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Ask HN: Tips for students before starting their first job

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Re: Ask HN: Tips for students before starting their first job

#131

Post by CapitalistCartr »

A few useful phrases to memorize:

When someone asks for information, rather than try to answer immediately, or rush to research, ask, "When do you need that by?" Even if they tell you it's urgent, it causes them to consider.

"Sure, I'd be glad to. Just let my boss know you need me." If they hem and haw, be suspicious.

"What budget is that coming out of?"

Other useful tidbits: Politics is a euphemism for, someone's ego will otherwise get hurt. Tangentially, your ego isn't you. Don't let it getting hurt affect your thinking.

Most people are naturally good; the one's who aren't work hard to position themselves in a position handling communications. So be careful to route communications as directly as allowed, and regularly check what's incoming.

Faith is blind, trust is earned.

Re: Ask HN: Tips for students before starting their first job

#132

Post by DenisM »

noir_lord wrote: post #56

> And whats your best tip for life in general? 1) Take copious notes (in whatever format works for you). 2) Confirm managers decisions with a recap email (especially when you disagree with them). 3) Understand that while you may not like politics (I don't) knowing how the game is played allows you to mostly stay out of it. 4) Work time is work time, learn to be productive and then go home and switch off . 5) Work fri…

Only one thing I can add - start thinking if you want to work on cool stuff or make a career. There will be overlap but the two will significantly diverge at some point.

Re: Ask HN: Tips for students before starting their first job

#134

Post by qqj »

don't.

http://www.paulgraham.com/boss.html

do what you can to not work for anyone but yourself. even if it means reducing the scope of what you can work on and earning less.

and the hardest thing of all: find people you like, respect and trust - and stick with them. loyalty and fidelity above all else.

yes this sounds weird, but to me sleepwalking through life, being constantly distracted and dealing with office politics is by far more weird. to each his own i guess.

Re: Ask HN: Tips for students before starting their first job

#136

Post by sojournerc »

qqj wrote: post #134

don't. http://www.paulgraham.com/boss.html do what you can to not work for anyone but yourself. even if it means reducing the scope of what you can work on and earning less. and the hardest thing of all: find people you like, respect and trust - and stick with them. loyalty and fidelity above all else. yes this sounds weird, but to me sleepwalking through life, being constantly distracted and dealing with office poli…

I'm don't think there's a dichotomy here. I've had jobs with a spectrum of autonomy. I like working for an organization because I can focus on my expertise. I don't want to market, do sales, or chase investors. To each his own.

Re: Ask HN: Tips for students before starting their first job

#137

Post by wojciii »

I landed my first job because I knew someone from uni who got work at this company first. Networking is everything for me and I suck at doing it. Later jobs I got because of what I knew and could do.

I have a CS degree. While young and unattached you can spent time on learning a lot and becoming a better sw developer. Do this now before wifey (assuming male gender) and children will take a considerable amount of your time.

Re: Ask HN: Tips for students before starting their first job

#138

Post by kojeovo »

CapitalistCartr wrote: post #131

A few useful phrases to memorize: When someone asks for information, rather than try to answer immediately, or rush to research, ask, "When do you need that by?" Even if they tell you it's urgent, it causes them to consider. "Sure, I'd be glad to. Just let my boss know you need me." If they hem and haw, be suspicious. "What budget is that coming out of?" Other useful tidbits: Politics is a euphemism for, someone's eg…

I would avoid asking people "What budget is that coming out of?" if I was a student / fresh out of school, but the other points I definitely agree with.

Re: Ask HN: Tips for students before starting their first job

#139

Post by DonHopkins »

KineticLensman wrote: post #76
noir_lord wrote: post #56

> And whats your best tip for life in general? 1) Take copious notes (in whatever format works for you). 2) Confirm managers decisions with a recap email (especially when you disagree with them). 3) Understand that while you may not like politics (I don't) knowing how the game is played allows you to mostly stay out of it. 4) Work time is work time, learn to be productive and then go home and switch off . 5) Work fri…

> 5) Work friends are NOT friends. I have made some extremely good friends through work, including the individual who, outside my family, is the person who I still see that I have known the longest in my life (we started our new jobs at the same company on the same day, approx 35 years ago). The mistake is when your colleagues become your only friends. Changing jobs can see you lose your entire 'support network'. Alw…

That's a good point.

Here's an important corollary:

Don't shit where you eat.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/don%27t_shit_where_you_eat

That is, avoid getting into romantic relationships with people at work. And for God's sake don't think of work as a cruising ground for members of the appropriate sex(es).

Sure, there's a chance both of you might simultaneously be two of the lucky ones for whom everything always goes perfectly, without any hitches or conflicts. But back in the real world, relationships have problems, and jobs have problems, and when one of those problems inevitably occurs in one domain, it sucks if it dominos over into the other domain.

In the ideal world, we'd all be eternally happy with our personal relationships, and eternally happy with our jobs. But if you suddenly become unhappy with one for some reason, it really sucks if you also lose the other because of it.

And also remember what Freewheelin' Franklin of the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers said:

"Dope will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no dope."

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ETBgAc0WoAEEZMF.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fabulous_Furry_Freak_Broth...

Re: Ask HN: Tips for students before starting their first job

#140

Post by bonyt »

CapitalistCartr wrote: post #131

A few useful phrases to memorize: When someone asks for information, rather than try to answer immediately, or rush to research, ask, "When do you need that by?" Even if they tell you it's urgent, it causes them to consider. "Sure, I'd be glad to. Just let my boss know you need me." If they hem and haw, be suspicious. "What budget is that coming out of?" Other useful tidbits: Politics is a euphemism for, someone's eg…

> Most people are naturally good; the one's who aren't work hard to position themselves in a position handling communications. So be careful to route communications as directly as allowed, and regularly check what's incoming.

I'm really curious what you mean by this, "a position handling communications"?

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