Questions tagged [career-development]
Questions relating to advancing one's career; this could include questions about promotions and training or looking for a job outside of the current company
186
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311
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How can I overcome "years of experience" requirements when applying to positions?
Summary: I have 2 years of experience, but want to get a job that explicitly requires 3-7 years. I consider myself with sufficient skills. How can I get a job that requires more years of experience ...
user874
290
votes
8
answers
56k
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Why is it important to gain "visibility" in the workplace?
My boss has recently been pushing me to take up stuff and try to gain visibility across the organization.
I just do not understand the idea behind this.
Why is it important to gain visibility? If I ...
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35
votes
8
answers
31k
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How can I approach career development with a boss who doesn't seem to support this?
I really enjoy my current job. The team is friendly, my manager is friendly, and the work is challenging, interesting, and fulfilling. Because of this, I have no interest in leaving this company or ...
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42
votes
7
answers
11k
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Is it ok to jump from job to job until I find one that I really like?
I am a picky person. I have a stable financial situation. I am not married. I don't need too much to live (cheap lifestyle). My problem is: it is hard to find a job that I really like that fits my ...
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122
votes
17
answers
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How can I communicate my preference to stay where I am now in my career path, and not move "up"?
I'm a developer and 100% happy being a developer writing code for the rest of my life. All I ever want to really do is just write code. Most certainly, I never want to be a project manager, which I ...
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91
votes
19
answers
28k
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How can I reduce the size of a long resume without hiding all my skills and experience?
I'm in the US and have 30 years of experience with a bunch of different companies, working in high-tech and the software industry. I have a lot of links, skills, and education which has pushed my ...
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53
votes
5
answers
35k
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How should I respond to the classic "Introduce yourself" question in an interview?
Almost any interview begins with the classic question of "Introduce yourself".
Somehow I found mixed levels of detail as answers to this question. How should you ideally respond to this question ...
- 6,802
45
votes
10
answers
9k
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Should I stay irreplaceable in the company by keeping all skills to myself?
I sometimes hear from my managers that I should start training my responsibilities to others so I don't have too much on my plate or can be more flexible when making my holiday decisions.
For some ...
- 503
45
votes
5
answers
19k
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Is there an effective way of dealing with nepotism at work?
The cardinal-nephew problem is quite common in Greece, where most businesses are (or started out as) family run. Even in larger corporate entities favouritism to relatives and friends is not uncommon....
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37
votes
3
answers
5k
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What are the career risks of taking a job related to adult entertainment?
I'm looking for a job and I have an offer I am considering. The company seems like a nice place to work, I like the team, I can make a contribution and also learn something. The unusual feature is ...
- 521
21
votes
8
answers
82k
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How to interview for a new job when working full time?
I am a relatively recent college graduate, and this will be my first time finding a new job while working full-time.
My past interviews usually followed this process: HR phone call -> engineer phone ...
- 487
55
votes
7
answers
201k
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As a student, how should programming language familiarity be described on a CV/Resume [duplicate]
I am second year Computer Science student and I was going to apply at Microsoft as a Microsoft Student Partner. I am required to create a CV/Resume.
Technically I don't have any work experience at ...
- 559
12
votes
3
answers
11k
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My job duties do not match the job title/description. How do I approach my boss about changing this?
I graduated with a BS in CS in late 2013. I began working my first job as a 'programmer' almost three months ago. Since hire I have not seen or worked with code, and my impression is this won't ...
- 487
11
votes
5
answers
9k
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Should I include short work experience on my CV?
After only three weeks from the day I left my previous job I have been invited by this company to join their team. I accepted the invitation right away, but now three other weeks have passed and, for ...
- 417
26
votes
1
answer
2k
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How can I evaluate if an optional certificate will help my career or not?
There are many optional certificates out there that may help a career, but also many that are just a waste of time and money.
What factors should I consider to determine if a certificate will help me ...
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65
votes
4
answers
8k
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If I did a good job delegating all my work to a team I built, and there is no work left, am I redundant?
I have been commended for doing a good job building a team and I currently have absolutely zero hands-on work. I also believe the team is doing very well on their own and need minimal supervision. Or ...
21
votes
4
answers
9k
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How to ask senior/mid level developers for guidance (if you're a junior)?
