Hiring These 5 Programmers Could Cost You Big

Hiring These 5 Programmers Could Cost You Big A bad hire can be one of the most expensive decisions you can make, especially for the programmers in IT. The individual programming mistake can be costly, but the behaviors of the software developer can be even more costly. Just take the example of the person responsible for the bad design affecting the iPhone 4’s antennas (Antennagate), or the example of the engineer that was responsible for the exploding Samsung Galaxy Note 7. These examples are more the result of several bad decisions rather than a single bad line of code; nevertheless, this is what expensive hires can do to a company in the IT industry. If you break it down, you’ll start to see patterns in the way that people work and you’ll be able to spot telltale signs of incompetence, non-serious and self-serving attitudes. For someone who has been working in the industry long enough, these signs begin to reveal themselves quickly in prospective candidates. These individuals may seem excellent on paper but can’t quite cut it in the real world. They come up with buggy software, miss obvious mistakes, drained budgets and huge opportunities lost. All this adds up to millions of dollars in damage control over a long period of time. Here are just a few of these software developers and what they can cost you. 1. The Resume Padder A lot of IT companies think about expanding into new technology as time progresses. They don’t want to become dinosaurs as the industry speeds ahead and that’s fair. However, companies make the classic mistake of giving into a developer’s wants to try new things instead of considering their viability first. Here, companies make the mistake of hiring someone qualified to do the job but are more interested in adding new skills to their resume so they can make more on the next project. For all the company knows, the new hire could leave them in the middle of a project without any idea of how to proceed. These resume boosters are some of the most expensive hires in IT.   These people simply want to use new technologies, programming languages or new software because they want to boost their resume. They only consider your project and budget as a stepping stone and not a fulfilling project. There is nothing wrong with learning new technology on a project. When developers select new technologies for reasons other than what is best for the company, then it becomes an issue. For the company, this cost adds up over time as they may not get the results they wanted ending up in a bad investment. 2. The Rewriter Some programmers have huge egos. It comes with the territory. If proficient enough, the programmer begins to think of themselves as gifted creators akin to Genii. This thought pattern leads them to want to start every project over from scratch. Instead of patching a problem or simply updating a piece of tech or software, they will attempt to redesign everything from the ground up. These rewriters won’t think of the cost or the benefit of doing this, they will simply go with their gut since it’s obviously the best outcome in their opinion. They may be incredible at their job, very well versed in the subject literature and literal workhorses, however, this doesn’t change the fact that unnecessary remodeling can cost a company millions of dollars in the long run. There are a million things to consider with the redesign of software. Will the audience accept it, will it serve the end goal well and will there be major problems with it when it is being tested in real life? When you have an egoist at the wheel though, all of that is subservient to the ego. 3. The Chair Warmer There are some people who simply have the tendency to follow orders and not take initiative by themselves at all. They exist only to be told what to do and rarely have an original thought. They can accomplish tasks well enough, but they must be spoon-fed along the way. If they aren’t given detailed instructions on EXACTLY what to do all the way, they will not spot the most basic mistakes or oversights. Rarely is a developer ever given documentation that is 100% complete. Something is always missing. Good developers get this and can accommodate. In the field of expensive hires, these people may not result in lost value, but they are limited in what they can add. 4. Negative Utility Probably one of the worst hires in the field of IT may just be the negative utility. The concept of utility in economics is the differing levels of value one can get from different products or services when they cost the same. I can spend a dollar on dark chocolate or a dollar on Kale. I get a very high taste utility from dark chocolate. I get a negative taste utility from kale. The Negative Utility is someone you can pay the same as other employees, but they will cost you more in value in the long run. They can singlehandedly bring down the value of the entire team if they are left to their own devices. Think of the chair warmer who takes significant chunks of time from your productive developers. Let’s hypothetically say a high performing developer averaged 210 lines of clean code a day. They spend seven hours on their own work and one hour helping the negative utility developer. The negative utility developer would average 25 lines a day and needed an hour a day of the high performing person to make that happen. They each take 8 hours of the budget every day. Together they produce 235 lines of code for 16 hours of cost. If you only had the high performing developer and doing just their own work all day, they would average 240 lines of code with only 8 hours from the budget. Good developers need to help their co-workers and help them get better. Some developers are not so interested in getting better if someone can do the work for them. 5. The Alpha Programmer There is an expression that goes, “Too many cooks spoil the broth.” It holds true in the kitchen as well as in the programming lab. In the IT industry, a team needs to be led by a single vision. A little bit of conflict does produce creative results but too much of it can lead to disaster. Alpha programmers, in this regard, can be the most expensive hires. Alpha Programmers spend lots of time “architecting” and “developing frameworks”, but do very little to get code into production. Think about the Rewriter and put them on steroids. They can turn a year-long project and change it into a three-year ordeal. They rarely work alone. Alpha programmers may have a team “developing an enterprise architecture”. It is not uncommon they will hide behind their expert knowledge. This can frustrate employees to the point of quitting and cause delays in product release times. The cost of the Alpha programmer is not just their salary and the salaries of the people on their team, it is also the opportunity cost of funding their work at the expense of other projects that can see the light of day. These people are hard to spot. If you find someone in your organization that fits one of these profiles, take steps to manage them more effectively and put up some boundaries. About the author:  David Moise had a career as a software developer before starting Decide Consulting. Decide is one of the few IT Recruiting firms that is run by tech-based individuals. He keeps an eye on how technology trends emerge in business and speaks frequently on the future-of-work.

