Quitting your job? Here's how not to do it
You can't take it with you... There is a tradition of “off-site backups” for handy bits of code and data that you’ve worked with at your current employer. At most firms you could fit every line of source code together with a complete customer list on the free USB stick you got at a conference. This is a really dumb thing to do …
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References
"I find it odd that people think references are really that terse. I've never seen one like that. They are either glowing, or basic, and you read-between-the-lines quite well on the basic ones because they are *crafted* so that you can. Maybe it's just my industry but I'd be very suspicious of a terse one-line reference. And I've worked mostly on the basis of my references for my whole working career."
At the last large company I worked for, it was in fact policy - written in the employee handbook - that you were not to give out work references. All requests for references were to be referred to HR, and HR would only confirm that yes, the person asking for references had been employed there from date X to date Y. They might have added positions within the company, and dates for those, but I'm not sure about that.
Beer because, well, I think I'll go get a pint. I usually needed one when I had to deal with the (outsourced) HR at that company...
Re: References
I've worked at a number of places where references were officially terse things that HR had to issue. Every time someone good has come to me personally and asked for a reference I've written one on non-company paper, signed it personally and given it them. A good employee is never going to get screwed by me as a policy. It helps that most times this has happened I've already left the firm in question as well, but I would even do this whilst I'm still at the firm.
Re: Bah!
I think he meant "bone us"- You know, the usual way IT is treated when there's pots of cash being doled out to all the wrong people.
delete the source code?
Never delete the source code when a few simple GOTO's will suffice.
Re: delete the source code?
"...when a few simple GOTO's will suffice."
My favourite was a massive kludge of C code with the comment "I pity the poor b****d who has to get this working".
Re: delete the source code?
I think it is actually one of the worst ideas. Certainly there are some laws which put stiff penalities onto such action, if it can be proven. Destroying source code could be called "sabotage", "destruction of property" or even "terrorism".
What would you call it if a worker would destroy some cars before quitting a job at a car factory ??
That kind of action is more than childish - it is clearly criminal.
Re: delete the source code?
> "I pity the poor b****d who has to get this working".
I wrote some perl during my last contract. In it, I left the comment:
# This next bit is evil. Look away now.
And it was. And it was the only way to do it (the library I'd used didn't quite do what it promised).
Vic.
Re: delete the source code?
Or, never delete the source code when the use of source control isn't thoroughly checked. Some places will shoo you out of the door so quickly that you don't even have the chance to check all code is safely in the repository.
A slightly different issue is this: would you want to be working out a notice period placing code in production environments when any bug that got missed could be construed as deliberate depending on how much of a tool your boss is?
Re: delete the source code?
"I wrote some perl during my last contract. In it, I left the comment:
# This next bit is evil. Look away now."
I think that comment could have legitimately been put right at the very top of many of the Perl files i've had to look at...
You can't take it with you...
I can't help but take it with me. It's all in my head!
Re: You can't take it with you...
Then you've not done your job properly. Sure it gives you a nice warm feeling when you get shitcanned and no-one else can do what you've done. But suppose the company were treating you well, and your trajectory intersected a bus one morning. For no fault of their own, the company would be in a whole world of hurt.
Everything gets logged. Everything you wrote goes in version control. Now making sense of it all, *that* takes experience. But if you're worth hiring, you don't leave all your knowledge in your head. If you do, by definition you're not worth hiring, and if they shitcan you then you're getting what you deserve.
Re: You can't take it with you...
Have you tried getting management to understand the importance of proper documentation and source control?
The falling under a bus scenario is one I frequently use to explain why I'm "not working".
Working your notice
I was made redundant over a decade ago from a firm I'd been with for over a decade. As I'd been there so long, I was on 14 weeks notice, and while many colleagues were granted gardening leave I was required to work my notice. It worked out well: the (company provided) outplacement guy helped steer me into a beneficial change of direction in my career, and I was able to do a load of handover stuff, as well as finishing off project work.
About 6 weeks into my notice, I was doing some snagging on a project I'd worked on. It happened that the project was at a major UK airport and, as my company's sole person on site, I was making changes to a control system for guiding aircraft around the aerodrome and then visiting the control tower with a pair of binoculars to verify the change worked correctly. To this day I can't work out whether my employer was recklessly irresponsible, or paid a huge compliment to my professional integrity. I left the company with the dial-in modem number for the system and the root password---I never tried it, but I bet the password remained unchanged for years.
