OT: Career advice Part II

[Irishguy42]

Your boss is right about just recording your OT on the side (I would record actual hours instead of just OT, but that's me). When the times comes, you will have records to cash in.

 

[Trxjw]

Regardless of OT compensation, it's always a good idea to keep a running list of times where you felt you stepped up. Keep it handy so you can refer to it quickly if needed. Especially when it comes time to do performance reviews or when you're asking for a raise/promotion. You'd be amazed at how many things slip through the cracks in your own mind, let alone with your manager.

I also keep a "CYA" folder on my work laptop. That's served me well on several occasions over the years. That's "cover your ass" for anyone curious.

 

[AKA Chief]

Thanks, I just don't want to burn bridges for the future. I'd like to get some experience in this industry/function before I rock the boat and it would be nice if the company doesn't survive if either my boss or the CFO would hire me if they're starting a team elsewhere. Maybe I'm naive?

If you don't have much of a resume to rely on then I would stick it out for at least a little while longer. Additionally, we are likely going to be headed into a crappy job market, so any job may be better than no job. However, if you are going to allow yourself to be taken advantage of so the people taking advantage of you (your boss and CFO) will hire you in the future - and take advantage of you again in the future - then that is not a great career plan.

There comes a time where you have to make a decision about the time in your life that you are willing to dedicate to work. I had worked long hours for years and then got married and had a kid and then another. At some point I realized that the work would always be there no matter how many hours I put in, but my kids would grow up without me around and I made a change to leave work by a set time every day. That was about 15 years ago and the best decision I ever made. Employers who don't care about their employees having healthy lives away from work are not employers I would want to work for. I have been very fortunate. In the end, do what works for you, until it doesn't work for you anymore.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

If you don't have much of a resume to rely on then I would stick it out for at least a little while longer. Additionally, we are likely going to be headed into a crappy job market, so any job may be better than no job. However, if you are going to allow yourself to be taken advantage of so the people taking advantage of you (your boss and CFO) will hire you in the future - and take advantage of you again in the future - then that is not a great career plan.

There comes a time where you have to make a decision about the time in your life that you are willing to dedicate to work. I had worked long hours for years and then got married and had a kid and then another. At some point I realized that the work would always be there no matter how many hours I put in, but my kids would grow up without me around and I made a change to leave work by a set time every day. That was about 15 years ago and the best decision I ever made. Employers who don't care about their employees having healthy lives away from work are not employers I would want to work for. I have been very fortunate. In the end, do what works for you, until it doesn't work for you anymore.

Well my boss is on my side with this. I also know that most people in high paying jobs don't work 9 to 5, it is what it is. I'm making probably half of what I could be making at another company, so it's company wide problem.

 

[Gardner McKay]

So there's now an official OT freeze. My boss asked me not to log more than 40 hours in the timecards. But he suggested to record OT that I do work in a spreadsheet.

There's a team that I worked closely with that did BS work. So they made sure they don't log more than 40 hours. So they'd sometimes leave at like 2 on a Friday to make sure that happens. I don't foresee this since I'm actually working on an important project.

If you worked OT they have to pay you OT. Just because they "freeze" OT doesn't mean that you aren't paid if you work OT, it doesn't work that way. They are freezing their approval as a company of OT hours for budgetary purposes. I should clarify this applies if you are hourly or Salary Non-Exempt as defined by the FLSA.

We have employees who regularly work overtime without permission. Are we required to pay for unauthorized overtime?

Furthermore §785.13 of the regulations states, "In all such cases it is the duty of the management to exercise its control and see that the work is not performed if it does not want it to be performed. It cannot sit back and accept the benefits without compensating for them. The mere promulgation of a rule against such work is not enough. Management has the power to enforce the rule and must make every effort to do so."

As the above regulatory language indicates, even a clearly communicated policy prohibiting unauthorized overtime does not relieve an employer from its legal obligation to pay employees for all hours worked. Therefore, if the employer allows the employee to perform the work, the employer is liable for compensating the employee.

However, the FLSA does not prohibit employers from implementing a policy or enforcing an existing policy that prohibits unauthorized work, and it does not prohibit employers from disciplining employees for violating the policy.

Essentially if you need to put in more than 40 hours to complete the essential functions of your job, the employer either needs to allow you to record the OT or they need to acknowledge that you are doing as much as you can in within the allowed 40 hours and that some work may remain incomplete.