How to Manage Your Emails Effectively - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How to Manage Your Emails Effectively - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Email is one of the most used communication tools in business. It allows us to connect with each other whenever we want and gives us the ability to work together sharing our files or notes from wherever we are.  Also, it is fast and easy to use making it very popular. Therefore, everyone prefers to send an email while doing business. As a result, we have to deal with so many emails during the day. If we don’t manage our emails properly, we may feel overwhelmed. Thus, our productivity can drop. Also, in a cluttered inbox, we may miss important messages. Therefore, we need to be more organized and keep the unread messages to a minimum. Use the below hints to manage your emails more effectively and increase your productivity. Set a Specific Time to Answer Your Emails: Setting aside a specific time to answer your emails makes you more productive during the day. For example; every morning when you come to work, you can give yourself half an hour to read and answer your emails. You can repeat this routine after lunch or in the afternoon to answer the emails that you received during the day. Delete Unnecessary Emails: When you open your inbox, go through the unread messages quickly and delete spam or promotional emails. You don’t even need to open them. You should be able to identify from the subject line if that email requires an action or not. Another option is to unsubscribe from promotional emails so you never receive them again. You can work on this option in your spare time because finding the unsubscribe button in promotional emails can sometimes be tricky. Organize Your Inbox with Folders: Creating a folder for each project you work on or labeling your emails according to specific tasks or deadlines will help you to track your emails more quickly. You can then prioritize and sort these emails that are in different folders. You can also set specific filters to directly send your emails to the right folder as soon as they arrived. Try to Send Less Email: If you want to receive fewer emails, send fewer emails! It is a very simple rule but it works. You don’t need to send the email to everyone who works with you, if you only want answer from a specific person. If it is necessary, ‘cc’ the others and don’t put their email addresses to the ‘To’ section. Try only putting one email address to the ‘To’ section or start your email with the name of the person you want to get response back.

Working Without Vacation Drains Your Career - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Working Without Vacation Drains Your Career - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Summer is already here and soon employees will start thinking about vacation. However, according to Glassdoor’s recent study, 54% of Americans only used half of their vacation days during the past 12 months. Only 23% of them used all of their vacation days. Employees do not want to use all of their vacation days because they don’t want to be appear uncommitted to their jobs. Also, when they take many days off, they think they will fall behind of work. Working without taking time off is not good both for your health and career. This causes many health problems such as depression, insomnia and burnout syndrome. Also, when you work without taking time off, you cannot get out of your daily routine and therefore, you cannot refresh your mind and this has a direct effect on your performance. As a result, your performance drops. When you take time off, your body and mind rests so you can be more productive when you get back to work. Some people still works in vacation. They take their laptops and work phones with them so they can be reachable. However, this doesn’t take your mind off from work. The main reason of taking days off is to both take your body and soul off from work. Employers and employees should not forget that when individuals take vacation days and actually makes a vacation, they satisfy the need of their souls. They find the opportunity to do a lot of things that normally they cannot do when they go to work. It is the way of relaxation that every person needs like being out of their routine, being free, being more together with their loved ones, not having the time pressure, wearing comfortable dresses and moving comfortably and freely. Vacation does not mean to spend a lot of money to go to a vacation resort. Vacations can be made without spending money. For everyone, vacation means something different, everyone can relax with different occupations. The important thing is to be able to get away from the routine and to do something that is loved and enjoyed. This can be a hobby, visiting relatives, discovering the city you live in or anything else that will help you relax, refresh your mind and makes you happier in the end. When a person is able to afford a vacation that can meet their social and physical needs, they become healthier and their work performance improves.