Re: Working your notice
May I ask how you verify changes to an aircraft guidance system work via binoculars? The absence of flames and aircraft debris I presume?
Re: Working your notice
> I left the company with the dial-in modem number for the system and the root password
It never ceases to amaze me how many times a company calls me back in, long after I've left, to do something to a machine. When I ask for sudoer access, they reply "haven't you got the root password?"
And I have. Because no-one ever changes it.
Vic.
Re: Working your notice
Sounds like some good QA work there.
Test Case: Aircraft Guidance System
ID: AGS001
Expected Results: Plane intact, flames not visible, occupants show signs of life.
Re: Working your notice
Don't forget you have to ensure that the bad cases work as expected too
Test Case: Aircraft Guidance System
ID: AGS002
Expected Results: Plane broken, flames visible, occupants show no signs of life.
Taking the code with you
I always take a copy of my source with me - compress it - encrypt it - and probably never look at it again.
Why? Because in my career there's been one time where I was asked to help on something I worked on before and the original code had been lost.
Plus - if there's ever a dispute in the future - I want to know exactly what I did. Which means version history.
The truth is I rarely, if ever, look at code I've work on in the past. But it is there. No one else should ever be able to access it - however. It is locked up tight - along with all my other data.
Re: Taking the code with you
I do a similar thing. Not for outright theft purposes but rather as a reference implementation of particular functionality from the angle of "that worked but how could I have done it better?".
Holy fruitbats...
I'd *hate* to work in any of the places Dominic has worked at, they sound terrible.
In my experience, as a web dev, leaving is pretty damn easy to do and is often the only way to significantly ramp up your salary - but you have to ensure you don't jump ship too often.
2 to 3 years is a good stint.
The buy-back thing, I'd go along with the advice and generally say, just don't play it that way - if you want to leave, *leave*, don't let your soon-to-be-ex-boss try to negotiate you back into staying. Politely say "thanks, but it's time for me to move on"
If you negotiate, I'd view that as unprofessional, as it's clear you haven't been through the right channels first - bringing your grievances and requests to your boss and asking for them to be resolved.
I'd also go along with the "small world" - it certainly is.
Most job changes you make, unless your a migrant IT worker, are going to be within a specific geographic region.
And yep, it goes without saying, never ever diss your ex-company.
All round good advise.
Re: Holy fruitbats...
> And yep, it goes without saying, never ever diss your ex-company.
I had an interesting take on that - the other way round.
I'd applied for a job in the same industry as my previous company. Because my prospective employer knew my old employer[1], they ended up talking about me - not formally, just in passing.
I eventually found out that the reason they paid me as highly as they did was that my former boss had made a point of telling them exactly how much of a shitbag I was.
The new guys figured that if I'd annoyed him that much, I must be OK :-)
Vic.
[1] At the previous company, the entire team bar one[2] had quit en masse. The guys I was going to work for had come in to bail out the project we'd all left.
[2] One guy was talked into staying on for a while, for quite a bit more money. He left within the year...
You can take it with you...
If you previously persuaded management to let you release it as open source. Obviously this doesn't work if the software development is core to the company's business, but for a lot of us it is an option. I've found there are plenty of reasonable managers who are happy with the "what comes around should go around" principle.
Better IMHO to use a truly open license like NCSA rather than get into the potentially restricting politically motivated complications of GPL though.
Re: You can take it with you...
You do know that as the author, you can decide whether a company has to follow all the terms of the GPL? I believe some go for a dual license... basically "GPL or pay me money".
Putting "ExWorkplaceCo Ltd can use my shit for what they like" in writing would probably work, even if it does give some literal-minded folk a giggle.
Re: You can take it with you...
No, you can't.
Some (not many) software guys seem to have this misguided opinion that they hold the rights to stuff they produce under contract. This is incorrect unless you have some incredibly permissive contract.. Stuff produced on company time, with company equipment, is theirs once produced, not yours.
Re: You can take it with you...
