Good Monday Everyone! Time for the weekly blog post for professionals and would-be employed.
I apologize for this being late, I spent my weekend nerding it up with the family and all day today trying to code a client-side version the the AD Migration Tool.
Today I'm looking at the different types of jobs out there: Contract, Contract-to-Hire, and Direct Hire.
Direct Hire
A while ago you could go to a company, get a job, do your work, and if you got fired you at least had unemployment to lean on until you could find a new job. However companies learned that it's not cost effective to have to pay for that, much less all the benefits like health insurance, vacation days, and sick days they have to pay to their employees.
Contract to Hire
Now this is a more formalized version of the 90 day waiting period before benefits, etc. that we had with direct hire. If you were good and they liked you, then you were brought on permanently with all the nommy vacation days and health insurance.
Contract
Here's the kind of scary one. You see - a lot of employees, especially at the entry-level position, are young, eager, and desperate for work. They may not want health insurance, so a contract-only position (that can easily pay $10k a year more than a regular position) is a great deal for not only them but their employer. Not only that if the employer decides to "end your contract" then that's it - your job is simply gone. No unemployment for you.
Other Contracts
There are a couple of contracts IT professionals need to be aware of that can come up even if you're a direct hire. The first is the non-compete contract. This generally says you won't go work for a competitor or for a customer that you worked for in the course of your job. These contracts will typically expire after a year or two and generally don't cause much a hard ship.
The one that's really nasty can be called any number of things - but I call them training contracts. Training contacts state that if you are terminated - be it you quit or you're fired - you owe the company for any training or certifications that they helped pay for.
Now one one hand I don't disagree with these entirely. However if the company decides to fire you suddenly, then you're on the hook for a few thousand dollars. One training contract I've seen actually required me to pay back my salary for the training period as well as food, lodging, travel expenses, and training.
Making it Work
Yeah - this is all terrible but a fact of life anymore, with no sign of it getting better. However there is hope: During your contract be the epitome of skilled professional and continue looking. When you find a new job that is appealing, give your notice. If your current employer asks to make a counter off take a few grand off your current salary (or equivalent) and say that if they make your permanent that you'll stay.
I speak from experience here :)
Monday, July 11, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Anti-Social Saturdays:The Value of Social Interaction at Work
I was listening a bit to NPR the other day, and they were discussing something called paper tigers. The paper tigers refer to Asian students who seem to dominate test scores in school but fail to achieve higher-level success in the work force.
Surprisingly this often isn't a case of The Man keeping them down - one of the reporters stated that her own experiences with this phenomenon were based on cultural reasons, not skill.
According the the reporter, she comes from a culture that emphasizes hard work. Just keep your head down and keep at it and you will be successful. Japan itself even has a phrase: The nail that stands up gets hammered down.
So then how does that apply to a white geek? Well a lot of us tend to be introverts. Until I all but forced myself into being an extrovert I really struggled with a lot of professional issues (as well as, of course, social ones).
Think of it like this: I have to technicians, but I have to let one go due to rightsizing. Both technicians are of equal skill, and both complete their work on time, under budget, and without flaw.
One however will spend about fifteen minutes a day in my office as we have idle banter. The other... I really don't talk to him that often. He mostly sits at his desk all day working quietly. I barely know him, while I kinda like the guy that comes in my office.
Who do you think I fire?
There is more than that, and you don't actually have to LIKE you're coworkers either. Just make some small banter, ask how your weekend was, ask how they're doing. Ask about hobbies and family. Don't over do it either, no one likes a kiss-ass. But a little social interaction can go a long way.
Surprisingly this often isn't a case of The Man keeping them down - one of the reporters stated that her own experiences with this phenomenon were based on cultural reasons, not skill.
According the the reporter, she comes from a culture that emphasizes hard work. Just keep your head down and keep at it and you will be successful. Japan itself even has a phrase: The nail that stands up gets hammered down.
So then how does that apply to a white geek? Well a lot of us tend to be introverts. Until I all but forced myself into being an extrovert I really struggled with a lot of professional issues (as well as, of course, social ones).
Think of it like this: I have to technicians, but I have to let one go due to rightsizing. Both technicians are of equal skill, and both complete their work on time, under budget, and without flaw.