How to Professionally Skip a Job Interview

How to Professionally Skip a Job Interview Job interviews, whether you want the job or not, are worth going to for the practice. You have nothing to lose and only experience to gain. You may practice your interviews with your friends and career coaches, but it is more helpful to go to a real interview. You get to see what happens when you have all the confidence in the world because you do not care if you get the job or not.And what is the worst that can happen? They choose to hire you.But for this post, we will explain the professional way to skip a job interview, if you are absolutely sure you cannot and do not want to attend the job interview.Give as Much Notice as PossibleThe worst thing to do is just not show up. If another job is posted at the company in the future, they will have your name on file and they would be less likely to contact you. The best thing to do is to let them know as quickly as possible that you cannot make it. If you have another job interview, it's best not to tell your interviewer. Instead, let th em know you have a work or family conflict.Try toReschedule for Another TimeIt seems backwardto ask for a reschedule when you want to skip the interview, but it is professional to do it this way. Let the hiring manager know you would love to reschedule your interview for another time. Sometimes, they will reschedule, but most times they will just move on with interviews without you and promise to contact you for a job interview later.When You Absolutely Cannot Make It…Tell ThemLife happens and so do life emergencies. If you cannot give a company 24 hours notices, contact them as soon as possible to let them know what happened. It is a real emergency, the person holding the interview will be understanding. It is better to be honest. Life emergencies happen and any company that does not show understanding isa company that should be ignored anyway.If You Have to Cancel…but Want to RescheduleThere are times when you simply have to cancel and cannot reschedule. When you contact the c ompany to let them know, try saying something polite, “I'm very sorry, but an emergency has come up and won't be able to make our interview tomorrow.”Then, let them know, “I'm still interested in the position and would be extremely grateful if we could reschedule.”It is uncomfortable when you have to share bad news and ask complete strangers for an interview reschedule, but it is better to be upfront and honest (without sharing too much private information). There is great value in today’s business world to be an employee with interpersonal and verbal skills. Being able to communicate what is wrong to solve a problem is a positive business trait.If You Just Don’t Want to GoGo to the interview anyway. As mentioned previously, job interviews are great ways to practice your interview skills while meeting possible future business connections. The best things always happen at the interviews you planned to skip, but went to anyway.Something odd happens when we interview for jo bs we do not want. We are not held back by the fear of loss and given we really do not want the job, we tend to be a little more confident. When we remove the fear of loss, we tend to show our most positive traits we normally are in fear of revealing (ex: sense of humor and true personality).And when all is said and done, what is the worst thing that can happen because you interviewed? They offer you a job. You like the people you meet. And you discover you would not mind working at the company. You have to turn the job down or they reject you.It’s all a win-win when you have no fear of losing the job because you really don’t care if you get it.