I want to ask a twist to the popular question that was posted yesterday about the junior developer who refuses help.
Just some background...I recently graduated and have been working with my company ...
- 11.9k
14
votes
3
answers
2k
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Actual work is different than expected - decision to be made
TLDR: Job turned out different than expected. How long should i wait to make a decision about staying or leaving?
So i recently graduated university with a M. Sc. (graded 1.3, 1.0 being the best) and ...
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12
votes
5
answers
1k
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Do IT certifications help improve a job candidate's prospects?
There was a time(before y2k) when being an MCSE or CNA was a notable achievement that showed dedication and knowledge.
In the last decade or so IT certifications became less noteworthy. Boot camps ...
- 49.9k
64
votes
6
answers
8k
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Convicted felon looking for a job
I am a software developer who was convicted of a drug distribution felony (Schedule 3, non-recreational pharmaceutical) in the federal system (meaning no possibility of expungement) a few years back. ...
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45
votes
6
answers
98k
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Are beards perceived as unprofessional in the workplace?
It has recently been mentioned by a colleague that I should look at shaving my beard as it may limit future opportunities in my company as it can be perceived as lazy and too casual. It may or may not ...
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35
votes
5
answers
16k
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How do I survive a failed project?
There is a great question on programmers that dealt specifically with the programmer aspects.
Many of us end up on projects that we can tell are doomed for failure long before they are cancelled. ...
- 49.9k
14
votes
4
answers
7k
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Should I resign from my current job before getting acceptance letter from the new job?
I have done Bachelor in Computer Science and Engineering. During the last days of my degree, I got placed in a good multinational corporation. I got offer letter from the company. My joining was ...
- 1,482
135
votes
18
answers
51k
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How to react when employee is not interested in career development?
I am a manager at a large tech company. Three months ago, all the managers at our company had career conversations with our team members.
One of my team members has expressed that she is not ...
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131
votes
12
answers
21k
views
How can I build reputation online as a programmer when my work is private?
I've been working as a programmer for around 12 years. I've worked for 4 different companies (including where I am now) all of which have a good reputation.
I have a LinkedIn account but due to the ...
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69
votes
8
answers
11k
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How can I get out of a bad job assignment without quitting?
I'm a software developer. Recently, my boss has told me my upcoming project assignment will be doing manual quality assurance on a web site some colleagues are building.
I feel that spending 6 months ...
- 809
44
votes
6
answers
8k
views
Stuck in a dead-end job. How do I get ahead?
I'm stuck in a dead-end web developer job where I don't get paid much and rarely get to learn anything new. It's a small, mom-and-pop shop where there is no room for advancement either. I am not happy....
- 1,323
30
votes
8
answers
5k
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How can frequent anxiety attacks affect me in business and the workplace?
I tend to get very stressed out about how things play out around me in the workplace. A lot of the stress and anxiety comes from high level decisions and changes made by management and executives ...
- 20.7k
17
votes
8
answers
4k
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Do employers care where you went to school? [closed]
As a soon-to-be university grad from a less than 'prestigious' school. After reading this article. I have asked this question to a wide variety of people I have met. In general, they respondedthat ...
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5
votes
2
answers
2k
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How to ask to continue with employer after an internship?
I'm currently working as an intern as a software developer working on a new application for the company. The scope of the project is very large and I have barely scratched the surface in the short ...
- 539
1
vote
1
answer
786
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Manager does not develop employees [duplicate]
I'm working as an offshore Senior ERP Developer with a BPO Company for over a year now and my Manager and peers are working in the United States.
I've been successfully been taking on large projects ...
user62478
109
votes
12
answers
28k
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My manager thinks showing up early doesn't show as much enthusiasm as staying late
TL;DR:
My manager says I don't "show a sense of urgency" like the rest of the team because I am laid-back and typically leave right at 5. But I come in early and work through lunch and definitely '...
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100
votes
4
answers
24k
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Does returning to a previous employer look bad on a resume?
A year ago, I left my job for a new one. That didn't work out for several reasons, and my year contract ends soon. It so happens that my old employer is offering me my old job back (their initiative). ...