One however will spend about fifteen minutes a day in my office as we have idle banter. The other... I really don't talk to him that often. He mostly sits at his desk all day working quietly. I barely know him, while I kinda like the guy that comes in my office.
Who do you think I fire?
There is more than that, and you don't actually have to LIKE you're coworkers either. Just make some small banter, ask how your weekend was, ask how they're doing. Ask about hobbies and family. Don't over do it either, no one likes a kiss-ass. But a little social interaction can go a long way.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Weekend DIY Project: A Home Firepit
So my oldest son is a bit of a pyro. His father is a bit of a pyro, just like his father before him. While I (and my retired fireman father) may enjoy little more than a good fire, we also want to do so safely.
This project is a very simple project that can even be done with a three year old helping. I speak from experience :)
This project has four major aspects:
The first thing you need to do is select a safe site for the fire pit. The ideal site for a fire pit has nothing above it, nor anything flammable near by it. Every one of these things are of paramount for safety - the more you risk, the higher your chances of the fire spreading.
Security (Construction)
Now that you know where you want your fire pit to be at, it is now time to construct it. Construction of a fire pit is entirely about securing the fire pit and those who are around it.
The first thing I recommend is a small - gasp - pit! My pit is about a one foot by two foot square on the surface and is about 8" deep. Not very big, I know but I wasn't going for anything big. The bigger your pit, the bigger the flame will be.
The next thing I recommend is a barrier that surrounds at least half (if not all) of the pit. This provides a little more security against the flame, as well as prevents someone from accidentally stepping into dying embers.
Your barrier can be either a steel wall (such as a fire ring), stones, or bricks. I personally constructed a half-circling wall of stones around my fire pit.
Finally you need a dead-zone around the pit. A dead zone should be dead soil all around the pit, with nothing growing in it. The radius of the dead zone should be roughly equal to half the width of your pit. You can reduce the deadzone by the use of the barrier above, but I do not recommend it. A deadzone can be created by tilling, digging, dropping sand on the area, etc. It's a lot of work, but it is of paramount safety.
Fuel
You may not know this, but certain types of wood are worse to burn than others. Evergreens are somewhat toxic when burned (especially when burned for cooking). The best is Oak, followed by Maple and Poplar - all common woods thankfully.
Never burn wood that has been "treated," such as wood that you would get from construction. The treating chemicals can be deadly if inhaled or cooked with. If in doubt, leave it out.
Finally, and this may come as a surprise, but your wood does NOT need to be all dry. However it cannot be GREEN. This means that you cannot simply cut down a tree and toss it on the fire - it needs time for the sap to dry and harden/run out and for various metabolic processes to kick off and make the wood safe to burn. I reccomend a week, minimum.
Now if the wood itself is wet (but not green) that's cool - as long as you have enough dry material to get a fire started. Once it's roaring, add the dampened wood to the top - the fire will dry it out and the wood will burn slower.
You also may consider things like a commercial fire starter or even a bit of rolled up newspaper to get the fire going. Don't focus on just these materials, but using them to get it started.
Finally - and based on the Security section seemingly counter-productive based on the Security section - is Oxygen. A fire cannot burn without it. Build your fire so that as the wood is laid in air has a chance to move through it safely. Keep the fuel from being too close to the edges of the pit so air has room to flow down to the fuel where it can be burned more efficiently.
Safety
Safety comes last, but as you can tell from before is still first. Keep a bucket of water or sand on hand at all times, and never ever leave the fire unattended. Children and animals should be kept away from the fire, with clear visual barriers of where it's safe to go. I personally sat a few big rocks about four feet away from my fire pit, with instructions to my son that he can move behind the rock and sit on top of it, but he cannot move in front of it.
Summary
As long as you keep yourself safe and take care to keep the fire from spreading, there's no reason you cannot enjoy a good fire on a cool summer night and cook marshmallows. It's a great bonding experience for your family, and the kids enjoy watching the flames flicker.
This project is a very simple project that can even be done with a three year old helping. I speak from experience :)
This project has four major aspects:
- Site
- Security (Construction)
- Fuel
- Safety
The first thing you need to do is select a safe site for the fire pit. The ideal site for a fire pit has nothing above it, nor anything flammable near by it. Every one of these things are of paramount for safety - the more you risk, the higher your chances of the fire spreading.