12 Tips To Making a Great Impression at The First Day of Your New Job

12 Tips To Making a Great Impression at The First Day of Your New Job Source â€" DepositPhotos.comThe first day of your new job is here, and I’m sure you’re feeling the nerves by now! But relax!As long as you know what to do, the first day of the job should be relatively easy! You won’t be asked to do anything too strenuous, and the day should go relatively quickly as so much will be going on.The only thing you need to worry about on a day like this is making a good impression. You want to make sure that your new company feels great about hiring you, and there are a few ways to do this.evalSo, without further ado, it’s time to take a look at some tips to help you on that all-important first day.1) ShowerevalPhoto CreditAs you wake up for the big day, the last thing you want to forget about is to shower! Make sure you wake up much earlier, so you aren’t rushing. Take some time to have a good breakfast so your stomach isn’t rumbling throughout the day as well! Then, get into the bathroom and start making yourself look good for the day. Wash y our hair, and whatever you do; make sure you use deodorant! You don’t want to turn up to your new job smelling of body odor! Of course, this is a normal routine, but it’s easy to forget these things when you’re nervous. As long as you get up early enough, you’ll be fine.2) Arrive EarlyToo many people have made the mistake of arriving at a new job just on time. You’ve got to account for all sorts of things that could prove to be potential roadblocks.For example, you aren’t used to the morning commute in that area yet. You don’t know what the traffic is like in the morning, so you need to account for that.Finding a parking space is also a potentially difficult issue that you might have to face. Arriving early makes you look fantastic. It shows that you’re really keen on this job, and you want to make a good impression. Don’t arrive too early, but fifteen minutes before your scheduled start time is perfectly fine.3) Dress to ImpressPhoto CreditThis is another one of t hose particularly obvious tips that we’re going to hit you with. You don’t want to turn up to your first day looking like you’ve just rolled out of bed!evalSimilarly, you don’t want to look overly casual unless the job calls for it. Well before your first day, get out there and start buying new clothes for the occasion. You could go to a local retail store, or if your job requires a specific dress code â€" take advantage of online shopping using websites like http://www.uniformsandscrubs.com/white-swan.html Make sure you’re aware of the dress code of the company before you turn up, or you could face an embarrassing situation.4) Come EquippedPhoto CreditDepending on the job you’re about to undertake, you should try and come equipped as best as possible. If you’re going to be working in an office, you’re going to want to bring office supplies with you. This might not be an issue by the time you get there, but it’s best to do this anyway.It’s not going to make a goo d impression if you’re asked to note something down and you have no pen or paper. It shows that you aren’t organized as well as you should be, and bosses will remember this sort of thing.evalBefore you turn up, do whatever you can to equip yourself properly. It’s only a five-minute consideration you need to make, but it’ll result in a great impression.5) Be PoliteevalWe’re entering the realm of the bleedin’ obvious now, but this has to be said. You must be polite to everyone that you’re working with. Don’t be tempted to make too many risky jokes or be over-confident as this point.You’re still the new person, and you need time to gauge what type of workplace this is. Some places will be happy to converse in banter and jokes, while others will be very different.For now, your job is to greet people in a kind and pleasant manner. That’s all you need to do on the first day to ensure that you start off on the right foot with your new colleagues and managers.6) Stay Foc used on Your WorkPhoto Credit This topic is a little vague, so let’s try and delve into it a little. Basically, you don’t want to be discussing things that will make a bad first impression. For example, the last thing you want to be talking about on your first day is your salary and holiday allowance.At some point, you might have to tell them about a previously-booked vacation, but this should have been done at the interview. Today is all about concentrating on work and your new job. If you seem overly keen to talk about vacations and money, it’s not going to look good.7) Work HardIt should go without saying that if you’re asked to do any tasks on your first day, you must work hard at them. Of course, this will be important throughout your tenure at the company, but the first day is especially crucial.If you go into it with a half-arsed attitude, that’s going to rub your managers the wrong way. In many cases, they can get rid of you at a moment’s notice if you’re still new to the company.If you aren’t willing to put 100% into what you’re doing, that might just happen to you. And, I hate to say it, but if you aren’t willing to do that on your first day, why did you take the job in the first place?8) Be ProactiveevalIt’s very important to listen to instructions properly and do what is asked of you on the first day. You’ll be taken into meetings, given basic tasks, and you’ll meet countless people whose names you’ll forget by tomorrow.However, while doing what is asked is important, it’ll make a fantastic impression if you’re willing to be proactive. If you’re asked to do a task in a basic manner, try doing a little extra or getting it done as quickly 10) Remain Positive UpbeatThe first day of a new job is a tiring experience. Sure, you might not be asked to work particularly hard, but there’s so much going on! You rarely get a chance just to sit down and get on with things.Because of this, you’ll feel incredibly tired by th e time you get to the last few hours. At this point, you need to keep reminding yourself to stay positive and upbeat.Don’t be tempted to sink into your chair and let laziness creep in. All that work you’ve put in so far will be for nothing if you ruin your first impression at the end of the day. Keep going; you’re almost there!11) Don’t Leave Too EarlyPhoto CreditYou did it! You got to the end of the day. Congratulations!Now, you don’t want to spoil all that hard work at the last hurdle. Don’t rush out the door as soon as your shift is over. Wait until someone else starts to think about leaving, or politely ask if you’re able to go after a few minutes.Leave in a leisurely fashion and be sociable on the way out. You don’t want to run out the door and get to your car as quickly as possible. As long as you leave in a relaxed and polite fashion, you won’t ruin your reputation.12) Thank Everyone for Their HelpAs your bag is packed, and you’re heading out the door, tak e the time to thank everyone for their help on your first day. This is especially true if you’ve been mentored by anyone.Remember; they’ve taken time out of their busy schedules to help you. Yes, that was their choice, and they get something out of it as well, but it’s still a hassle for them.A simple thank you goes a long way to making someone feel appreciated. It’ll also help to improve your ever-growing relationship with your new colleagues.

