Job Hunting

[Intellivision]

Thanks! Position is a Software Engineer.

Fukin' A. Good stuff.

Now I need to quit/resign my current job this week. Honestly, I think I'm more nervous for that than I was in any of my many interviews.

Have you ever worked a prior job that you quit? If not....

- Give at least 2 weeks notice. 3 is nice
- Tell your boss on a Monday. Don't do it on a Thurs or Friday or else he/HR manager may be thinking about this all weekend
- If you work in an office environment, write a nice farewell email on the last day. All positive stuff. Don't bring up any crappy stuff. If you want, leave a personal email address or something, but make sure you tell people to use it. Or else some people will send you a reply to your company pc, but you'll already be gone and you'll never see it
- If they ask for an exit interview, be honest but not too critical or insulting making people look bad

I don't know if you've already settled on compensation, but it typically goes like this......

- Unless you are some kind of rockstar every person is begging to hire, then your job will pay based on a pay scale. Depending your experience, supply/demand and how much they like you they'll make you an offer somewhere on it. The higher you are on it the less wiggle room you have as you're hitting the top threshold. You don't want to screw up any hopes of the job, but I'd ballpark the following:

- Your job pays $50k or less. You have zero wiggle room. Don't screw up the opporuntity and take it
- Your job pays $50-75k. If you are that good, squeeze out another $5k out of them
- Your job pays $75-100k. If you are valued highly, get another $5k-10k
- Your job pays $100k+. If they want you, another $10k shouldn't be an issue

The company hiring and recruiter have buffer they can play with. Companies rarely hire people at the max threshold of their pay scale. That's where the wiggle room is.

Now if you are really that in demand, then there's signing bonuses on top of it, or any kind of comp money where the new place is asked to pay something.... such as an employee leaves a company and misses out on $10k annual bonus. So the new company may say fine we'll give that to you as a comp. But that is something on another level and for high level employees usually making I'd say $100k+ already.

Comp money can be offered as a one-time substitute, so it doesn't go into the employee's annual pay making the whole pay scale thing out of whack. Get it once, but off the books going forward.

 

[Videodrome]

No you leave a surprise

 

[Z A C K]

Fukin' A. Good stuff.


Have you ever worked a prior job that you quit? If not....

- Give at least 2 weeks notice. 3 is nice
- Tell your boss on a Monday. Don't do it on a Thurs or Friday or else he/HR manager may be thinking about this all weekend
- If you work in an office environment, write a nice farewell email on the last day. All positive stuff. Don't bring up any crappy stuff. If you want, leave a personal email address or something, but make sure you tell people to use it. Or else some people will send you a reply to your company pc, but you'll already be gone and you'll never see it
- If they ask for an exit interview, be honest but not too critical or insulting making people look bad

I don't know if you've already settled on compensation, but it typically goes like this......

- Unless you are some kind of rockstar every person is begging to hire, then your job will pay based on a pay scale. Depending your experience, supply/demand and how much they like you they'll make you an offer somewhere on it. The higher you are on it the less wiggle room you have as you're hitting the top threshold. You don't want to screw up any hopes of the job, but I'd ballpark the following:

- Your job pays $50k or less. You have zero wiggle room. Don't screw up the opporuntity and take it
- Your job pays $50-75k. If you are that good, squeeze out another $5k out of them
- Your job pays $75-100k. If you are valued highly, get another $5k-10k
- Your job pays $100k+. If they want you, another $10k shouldn't be an issue

The company hiring and recruiter have buffer they can play with. Companies rarely hire people at the max threshold of their pay scale. That's where the wiggle room is.

Now if you are really that in demand, then there's signing bonuses on top of it, or any kind of comp money where the new place is asked to pay something.... such as an employee leaves a company and misses out on $10k annual bonus. So the new company may say fine we'll give that to you as a comp. But that is something on another level and for high level employees usually making I'd say $100k+ already.

Comp money can be offered as a one-time substitute, so it doesn't go into the employee's annual pay making the whole pay scale thing out of whack. Get it once, but off the books going forward.

Thanks for the tips. My current position was my first real job out of college, so yeah this is the first job I'll be leaving and going though this process with.

As for the compensation, I have already settled on all of that but based of your tips up there, it seems like I did pretty well.

 

[bullzeye]

Man sometimes i wish i got an office job or at least 60-70k, living in what is increasingly becoming one of the most expensive cities in the world i feel people like myself (45-50k) are being pushed out of buying a house. Heck i would be lucky to pay under 400 bucks a week in rent for a decent 1-2 bed home and that is half my wages.

 

[Videodrome]

ManPower called and said my Temp job was over. f***ing Aramark.

 

[TOPDAWG]

Man sometimes i wish i got an office job or at least 60-70k, living in what is increasingly becoming one of the most expensive cities in the world i feel people like myself (45-50k) are being pushed out of buying a house. Heck i would be lucky to pay under 400 bucks a week in rent for a decent 1-2 bed home and that is half my wages.