True, however, what are they going to do blow your brains out, at the end of the day if they make you unemployed thru no fault of yours then sorry they have thrown away any right to integrity.
Now if I leave thru my decision then I would help them in hours of need after I left, I have done that, several times.
If I that dispensible then what I know stays with me, they are employing me, NOT buying my brain.
Sometimes the hard times make you strong,..
my last manager at my previous employer had "issues" with me (I insisted on all instructions being emailled after he stabbed me in the back several times), so I made sure the prior manager was on-side (he had left to work for the competition) and the senior technician still there was given a thorough handover and was prepared to give a verbal reference based on that handover.
I now know what questions to ask in an interview, such as "why has the position become vacant" and "what is the average length of service of the team members". If the HR person shifts uncomfortably or looks sideways at the lead interviewer, then run like hell.
(Heartening to know the PHB I had was "right-sized" a few years after I left, and his old junior now occupies the position in the org chart.)
BTW, the difference between an unemployed IT professional and a former IT professional is 1 year max (under the age of 40) and 6 months max if you are older than 40. Everyone I have met who was hired after being unemployed for more than 2 years, soon showed WHY! they had been unemployed that long.
Re: Sometimes the hard times make you strong,..
"why has the position become vacant" and "what is the average length of service of the team members".
great questions. i shall remember those
Buybacks? Not likely
If a 'buyback' is likely, then you didn't do your job right. If you're not being paid enough, then ask for more - they'll either give it to you, or not - anyone with half a brain could tell you're likely to leave if you don't get it (if you don't chicken out and stay after all - which a smart boss should be able to tell).
If you're leaving because your boss is crap, or because the sales people oversell you, or the training budget is £3.27, then these are all things you should have at least tried to fix. If they can't be fixed, then what's the point of the buyback?
I know buybacks do happen, but I have never worked out why. They don't make sense if everyone had even been doing half of their job right - it certainly shouldn't make sense for the "great" people whom might get considered to get one. If you're being considered for a buyback, you shouldn't get one. Weird, huh!?
All that aside, this looks like good clear advice to me - nothing especially new to and old duffer like me, but good none the less.
Re: Buybacks? Not likely
Buybacks occur sometimes because some mid level boss has gotten away with paying a good person less than they should have gotten (keeping the balance to pad his bonus). Finally, the screwed person decides it is time to jump ship, and the boss is forced to do something, hence, the buyback.
My opinion is this, once you decide to leave an employer, walk, and NEVER look back. Do not let the `siren song` of "more money" cause you to `crash upon the rocks`. Because, you know damn well that the boss will screw you over again if the chance arises.
Karma is when you leave an employer because of a bad boss, and some time later, that same boss comes to work for your new employer in a subordinate role.
"I hired a network manager out of ICL/Fujitsu in spite of my opinion of the firm"
Oh.
Re: "I hired a network manager out of ICL/Fujitsu in spite of my opinion of the firm"
Software Developer at Fujitsu here, best company I've ever worked for. Dying to know what it is I'm missing out on now, I hope Dominic gets the chance to share his opinions.
ultimate way to quit your job
Best way I have seen to quit a crap job was the scene in the movie Slammin Salmon when the waiter finds out he has been picked for a tv show lol. Funny movie from crew that brought us beer fest and super troopers.
Re: ultimate way to quit your job
WTF are you talking about?
Re: ultimate way to quit your job
Eclectic movie reference fail it is. Still the movie is funny and way the dude quits still makes me chuckle thinking about it.
10 yrs on...
10 years after I finished a 6 month contract at a place, I am still occasionally called back to provide support when the lead dev goes on holiday - that is a good reason to keep a copy of any source somewhere, now and again it comes back as useful reference!
So lets recap Dominic's Ouevre
1. Make sure your CV impresses
2. Look profesional and be honest in an interview
3. Don't be a dick when you do get that new job
Blindingly obvious stuff missed by many people
... however
I know of one situation where none of this applied. Guy had fully paid up mortgage, a couple of investments due to mature and more than ready to retire from a job where they'd paid him progressively less in real terms while piling on more work. Faced with yet another pointy headed manager droid he finally snapped.
His leaving was remembered with smiles from those at the coalface for years.