Do Telecommuting Jobs Really Exist

Do Telecommuting Jobs Really Exist I was recently interviewed for CNNs Your Money on the topic of telecommuting. This is certainly a hot topic among job seekers as people continue to seek more work/life balance and flexible arrangements. But I think there is a misperception about how to secure a telecommuting arrangement. Its unlikely that you will  land  a telecommuting job through an online job board (and be wary, because most of these opportunities are scams). Most telecommuting jobs start out as traditional jobs that evolve to a more flexible arrangement through a mutual agreement between the employer and the employee. You must first prove to an employer  that you are trustworthy and loyal and that the telecommuting arrangement presents benefits for the company as well as the employee. If you are considering requesting a telecommuting work arrangement, here are some potential employer benefits you can reference during your conversation.Reduced infrastructure costs. Employers can save on their real estate, technolo gy and telecommunication costs by offering telecommuting arrangements.Decrease in distractions. Traditional office settings are plagued by time wasting activities and ongoing interruptions.   Who hasnt been in a situation where they were constantly interrupted by people coming into their office to ask questions?  And how often have you seen co-workers wasting time gossiping by the coffee station? All these distractions  can be eliminated in the telecommuting arrangement.Increase in work hours. The telecommuter can continue to work during the time they would normally be commuting. This increase in productivity can translate into more money earned or saved for companies or more interaction with important clients.Increased morale. Employees that have greater control over how they manage the competing demands in their lives tend to be happier in their work. This positive attitude can contribute to increased productivity and better rapport with colleagues and clients.Increased employee l oyalty and retention. Employees who feel that their employers are supportive of their workplace flexibility needs tend to stay with their companies longer. In the long run this saves employers enormous costs associated with sourcing and training their replacements.If you hope to secure a telecommuting arrangement in the near future, start targeting companies that embrace workplace flexibility now. Start off in a traditional in-office role and prove your ability to be productive with limited supervision. Build trusting relationships with colleagues, clients and supervisors. Doing so will help improve your chances of securing  a telecommuting arrangement at some point in the future.

Resume Writing to Avoid Age Discrimination

Resume Writing to Avoid Age DiscriminationResume writing to avoid age discrimination is not an easy task. However, the task of writing a resume that reflects your worth and makes you stand out from the crowd is not so difficult. The objective of resume writing to avoid age discrimination is to ensure that you are given equal chances with others who are applying for the same job and giving you the chance to prove yourself in the best possible way.Here we will be looking at two basic ways of handling this problem and exploring their legal limits. By being the right age, you should get the right chances in order to make a good impression on the hiring manager. There are a number of ways to circumvent the age discrimination.It is imperative that you identify the areas where you need to be careful and ensure that you have some qualification in and that you do not encounter any kind of age discrimination. One of the methods that you can use is by creating a backup resume of sorts. Such a f orm of resume may be used when the initial one is not available. The one will carry all your qualifications and experience but it may not be able to be completed and not printed out.Another method of avoiding age discrimination involves ensuring that the cover letter is convincing. A resume must speak of your personal qualities while the cover letter should highlight your professional credentials. This is to prevent the hiring manager from concluding that you are only good enough to be the secretary of the company. The cover letter should be able to present you as a person who is capable of doing the work but capable of delivering a better quality.Resume writing to avoid age discrimination should involve having an online presence. A resume that is accepted by a potential employer will be available online which will have your work history, academic qualifications and experience. You should ensure that you are able to upload all these documents before your prospective employer is read y to accept your application.Resume writing to avoid age discrimination should also address how your education and experience relate to the job that you are applying for. The reason for this is that a prospective employer will only be interested in hiring people who are qualified for the post. If you are not qualified for the post then your resume would be rejected.Lastly, you need to emphasize on your suitability for the job and the role that you are being considered for. This is to ensure that you do not fall prey to age discrimination. You must tell the hiring manager about your history in order to ensure that you are well versed with the responsibilities that come with the job that you are applying for. The hiring manager is the final arbiter of whether you have the required expertise or not.You must remember that the more you can differentiate yourself from the rest, the better and this is the only possible ways of avoiding age discrimination. You must be able to employ these m ethods of avoiding age discrimination in order to get the job of your dreams.