Security (Construction)
Now that you know where you want your fire pit to be at, it is now time to construct it. Construction of a fire pit is entirely about securing the fire pit and those who are around it.
The first thing I recommend is a small - gasp - pit! My pit is about a one foot by two foot square on the surface and is about 8" deep. Not very big, I know but I wasn't going for anything big. The bigger your pit, the bigger the flame will be.
The next thing I recommend is a barrier that surrounds at least half (if not all) of the pit. This provides a little more security against the flame, as well as prevents someone from accidentally stepping into dying embers.
Your barrier can be either a steel wall (such as a fire ring), stones, or bricks. I personally constructed a half-circling wall of stones around my fire pit.
Finally you need a dead-zone around the pit. A dead zone should be dead soil all around the pit, with nothing growing in it. The radius of the dead zone should be roughly equal to half the width of your pit. You can reduce the deadzone by the use of the barrier above, but I do not recommend it. A deadzone can be created by tilling, digging, dropping sand on the area, etc. It's a lot of work, but it is of paramount safety.
Fuel
You may not know this, but certain types of wood are worse to burn than others. Evergreens are somewhat toxic when burned (especially when burned for cooking). The best is Oak, followed by Maple and Poplar - all common woods thankfully.
Never burn wood that has been "treated," such as wood that you would get from construction. The treating chemicals can be deadly if inhaled or cooked with. If in doubt, leave it out.
Finally, and this may come as a surprise, but your wood does NOT need to be all dry. However it cannot be GREEN. This means that you cannot simply cut down a tree and toss it on the fire - it needs time for the sap to dry and harden/run out and for various metabolic processes to kick off and make the wood safe to burn. I reccomend a week, minimum.
Now if the wood itself is wet (but not green) that's cool - as long as you have enough dry material to get a fire started. Once it's roaring, add the dampened wood to the top - the fire will dry it out and the wood will burn slower.
You also may consider things like a commercial fire starter or even a bit of rolled up newspaper to get the fire going. Don't focus on just these materials, but using them to get it started.
Finally - and based on the Security section seemingly counter-productive based on the Security section - is Oxygen. A fire cannot burn without it. Build your fire so that as the wood is laid in air has a chance to move through it safely. Keep the fuel from being too close to the edges of the pit so air has room to flow down to the fuel where it can be burned more efficiently.
Safety
Safety comes last, but as you can tell from before is still first. Keep a bucket of water or sand on hand at all times, and never ever leave the fire unattended. Children and animals should be kept away from the fire, with clear visual barriers of where it's safe to go. I personally sat a few big rocks about four feet away from my fire pit, with instructions to my son that he can move behind the rock and sit on top of it, but he cannot move in front of it.
Summary
As long as you keep yourself safe and take care to keep the fire from spreading, there's no reason you cannot enjoy a good fire on a cool summer night and cook marshmallows. It's a great bonding experience for your family, and the kids enjoy watching the flames flicker.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
One Step Closer to Flying Cars
So this link popped up last night in my feed reader, discussing how yet another legal hurdle has been passed to getting us our flying cars. (OK - roadable aircraft, but still, it's progress)
Here's my thing though the more I think on it, the more mass aviation transportation is BAD. Here's why:
I drive through one of the worst traffic snarls every day. Not the worst, but it's nasty. And yes, taking some of these vehicles off the road would be a good thing for traffic there's some basic aspects to consider:
1 - People will still think of them like cars and thus navigate like cars
2 - People don't pay attention to what they're doing in their "car"
3 - An accident like the one in Cincinnati can kill at most one or two dozen people. A flying car that suddenly fails due to mechanical issues can take out not only its occupants but anything it hits - with a lot more force than just the speed it was moving.
Yes we will see more regulation with something like this. And yes we will see a lot of licensing and laws. But once you're in the sky things get a lot more hairy.
