they will let me interview if I send in a resume & application but do not disclose my issue. I also don't want to burn bridges with these people, because I would really love to do several of the jobs they may eventually have open (it depends largely on folks retiring.) Oh, and I'd really rather not my boss knowing I'm looking for outside work unless there's at least some shot I can get the job (and she will know if I apply - she knows all these people much better than I do, and they will call her, quite possibly before the interview stage.)

There are, as far as I can see, three options other than not applying at all:

1. Disclose in the cover letter,
2. Disclose in the interview, or
3. Disclose the first time they say "oh and by the way, here's the pager" (which might be during the interview.)

What are the pros and cons? As a hiring manager or HR person or other employer type, what would you recommend? Is it foolish to even try this?

I have talked with someone I know in the office (not the hiring manager, but someone who helped advertise it,) and she's pretty sure the position will still include the on-call stuff.

I don't know what you want but I can't give it anymore

Anima Mundi — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:14:52 -0800

What I thought was my dream full-time job has turned into a nightmare after only three months. Help me leave ASAP. After years of freelancing I was so grateful to land a full-time position, but I'm starting to realize that this position is not for me.

It's a UX design position, where I'm working on software (as opposed to websites like I was doing previously.) The way the company does UX is so radically different from my previous experience that I can't apply what I've learned to it. I'm currently in hot water with my supervisor in spite of scrambling to learn about the fleet of products and the process the design team follows - the work I've been doing is missing the mark in their eyes.

It's like I've grown up in a French environment and I'm now in a place where everyone's speaking Haitian Creole. Much as I hate freelancing, I know I'm not going to thrive here. How can I keep my job hunt discreet? How do I explain to prospective hiring managers why I'm leaving a position after only a few months? If you have any tips, anecdotes, etc. that you'd rather not make public, feel free to send a MeMail.

Thanks!

Toys and objects to deal with physical stress.

shimmer — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:34:33 -0800

So there is the stress ball. That one I know. Does anyone have any other ideas for dealing with nervous energy from stress and anxiety in the office that won't bother people around you so much (esp those moments when I can't just go for a long walk or to the gym, etc). It’s a fairly routine problem for me that even after the stressor is long gone, the nervous energy sticks around. I don't so much need the 'take a deep breath' or 'think positive' type of thing, I might not even be actively thinking or worrying about anything; and I already have a good doc for the long term aspects. Just looking for some ideas about the tactile and physical side of this thing, which tends to stick around for a while and can be pretty uncomfortable.

How can I balance school and work?

Autumn — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:34:32 -0800

I just started nursing school, and I also work 40+ hours a week. It's only been two weeks of school but it's already killing me - I work, sleep, school, sleep. I've already fallen asleep in class and tonight I overslept and missed my ride to work - the work is flexible enough that this isn't an issue today. But I know if it keeps happening I'll end up doing poorly on both, might lose my job, fail school or both. The problem is if I cut down my hours at work I can't afford to attend school. I have to pay a large out of pocket cost because my parents make too much money. I live on my own, pay my own bills etc and it's already a struggle with the hours I'm getting now. I've applied for alternative loans, asked about dependency petitions (the school doesn't do them), and nothing has panned out. My parents aren't able to help out - they used up their resources on my previous attempts at school. I feel hopeless. Please tell me what you've done in this situation to get by. Thank you.