HAHAHA 400 for a two bedroom I was paying 1600 a month for a two bedroom 900 sq feet condo for a bit here in calgary. where do you live?

 

[TOPDAWG]

Well I got a job offer to do help desk support at a college. they made the offer this morning so I'll be giving my 2 weeks to my boss tonight. I told him about it this morning that a job offer may be coming and I maybe leaving. I'm about to leave for work I'll post more details later. I had to do a 3rd party info thing online as they'll do all my background and refinne checks but I know all that is good as I just had it done a few weeks ago by the head hunter and everything was great she said.

 

[bullzeye]

HAHAHA 400 for a two bedroom I was paying 1600 a month for a two bedroom 900 sq feet condo for a bit here in calgary. where do you live?

That actually sounds pretty decent. You wouldn't even get a standalone house or unit for that much here that's just for an apartment which are actually nice places. It's a far cry ftom a few years ago that's for sure. I live in Auckland. NZ

 

[Z A C K]

HAHAHA 400 for a two bedroom I was paying 1600 a month for a two bedroom 900 sq feet condo for a bit here in calgary. where do you live?

With my upcoming move I'm looking at paying 2150/month for a 1 bedroom with just over 600 sq feet. This is NYC, but not even Manhattan. It's Queens.

 

[Videodrome]

NYC? Have fun with the subway weirdos.

 

[TOPDAWG]

well no updates to this thread. I've been at my new job for over a month now. I was only to get a guaranteed 18 hours a week but I've been doing full time for now being as it's college intake time and you have a lot of work to get done.

They're really happy with me I had no training and just hit the floor running and they were happy I just picked up everything so fast. It's an odd enverment to me as I don't do all the work I just get the info on issues and hand it to the other team members. I'm used to doing all the tickets and the work myself.

To be honest the job is easy as s*** to me. Being as it's government I've had my co-worker tell me to slow down as we work for government I'm used to working as a fast pace to get all my work done. So seems soon I may go to the 18 hours but my super wants me to stay full time so I'll see how it goes.

Here I'm at work typing this now.

 

[Z A C K]

I've also been at my new job for just over a month now. I like it a lot so far and I'm even really enjoying living in NYC.

 

[Videodrome]

Back in college at a small satellite campus away from the main campus. There seems to be a lack of Technology Tutors here, so I decided to apply. The college actually seems serious about my interest; it would be great if I could actually come on as an official tutor. Programming is a challenge, but I feel confident in tackling it, especially coding HTML.

I hope I get this, it might even be a way for me to break into Education. Then I could just be another annoying teacher jabbering at students.

 

[David]

Back in college at a small satellite campus away from the main campus. There seems to be a lack of Technology Tutors here, so I decided to apply. The college actually seems serious about my interest; it would be great if I could actually come on as an official tutor. Programming is a challenge, but I feel confident in tackling it, especially coding HTML.

I hope I get this, it might even be a way for me to break into Education. Then I could just be another annoying teacher jabbering at students.

 

[David]

Ever think of teaching full time????

 

[Videodrome]

Ever think of teaching full time????

I would certainly consider teaching college full-time if I was qualified. I think a lot of colleges want a Bachelors which I don't have yet.

 

[David]

Some community colleges dont care. We have a school called IVY Tech that you don't need a bachelors degree.

 

[Videodrome]

I've officially been hired as a Tutor / Academic Coach by my college.

This was initially about me helping people learn Computer Programming concepts, yet I also heard many students have been asking for help in Algebra. I emailed the college letting them know I got As in Introductory and Intermediate Algebra and could probably refresh on whatever their course work currently is.

Probably many more students want help with Math so I could pick up some income.

 

[aceattorney]

After being my own boss for the past 9 years, I'm going to try working in the glamorous world of corporate America. Although it looks like I'll take a wage cut, the work schedule is obviously more consistent, resulting in a net gain. I could use a change of pace anyway, but if I end up not enjoying it, I always have my old firm to come back to.

 

[Videodrome]

I've been contacted by a recruiter through LinkedIN. They're based in Appleton, WI near Green Bay. Basically, they work for an IT Staffing company. So far, I've had an informal phone interview and they want to setup a Skype interview unless I want to drive to Green Bay.

It would be nice if they could hook me up that paid enough for me to relocate. I don't care much for the Upper Peninsula or Michigan in general.

 

[Kerosene31]

I've been contacted by a recruiter through LinkedIN. They're based in Appleton, WI near Green Bay. Basically, they work for an IT Staffing company. So far, I've had an informal phone interview and they want to setup a Skype interview unless I want to drive to Green Bay.

It would be nice if they could hook me up that paid enough for me to relocate. I don't care much for the Upper Peninsula or Michigan in general.