Here's my thing though the more I think on it, the more mass aviation transportation is BAD. Here's why:
I drive through one of the worst traffic snarls every day. Not the worst, but it's nasty. And yes, taking some of these vehicles off the road would be a good thing for traffic there's some basic aspects to consider:
1 - People will still think of them like cars and thus navigate like cars
2 - People don't pay attention to what they're doing in their "car"
3 - An accident like the one in Cincinnati can kill at most one or two dozen people. A flying car that suddenly fails due to mechanical issues can take out not only its occupants but anything it hits - with a lot more force than just the speed it was moving.
Yes we will see more regulation with something like this. And yes we will see a lot of licensing and laws. But once you're in the sky things get a lot more hairy.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
2011 Linux Migration Overview
So I'm setting myself a big goal here, but thankfully I've hit a point where that it isn't that difficult. I'm looking at Ubuntu/Kubuntu for most systems, and FreeBSD for myself. I've heard a lot of ill surrounding Unity, hence why Kubutu is an option.
Here's everything that I need to consider, and I will likely write up some articles on each of these
Here's everything that I need to consider, and I will likely write up some articles on each of these
- A web-accessible desktop access (such as Hamachi's Log Me In). Free NX is a great option, but I'd rather something that isn't necessary if I am behind something like a proxy server (say at a relatively secured coffee shop).
- TrueCrypt support. I have too many things encrypted in TC
- A high quality music manager. I like iTunes for its simple interface and anal-retentive organization scheme. I use it for syncing, but only to my Android. If I can manage my Android's music graphically and with playlists, then I'm happy.
- I would loooove something like Windows 7's Aero Snap feature.
Wednesday Personal Project Update
Linux Migration 2011
I've once again reached the point where I have no excuses to only use Linux. I've got a lot of cleanup on the desktop to do first, plus some research to do first to make the smoothest transition I can.
Windows Server 2008 MCITP Enterprise Administrator
I've decided that after I get the migration complete I'm going to resume pursuing this track. Gods only know if I'll complete it.
Warmachine
So because I don't have free time, I've decided I needed something to fill it (lulz). I've taken up Cygnar and currently have the Battle Box, Captain Haley, and a Heavy Warjack kit. I've magnetized the two heavy jack chassis and almost all the equipment. Much of the equipment has been magnetized and base coated along with one completed chassis.
Warhammer 40k
Thanks to some very customer un-friendly business practices I've started going away from this one. I am thinking of building a Titan though :)
I've once again reached the point where I have no excuses to only use Linux. I've got a lot of cleanup on the desktop to do first, plus some research to do first to make the smoothest transition I can.
Windows Server 2008 MCITP Enterprise Administrator
I've decided that after I get the migration complete I'm going to resume pursuing this track. Gods only know if I'll complete it.
Warmachine
So because I don't have free time, I've decided I needed something to fill it (lulz). I've taken up Cygnar and currently have the Battle Box, Captain Haley, and a Heavy Warjack kit. I've magnetized the two heavy jack chassis and almost all the equipment. Much of the equipment has been magnetized and base coated along with one completed chassis.
Warhammer 40k
Thanks to some very customer un-friendly business practices I've started going away from this one. I am thinking of building a Titan though :)
Reboot and Refresh
OK - so I'm restarting this blog and trying to re-focus its content.
This is not to say that I will be CONSISTENT in updating it. But I will try to be a bit more so.
My goal is for Mondays to have some sort of post related to career information (for the unskilled and newly graduated as well as skilled IT professionals.) Career information will have some information pertaining to non-IT workers as well.
Wednesdays I will hopefully make some sort of update on personal projects that may be of interest.
Fridays will be a "weekend-project" dump, focused on DIY for any sort of geek out there.
I'm also going to try and make up a lot of articles related to fashion & social interactions for introverts & other nerds. Content forthcoming
This is not to say that I will be CONSISTENT in updating it. But I will try to be a bit more so.
My goal is for Mondays to have some sort of post related to career information (for the unskilled and newly graduated as well as skilled IT professionals.) Career information will have some information pertaining to non-IT workers as well.
Wednesdays I will hopefully make some sort of update on personal projects that may be of interest.
Fridays will be a "weekend-project" dump, focused on DIY for any sort of geek out there.
I'm also going to try and make up a lot of articles related to fashion & social interactions for introverts & other nerds. Content forthcoming
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