Employment
Red Flags
Hiring
- They’d love for you to start today (ship is on fire/sinking)
Day-to-day
- QA/Dev/Ops refuse to work together on problems
- Small things like coffee, first-aid kits, etc start getting cut. Saving pennies at the expense of worker general satisfaction
- People get upset that you’re not working outside of your 8 hours a day. This includes checking email, answering phone calls (outside of on-call)
Negotiation
- Free food/pop is not a replacement for cash (if they cut back, or the food sucks, you’re paying twice). “Perks” can get yanked at any time, and generally aren’t written into contracts - get cash or time.
Interviews
Questions you should have a ready answer for
- Why do you want to work there?
- Why should you be hired?
- Why are you leaving the job you’re at now?
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
- What are your hobbies outside of work?
- What are your strengths/weaknesses
Links
Questions to ask new employers
- How is good work rewarded?
- What do you do to ensure people don’t burnout?
- What is the process for replacing/acquiring equipment?