66
votes
5
answers
58k
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What are possible career transitions for a seasoned software developer? [closed]
I have been a software developer for 11 years. During these years I worked for number of companies, sometimes changing places twice or three times a year.
They say it takes 10 years to reach 'expert'...
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57
votes
4
answers
4k
views
Continuous Learning when you have a family [closed]
I am trying to practice continuous learning at home so that I can keep up with newer technologies as a software engineer. For me continuous learning involves tinkering with code, reading stackoverflow/...
- 1,132
48
votes
9
answers
269k
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How to respond to "Why do you deserve a promotion"?
Our company has a new IT manager and it is suddenly the time for promotions. He is still new to the company and he doesn't have much knowledge about the employees.
My project manager spoke about my ...
- 6,802
31
votes
6
answers
7k
views
Can a Ph.D. have a negative impact on your career in the software industry?
Does getting a Ph.D. negatively impact your career in the software industry? I have heard from several people that Ph.D.'s are considered "Over Qualified" for software development or management jobs ...
- 2,802
30
votes
4
answers
7k
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I'm a Web Developer with no design skills. Should I still have a portfolio?
I feel that I am a creative Web Developer, but when it comes to design and meshing colors I really have no idea where to start. Should I have a very basic "Here's what I can do" website, or fill it ...
- 545
20
votes
4
answers
4k
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What are the implications of losing Sr. title when changing job in software development field
This question is related to my previous question here.
In a nutshell, my career aspiration is to become software development manager. However, I am in need of increasing my salary whenever there is a ...
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17
votes
3
answers
40k
views
What can I do about my transfer to a new position being blocked?
My company has posted a position in another department. It looks like I am qualified for the position. Before applying for the position I talked to my supervisor and was encouraged to apply.
In a ...
user1544
16
votes
5
answers
914
views
How to gain greater management skills and experience when my employer fills the ranks with more experienced managers?
My company is growing - fast - and has more funding than ever before. We can afford to attract talent from top brand world famous companies to head departments that were previously run by college ...
- 169
14
votes
6
answers
13k
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Put onto a project I don't want to do. How can I tell my boss?
I have been in software development only about 10 months and I was hired for Python/Django platform.
The boss wants me to work on a mobile project. which I don't not want to work on.
These are my ...
- 267
13
votes
3
answers
8k
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How to get around the "there's no money in the budget" excuse when asking for a raise?
Some background: My company does annual bonuses/raises around the March timeframe. I got hired in August of last year, so at 7 months I didn't feel comfortable enough asking for a raise.
I just had ...
- 11.9k
12
votes
4
answers
4k
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I'm a Junior Level Developer in a job that is not teaching me anything modern
I am a junior level Java developer in a Big 4 bank. The project I am working on is using very outdated technology with no plans for upgrading, and so I am not getting any exposure to modern ...
- 247
8
votes
5
answers
8k
views
How do I handle my last name changing after marriage?
Though I'm not currently getting married, I've always wondered how I should handle my last name within the workplace when I do.
In the workplace, your name is directly attached to your work. When ...
- 930
7
votes
5
answers
88k
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How to mention weakness in the self assessment section of an employment form
I have been trying to write this section of "Developmental Areas" in a employment form given by my organization. This is the place where I need to cite a few of my weaknesses.
I actually want to ...
- 541
6
votes
2
answers
1k
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Should I reply to unsolicited recruitment emails?
As a university student with 4 month internship experience in telecommunication corp before, I received an email from one of the mobile & wireless related company (I did submit my resume to them ...
- 81
5
votes
4
answers
280
views
Seeking out a Mentor in field that does not work at the same company
There are several people in my field that have inspired me. They, I am sure, are completely unaware of who I am but from reading their blogs and websites, I would like to learn as much as I possibly ...
- 1,133
157
votes
9
answers
31k
views
Is it ethical to read programming books on the clock?
I have an issue that hasn't ever surfaced as a problem, but it's a question that's been bugging me internally a little bit for the last several years.
I've worked at a few different places where they ...
- 1,649
68
votes
6
answers
18k
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Why do salaries of software engineers reach a peak beyond which they no longer increase with experience in Germany?
I'm a recent computer science (CS) master graduate living in Germany. Now I'm starting to think about my long-term career path and looking for jobs in Germany. I'm proficient in Java and data mining (...
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