Always look into opportunities, but don't pack up and leave if the opportunity doesn't seem right. My wife's company moved south a few years ago, promising everyone who relocated jobs. She was one of the few who stayed back. The other people there thought she was nuts not moving. They all got 1 year contracts, and fired at the end of it. They basically uprooted their lives to train their own replacements.

 

[starseeker]

I am thinking of longer for senior Engineering job in the Automotive sector in Canada or US. Germany has gone worse by the day. They want to pass a law (if not already passed), that anyone complaining about Mus-lm or Refu-gee to be put in Jail, &/or their kids taken away.
Hopefully end of next year if nothing changes for the better here.

A lot of towns is turning into middle East (if Middle East have 90% males) with 'refu-gees' outnumber residents, some by more than 10X!

 

[Z A C K]

I am thinking of longer for senior Engineering job in the Automotive sector in Canada or US. Germany has gone worse by the day. They want to pass a law (if not already passed), that anyone complaining about Mus-lm or Refu-gee to be put in Jail, &/or their kids taken away.
Hopefully end of next year if nothing changes for the better here.

A lot of towns is turning into middle East (if Middle East have 90% males) with 'refu-gees' outnumber residents, some by more than 10X!

Sounds like a pretty terrible situation all around.

 

[starseeker]

Sounds like a pretty terrible situation all around.

Worst is, it has not stop one bit! Many people has call for the closing of the border, but Angie refuse to do it. Its all about the poor desperate children. Does she know how many safe countries that must have pass to come to Germany? Its all about the freebies, & lifetime of welfare paid by 2nd class citizen like us.!

This is definitely not first world problem!

 

[Eric]

I am going through a semester of school and decided I wanted to get another Internship. My last one went surprisingly well. It was my first professional Internship. I did some programming. I sucked really bad this time last year at programming but got better and managed to get into a groove. They asked me to return next summer, too.

Anyway, I wanted to do some IT stuff. I am doing web development outside of the classroom and I am trying to be more versatile so I went to a local business, gave them my resume, and basically said I am ready to learn. They offered me an IT internship on the spot and it pays pretty well, too.

I guess it helps to ask.

 

[Videodrome]

I am going through a semester of school and decided I wanted to get another Internship. My last one went surprisingly well. It was my first professional Internship. I did some programming. I sucked really bad this time last year at programming but got better and managed to get into a groove. They asked me to return next summer, too.

Anyway, I wanted to do some IT stuff. I am doing web development outside of the classroom and I am trying to be more versatile so I went to a local business, gave them my resume, and basically said I am ready to learn. They offered me an IT internship on the spot and it pays pretty well, too.

I guess it helps to ask.

Nice. I'm in a similar situation now finishing my first Semester and eager to get practical experience. Thinking maybe I'll hold off until the Semester ends and approach companies during Winter Break. Or try to freelance.

Unfortunately, my location really sucks as I'm in more of a factory town than a tech area.

 

[Eric]

Nice. I'm in a similar situation now finishing my first Semester and eager to get practical experience. Thinking maybe I'll hold off until the Semester ends and approach companies during Winter Break. Or try to freelance.

Unfortunately, my location really sucks as I'm in more of a factory town than a tech area.

Sounds like you are ahead of the game based on previous posts. Are you best Green Bay? Are you doing web development in CSS and HTML or OOP?

 

[Videodrome]

Sounds like you are ahead of the game based on previous posts. Are you best Green Bay? Are you doing web development in CSS and HTML or OOP?

My Web class is HTML5 with CSS3. I'm also in a class for Visual C#.

I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on the West side and I'm about a 2 hour drive from Green Bay. I'm interested in trying to move to Green Bay or Appleton or some kind of actual metro area hoping for better job prospects.

Aside from that, I'm interested in trying to use these skills to make some kind of portfolio or actually demonstrate coding ability so employers can see that I know what I'm talking about. Unfortunately, I also have a mundane writing class to waste my extra time on. I've already done English Comp 1 & 2 as well as workplace communication. I'm so sick of writing essays and reports.

 

[aceattorney]

After one week of working in Corporate America, I'm still alive. I work in a beautiful building with nice people. The work is interesting enough, but I honestly miss having the freedom that comes with being my own boss. We'll see where this goes...

 

[Kerosene31]

After one week of working in Corporate America, I'm still alive. I work in a beautiful building with nice people. The work is interesting enough, but I honestly miss having the freedom that comes with being my own boss. We'll see where this goes...

The best advice I can give is to listen to your bosses. When they tell you to do something stupid which you know won't work, you tell them, once, in an e-mail. Voice your opinion, but only once. If they take it, great. If not, you have a record of your opinion.

My boss right now frustrates me, because he has to come to his own conclusion. He won't listen to me telling him something, but months later he'll magically come to the same conclusion and suddenly it was his bright idea.

Hopefully you work for better people than that.