I Guess So, Computer Skills, and The Temporary Offices

2010-01-07

Office environment is important.

I was at a place once where there was a significant correlation between hierarchy position and cubical size - major cubical envy. I remember one guy at the bottom of the rung, when he was positioned at his desk, he could lean back slightly and touch his head on the wall.

Rented space with a serious lack of good furniture and as a result the ergonomics were awful. People with migraines from bending their heads in funny positions, or back and circulation problems from sitting in bad chairs. A few people (yours truly included) took it upon themselves to fix the ergonomics.

The same guy with the pint-sized cubicle, we helped his migraines by stacking a bunch of documents so that his monitor was at eye level. This was a time when large monitors were really heavy beasts, so to have it perched on top like that was probably really dangerous. He said it made a world of difference, no more headaches. Others saw his tower and soon developed tower wars, with tower envy. One guy made a tower of documents away from his the desk, from the floor up, to support his monitor. He was a tall guy so his tower was the highest. While I was there, there were no reports of falling towers, although I would have liked to see one of those big-ass monitors crashing to the floor.

I shared a cubicle with my supervisor. She had a really shitty chair with no back support such that she was supporting herself by using her legs on the chair seat. As a result she was developing varicose veins due to lack of circulation. We helped her by using a low flat box as a foot rest to raise her legs and a cushion for back support. She said it helped and her legs didn't hurt any more. Others saw the box and cushion, and so began box and cushion wars with people searching abandoned rooms for loose cushions and whatever. That was a less interesting contest.

Unless you're just leaving school and/or are broke, it's a good idea to skip any place that doesn't have proper office furniture.

2010-01-07

One of my first interviews out of college was at a programming company started by a member of my roommate's fraternity who had graduated 2 years before us. Should that have been a warning sign? Yes. I could say I was mostly going for interview experience, but I was young and desperate for work, so the honest answer is that I was hopeful and naive. My roommate and I were both being interviewed that day, so we drove over together.

We got to this rented out room in an office complex, and the place was a total dump. I remember that there were a couple desks when we first walked in, and a coffee pot sitting on the floor (not on a small table or anything, I guess that was asking too much?). I didn't like the look of the place from the moment I walked in.

So the 'owner' of the company who was the recently graduated Frat guy greeted us both. Expecting some kind of normal interview, I asked which of us he'd like to see first, and was told, "Why don't you both come in?". We were brought into a conference room of sorts, and by conference room I mean a big dumpy looking Table with about 8 chairs around it.

The guy starts asking random questions. I'm the type that likes to think about the question for a moment, while my roommate is more an impulsive answerer. The basic format of the interview would be that 'Frat Guy owner' asks question to us both, and my roommate would answer right away. Not wanting to be rude and cut him off, I let him finish, but then Frat Guy owner moves onto the next question, without giving me a chance to answer.

I got a few words in, but the obvious 'victor' of the interview was my roommate. I honestly made up my mind after walking in the door.

The next day, my roommate tells me that they made him an offer and that he took it. I admitted that I had a bad feeling about the place.

After a bit of time there, he realized that this was an example of being able to judge a book from its cover. Aside from crappy development environments and not really ever producing anything, his first pay check was late getting to him, and the paycheck issues didn't end there. Things went a bit down hill, and he kept having problems getting paid the right amount and on time. He quit the place within about 6 months.

2010-01-07

I copy-pasted my answers to your stupid test when I found out you had copy-pasted the test. If you can't be bothered, why should I?

dkf · 2010-01-07

I can believe the Computer Skills one. I've had a student try the same on me with his assignment. The bits that were good were pasted from websites (including my own!) and the bits that weren't, well, they would have been suitable for here but I don't believe in posting student code.

He failed, and I took pleasure in failing him.

I Guess So, Computer Skills, and The Temporary Offices

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