The only real right the employer has is to put forth disciplinary action should you violate the company policy of working OT during an OT freeze. But they are 100% legally obligated to pay you if you work OT.

Thanks all. I've already accepted the position, and I am legitimately excited about it. I'm mainly just processing through the anxiety of the change (now that it's "real" haha). I've also been looking into the commute option. The school itself is in a pretty rural area, but there are more urban areas within a ~45 minute commute. Would probably live in the town the first year while getting my bearings and then move to someplace where there would be a longer commute but a better work/life balance.

Most of what you see in the media about states in the South is vastly overblown. While Arkansas wouldn't be anywhere near my top places to live (simply because I like to be closer to a large body of water) you shouldn't fear anything. You're much safer in rural Arkansas than you are in Brooklyn, if I am being completely honest. Cost of living is nearly nothing compared to NY and on a half decent salary you should be able to live like a king.

I hope you do very well in this new position!

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I just watched Icarus, it was really good!

 

[SnowblindNYR]

So I found out that the cutoff for OT is actually 33k, while I'm underpaid I make more than that. I kind of snapped at having to do OT today and said "I'm not even getting paid for this" and my boss told me basically that I should chill with that so they don't take OT away from me.

 

[Irishguy42]

Cold calling sucks. Especially when you're prepped and everything, and all you get...is leaving voicemails.

 

[lemonybergamot]

Took a job for a private engineering company in NYC some months ago and after years spent living at Ithaca. Fiancee and I moved back to my hometown in NYC. Life was really different living in a college town... Here, it is very noisy and crowded, and Wegmans is so away lol. I was drawn back to NYC because of the higher pay, potential for career advancement, and connections (not just for my industry, but for life things as well. ex- real estate, money managers, medical, entrepreneurs, etc.) and because I want to marry/start a family soon and be near my family for that. I have been making my own money since I was like 10 years old (I did lawnmowing, painting, delivery, easy car repairs my father taught me, fixing things for people, running errands- anything I could put a price, I tried to capitalize on... I was, and still am a super confident, outgoing dude). My parents saved/invested majority of my money for me. I'm by no means a genius, I had to work really hard in school just to float by at times. However I'm very likable and I honestly believe that's how my life has been successful so far. I really think it's all about school/office politics, schmoozing the right people/bosses, and having a noticeable personality. I like to make friends with anyone I can, and have a diverse network. That is my tip for future college students, or those just entering the workforce.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Cold calling sucks. Especially when you're prepped and everything, and all you get...is leaving voicemails.

When you say cold calling is that necessarily sales or calling anyone cold?

I had to do research for work but had to pretend I wasn't calling from where I was calling so that they didn't think a competitor was trying to get intelligence. It wasn't fun.

 

[Irishguy42]

When you say cold calling is that necessarily sales or calling anyone cold?

I had to do research for work but had to pretend I wasn't calling from where I was calling so that they didn't think a competitor was trying to get intelligence. It wasn't fun.

Nah, not for sales. For jobs. Going off of referrals from my dad's friend since I'm moving to his neck of the woods and he has pull in the industry.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Took a job for a private engineering company in NYC some months ago and after years spent living at Ithaca. Fiancee and I moved back to my hometown in NYC. Life was really different living in a college town... Here, it is very noisy and crowded, and Wegmans is so away lol. I was drawn back to NYC because of the higher pay, potential for career advancement, and connections (not just for my industry, but for life things as well. ex- real estate, money managers, medical, entrepreneurs, etc.) and because I want to marry/start a family soon and be near my family for that. I have been making my own money since I was like 10 years old (I did lawnmowing, painting, delivery, easy car repairs my father taught me, fixing things for people, running errands- anything I could put a price, I tried to capitalize on... I was, and still am a super confident, outgoing dude). My parents saved/invested majority of my money for me. I'm by no means a genius, I had to work really hard in school just to float by at times. However I'm very likable and I honestly believe that's how my life has been successful so far. I really think it's all about school/office politics, schmoozing the right people/bosses, and having a noticeable personality. I like to make friends with anyone I can, and have a diverse network. That is my tip for future college students, or those just entering the workforce.

I echo this sentiment. My last job before this as a project manager for the IT department in a utility. It was a pretty major project and had 3 strikes, no PM experience, no IT experience, and no utility experience. 4 strikes if you count no interest in any of these things. So I was like a baby with a bottle of Jack and car keys, no clue what I was doing. I literally did little more than fill out forms for procurement and similar. (Actually I did lead efforts to manage equipment coming into various locations with a decent amount of help, but that took no skill but asking people if certain equipment came).