Performance Review
http://www.kaitaia.com/jokes/Real%20Life%20Stories/Real_Life_Stories7.htm
Dave
Swearing at the boss.
Not always a sackable offense.
I used to work for Tuffnells Parcels Express as a porter/sorter/general dogsbody. It was the only place I've known where I could tell the depot manager to STFU and stop being so fat and bald, and still have my job. Then I got given the Jesus nickname by an Iraqi refugee who was probably one of the best workers in the place. So he instantly got called either "Mohammed" or "Aladdin" depending on what mood I was in. The night manager was similarly rotund and hairless so ended up being called "Buddha". So I'd walk in, he'd shout "JESUS!" - I'd shout back with "ALREET BUDDHA, WHERE'S MOHAMMED?" Three gods working in one depot, no wonder we managed to work miracles every night!
Of course this doesn't compare to the depot manager shouting at me while unloading "ARE YOU SWEATING YET?"
So I raise my arm, point right at the stained and sweaty T shirt, "LICK THIS AND TELL ME."
His response? "Get this wagon done in the next ten minutes and I'll lick your fucking balls, pal."
Yeah, so tl;dr: How you treat your boss depends entirely on the type of workplace you are in.
Re: Swearing at the boss.
Apropos nothing really: I worked weekends at a supermarket, in the 70's, for a chap who had a "Dymo'd" badge proclaiming him as "Rear Entrance Manager".
Oh, just remembered the apropos: DON'T FUCKING SHOUT. OK?
A crime?
Doesn't apply to political defectors, though:
http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/defector_ben_has_no_case_to_answer_1_2965102
you _can_ take it with you
When I was made redundant by the .com vapour-ware company that bought us out, I made sure I had copies of everything I had been working on. When they came back to contract me to do some maintenance, surprise surprise they had no idea where their "master" copies of anything were, they had lost the lot.
Why do we still use the term Manager?
Because we all know its the complete opposite of what they can actually do.
How many of us have a proper 'Manager' these days? You know the ones that actually manage a team, make sure its on track, helps smooth out problems, develops careers, organise training etc. etc.
I guess we all now have the modern Manager. The type who only looks after no.1, is always in unnecessary meetings with Directors, rather than talking to his/her team. Always pushing their opinion or direction on a project, making the decisions on stuff they know jack about, doesn't even know your name...
What's worse is when you have a 'Chain of Managers". Ever had that to contend with? When you have the Team Manager, Senior Manager and Head of Dept in the same office. All with different opinions so you end up having to guess the correct decision that Dave then Mike then Tim would approve of without pissing any of them off.
That works really well.
Always the same mistake.
Mistake number one on any list : work for money.
Working paycheck to paycheck expecting to " make a living" is the worst mistake anyone can do.
It just makes you dependent on your job for income. There is no way out , you work and get a paycheck.That's all you get. There is one way out , but it's calling for a lot of time spent making efforts and starting a business on your own. While you work down there in that small space of your's , someone in the office up there is making plans for you .They are voting themselves pay raises , they are deciding your future . The only way to break the circle is make your own company. What most people are nowadays is modern day slaves.
You don't count as a person to none of the execs.
All you are is a cash cow. Your work makes them money , and believe me , they do get their hands in the cookie jar . You're their meal ticket , fatten their accounts .
Quitting a job may be the best thing that ever happened to you. Your only way out is go to school , get a business course , start your own and write your own paycheck. I done so .. so can you .
When have you ever seen an apostrophe in "yours" ?
Also, your unusual style of putting spaces before punctuation marks is not generally accepted, as it is annoying and makes things more difficult to read.
Re: Always the same mistake.
So how does this actually work out? We all leave our jobs and start our own companies which can never grow to any size because they can never employ anybody - because everybody has followed your advice and doesn't want to be a wage slave.
Hand over, shmandover
If my employer is stupid enough to make me work my notice period after handover is complete, then sure I'm going to moan to all and sundry. They've already installed some muppet as my manager, so I'm not going to go to him for a reference ever, and they've already shown me the reference they're going to give me which is the legal bare minimum they're allowed to provide, so no motivation there either. I will however complete handover as I have a bare minimum of professionalism left, and I don't actually hate the company I'm handing over to, just the one that currently pays me.
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