I thought that once too and ignored my gut feeling. It was the most toxic work environment that I’ve ever experienced, and it essentially killed my software development career. I was eventually laid off and never recovered. I’m now a mail carrier.
I actually work for Canada Post. We’ve heard rumblings of the pre-sequenced mail coming our way, and some people have lost large chunks of money from it. Contract negotiations are coming up though, so we’ll see how things go. Though it is nice having a union that is willing to fight the company for the workers…I’ve never had that before this job.
Had a similar experience. Toxic company that was awarded a contract hired in a bunch of people, gave us starting dates then a week before we were supposed to start they delayed our start data by 4 months. It only got worse and worse from there. I eventually quit when I was doing 4 other jobs, like with different pay scales and supervisors and everything, by myself. Killed any chances I had with IT since every other company around here doesn’t want to risk yet another burnout from that place. I had the same place interview me twice 6 months apart and both times as soon as they saw that company on my resume they frowned and kind of cut it short.
It was because I believed the lie “if you start in Support, you’ll have a chance to move over to Development”. I spent 5 years waiting for them to keep their promise. I did everything they asked me to do, I even wrote code in order to demonstrate that I was able to do it. None of it mattered. And after 5 years of doing everything they wanted, chasing that goal post that kept on moving back on me, they laid me off unceremoniously. I then tried to apply to development jobs but I kept on getting asked the question why I haven’t held a development title in more than 5 years. No answer I gave was apparently good enough. I spent the next five years bouncing from a tech support job that I got laid off from, and then a technical advisor job (which was really just tech support for the development team) that I got laid off from. After that, I decided I either get a development job, or I’m leaving the industry. Tech Support was killing me, and I refused to go back. And now I deliver mail for a living. It’s a lot less stress than I had to deal with before. And I now get a true chance of a six-figure salary.
Actually, I’ve had more than one interviewer comment on it saying it “shows (I’m) prepared” since many people don’t bring anything to write on and sometimes have to ask for a paper.
As for whether that could be a bonus in getting hired? Meh. 110% depends on the field.
If the question is “will asking unnecessary questions and writing down answers help get this job” then I’d ask if the interviewer isn’t prepared for a couple innocuous questions, then it shows a severe lack of preparedness on their part and I’d question whether I want to work for a place where someone gets shook by their underlings daring to question them.
I fully admit I am already biased against nearly any company that I would be interviewing at, so I’m already more willing to get confrontational in interviews if I feel I am not getting the respect I deserve (you know, the basic human decency of treating every random person you meet as an equal until they prove otherwise worthy), and drop them to keep looking than the average person. I’ll eat ramen and peanut butter sandwiches for a few more weeks if I need to. I’ve walked out of interviews before.
I’ve walked out after the opening “greeting”. “alright let’s make this quick, I’ve got a dozen other interviews today” okay well if that’s how you treat someone here for a simple interview I can’t imagine how you treat your employees on a bad day, get fucked. I literally said “excuse me? You don’t talk that way in a professional setting.” and left.
but the notebook strat gonna helpnme get the job in the end of the day?
Do you really want the job if the interviewer can’t handle being interviewed by you?
Yes, because I like eating and having a roof over my head.
I thought that once too and ignored my gut feeling. It was the most toxic work environment that I’ve ever experienced, and it essentially killed my software development career. I was eventually laid off and never recovered. I’m now a mail carrier.
How’s the usps looking these days? You still got that asshole tearing the sorting machines down?
I actually work for Canada Post. We’ve heard rumblings of the pre-sequenced mail coming our way, and some people have lost large chunks of money from it. Contract negotiations are coming up though, so we’ll see how things go. Though it is nice having a union that is willing to fight the company for the workers…I’ve never had that before this job.
Ah i did the thing, oops. Good luck on your negotiations :D
Had a similar experience. Toxic company that was awarded a contract hired in a bunch of people, gave us starting dates then a week before we were supposed to start they delayed our start data by 4 months. It only got worse and worse from there. I eventually quit when I was doing 4 other jobs, like with different pay scales and supervisors and everything, by myself. Killed any chances I had with IT since every other company around here doesn’t want to risk yet another burnout from that place. I had the same place interview me twice 6 months apart and both times as soon as they saw that company on my resume they frowned and kind of cut it short.
why it killed your carrer?, you lose the desire to work in software development?
It was because I believed the lie “if you start in Support, you’ll have a chance to move over to Development”. I spent 5 years waiting for them to keep their promise. I did everything they asked me to do, I even wrote code in order to demonstrate that I was able to do it. None of it mattered. And after 5 years of doing everything they wanted, chasing that goal post that kept on moving back on me, they laid me off unceremoniously. I then tried to apply to development jobs but I kept on getting asked the question why I haven’t held a development title in more than 5 years. No answer I gave was apparently good enough. I spent the next five years bouncing from a tech support job that I got laid off from, and then a technical advisor job (which was really just tech support for the development team) that I got laid off from. After that, I decided I either get a development job, or I’m leaving the industry. Tech Support was killing me, and I refused to go back. And now I deliver mail for a living. It’s a lot less stress than I had to deal with before. And I now get a true chance of a six-figure salary.
Actually, I’ve had more than one interviewer comment on it saying it “shows (I’m) prepared” since many people don’t bring anything to write on and sometimes have to ask for a paper.
As for whether that could be a bonus in getting hired? Meh. 110% depends on the field.
If the question is “will asking unnecessary questions and writing down answers help get this job” then I’d ask if the interviewer isn’t prepared for a couple innocuous questions, then it shows a severe lack of preparedness on their part and I’d question whether I want to work for a place where someone gets shook by their underlings daring to question them.
I fully admit I am already biased against nearly any company that I would be interviewing at, so I’m already more willing to get confrontational in interviews if I feel I am not getting the respect I deserve (you know, the basic human decency of treating every random person you meet as an equal until they prove otherwise worthy), and drop them to keep looking than the average person. I’ll eat ramen and peanut butter sandwiches for a few more weeks if I need to. I’ve walked out of interviews before.
I’ve walked out after the opening “greeting”. “alright let’s make this quick, I’ve got a dozen other interviews today” okay well if that’s how you treat someone here for a simple interview I can’t imagine how you treat your employees on a bad day, get fucked. I literally said “excuse me? You don’t talk that way in a professional setting.” and left.