Well, I was this close to quitting because this was possibly the second darkest time in my life. They hired another PM to take my place. My boss convinced me to stay in part because he knew I could help him with the equipment management. I'm convinced though that he was trying to help me. Then in January of the next year, he was going to let me go after I was done. He gave me 3 or 4 weeks. Then the engineering manager was trying to find me a job helping him. I wouldn't have taken it because I didn't want to be his go-for, I was already taking minutes during the meeting for him and it was the worst. But the thought was touching. Then, in the end, I was offered a job in accounting because I worked with them and they knew I had good excel skills. So I stayed until the end of the year though they didn't extend my contract because they were looking for someone more experienced in Finance. BTW, the PM that I replaced was also let go (she actually had 10 or 15 years of experience and she still struggled) and got only a week head's up (though they did later offer her to stay and help).

The reason I say this is because I too have a likable personality and I think that people wanted to help me because of that. And I was TERRIBLE at my job as a PM. Much better in accounting though.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Nah, not for sales. For jobs. Going off of referrals from my dad's friend since I'm moving to his neck of the woods and he has pull in the industry.

Well, I never cold-called but I have cold-emailed. Though, I guess it wasn't referrals and I think technically if it's referrals it's not considered cold calling. Anyway, I was told cold emailing hiring managers doesn't work. But referrals should be more helpful.

 

[sbjnyc]

When you say cold calling is that necessarily sales or calling anyone cold?

I had to do research for work but had to pretend I wasn't calling from where I was calling so that they didn't think a competitor was trying to get intelligence. It wasn't fun.

I don't cold call. I send an email outlining what I want to discuss and ask for a time they would be available for me to call.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I don't cold call. I send an email outlining what I want to discuss and ask for a time they would be available for me to call.

Ahhh, that's pretty standard networking then.

I would email strangers I found on LinkedIn and try to sell my experience and send them my resume. It didn't work at all.

 

[sbjnyc]

Ahhh, that's pretty standard networking then.

I would email strangers I found on LinkedIn and try to sell my experience and send them my resume. It didn't work at all.

I was responding to your comment about contacting people for research, not networking.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I was responding to your comment about contacting people for research, not networking.

Haha, I confused you with Irishguy.

I had a quota I emailed only after I made my round of calls. But calls should be fastest and most direct.

 

[Irishguy42]

Yeah I don't deal with the research and whatnot for our company.

The only research I do is finding the bars where most of the other techs from other rental companies congregate at 1am when our jobs are done so I can go join them.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

That feeling when you do your project correctly but the results still don't tie in...

Right now I have the model making payments that don't match payments remaining and principal is in excess of total payments in some places. The thing is I'm pretty sure I built it correctly so I guess I'll need to get creative. But it feels like kissing my sister right now because I did what I could do and am proud of it but it looks like it may be unusable as is. I might have to do plugs but with the discrepancies, we get some funky numbers. But this has been a really fun project.

 

[Kane One]

That feeling when you do your project correctly but the results still don't tie in...

Pretty much the story of my life for the past 3 years where I'm at.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Pretty much the story of my life for the past 3 years where I'm at.

That check that I was using isn't even remotely relevant anymore so I'm not concerned. Where are you working now?

 

[Kane One]

That check that I was using isn't even remotely relevant anymore so I'm not concerned. Where are you working now?

I'm a software developer working on part of a massive accounting project, which isn't remotely exciting at all.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I'm a software developer working on part of a massive accounting project, which isn't remotely exciting at all.

I will now have to do accounting in addition to FP&A/Business Intelligence. Not looking forward to it at all.

 

[Kane One]

I will now have to do accounting in addition to FP&A/Business Intelligence. Not looking forward to it at all.

Not that accounting is boring, just the project itself is. Assuming you haven't done so already, if you're working on a BI project, definitely look into Alteryx and Tableau (or Power BI).

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Not that accounting is boring, just the project itself is. Assuming you haven't done so already, if you're working on a BI project, definitely look into Alteryx and Tableau (or Power BI).

It's funny I got an email about Alteryx today and I've never heard of it before. We're very basic, our BI is just excel. I know how to use Tableau, not the other two. I don't even know if what I do is really BI, but that's what we call it. I guess I differentiate the finance stuff that deals with modeling out budgets and the like and every other example of number crunching which is more BI.