Useless Conversation

[schild]

I don't like the idea of an employer with a massive number of employees on LinkedIn being able to mine that data and look into their employee's private lives at a level they hadn't before.

[Yegolev]

Personal data is the new salt, and I work for a mining corporation.

[Strazos]

I'm so happy I can continue to give zero fucks about LinkedIn.

[IainC]

In tech at least LinkedIn is super powerful and most places will expect you to have a profile. A lot of tech recruiters actively work on there and LinkedIn recommendations can be valuable. Very often when I'm screening applicants, I'll check on their previous workplaces on LinkedIn to see if I know anyone else at those studios that I can chat to about the person. On the other hand, the social media stuff is pointless fluff as is the 'endorsements' nonsense. At least for recommendations, you have to list the actual way that you worked with someone, endorsements just need to be someone in your network. My sister has endorsed me for a whole bunch of gamedev related skills, she's never worked with me, never played a game that I made or seen an office I've been at but somehow she gets to say that Iain is good at prototyping with exactly the same authority as the project team that I worked with to make a vertical slice for a greenlight. I get random recruiters hitting the endorse button as soon as I accept their connection request. Endorsements are so useless, I wonder why anyone bothers with them.

[Sky]

I'm planning to retire from the job I enjoy, where I get to help people, and have worked for 16 years.

Goddamned kids these days.

[Merusk]

Less the kids more the owners.

If you stay in the same job more than 3 years in the private sector, you're losing approximately 50% pay over the course of your career. It's kind of fucked, but there it is. That 2-3% pay increase every year or two isn't going to match job-hopping with a 5-10% increase every few years. Loyalty is not rewarded.

If I'd stayed in the job I started in 5 years ago, I'd currently be making *maybe* 55k. I'm 42% more than that because I job-hopped twice in that time frame.

I'd love to have stayed and retired from the previous company. However the workload sucked and promotions weren't coming. People who'd been there 10 years had a single promotion in that time to get to the level I started at. After 3 years in my last position I wasn't getting a promotion to the next level until NEXT year at the earliest.  Meanwhile 2 employees had left and come back in that time frame and got both pay increase and promotions past me.

Yeah, blame the owners.

[IainC]

I'm planning to retire from the job I enjoy, where I get to help people, and have worked for 16 years.

Goddamned kids these days.

In the last 16 years, I've worked for 8 different companies in 7 different countries.

[Sky]

Loyalty is not rewarded.

Not going to argue that one. I'm making less than you would've if you'd have stayed. If it wasn't a library and just some dicky corporation who didn't give a shit about me, I'd feel differently, certainly.

On the other hand, I own my house, commute 3 minutes and have a relatively safe pension. Money isn't everything :)

[Polysorbate80]

On the other hand, I own my house, commute 3 minutes and have a relatively safe pension. Money isn't everything :)

So true.  My field doesn't have enough opportunities in my area to be job-hopping; it would require moving to a larger metro area.  For a number of reasons that is of no interest.

That said, if I were 20 years younger Iain's sort of lifestyle would be much more appealing.

[Merusk]

After all the fuckery that's happened with teacher's pensions and auto-worker's pensions, I hope yours is safe, Sky. It's the thing that's kept me out of the public sector when opportunities came-up. I can't trust that the money would be there when I retire anymore.

[Viin]

In the last 16 years, I've worked for 8 different companies in 7 different countries.

Wow and I thought I was hopping around a lot!

[Teleku]

In tech at least LinkedIn is super powerful and most places will expect you to have a profile. A lot of tech recruiters actively work on there and LinkedIn recommendations can be valuable. Very often when I'm screening applicants, I'll check on their previous workplaces on LinkedIn to see if I know anyone else at those studios that I can chat to about the person. On the other hand, the social media stuff is pointless fluff as is the 'endorsements' nonsense. At least for recommendations, you have to list the actual way that you worked with someone, endorsements just need to be someone in your network. My sister has endorsed me for a whole bunch of gamedev related skills, she's never worked with me, never played a game that I made or seen an office I've been at but somehow she gets to say that Iain is good at prototyping with exactly the same authority as the project team that I worked with to make a vertical slice for a greenlight. I get random recruiters hitting the endorse button as soon as I accept their connection request. Endorsements are so useless, I wonder why anyone bothers with them.

Yeah, this.  LinkedIn is really god damn important in anything tech related (as well as some other fields).  You are shooting yourself in the face not having one in many fields.

Also, I've found out that LinkedIn as a social network is bigger around the world than we might think in the US.  At least in Russia, I've run into more than one person who didn't have a Facebook, VK or whatever account, but used LinkedIn for that.  I've literally had to add girls I've met at bars to my fucking LinkedIn account to talk with them.  

Having said all that: 26 Billion fucking dollars?   

[schild]

That's because Russians want your money. What do you think think her LI looked like "Alcoholic by Day / Mine Canary by Night?"

[Yegolev]

Having said all that: 26 Billion fucking dollars?   

Presumably because MS has very evil plans.  Lucrative, evil plans.  Or their board is staffed by morons.  Either way I'm sure I don't care.  I will, however, need to give a call to my acquaintance that works there.

[MahrinSkel]

The obvious next step is to integrate LinkedIn with XBox Live. Because future employers really need to know that you're an asshole camper on CoD. And why wouldn't you want your gamer friends to know your current employment?

--Dave

[Hawkbit]

I have great people skills and I'm a wiz with redstone circuitry.

Hired!

[Yegolev]

I expect great things from you, xX_PotDevil007_Xx!

[Sky]

We see that you did not have the flu, rather your guild is raiding whatever the fuck kids are doing these days, you're fired.

[schild]

I am so happy Facebook didn't buy them. I would've deleted my accounts fucking instantly.

[Trippy]

Having said all that: 26 Billion fucking dollars?   

Presumably because MS has very evil plans.  Lucrative, evil plans.  Or their board is staffed by morons.  Either way I'm sure I don't care.  I will, however, need to give a call to my acquaintance that works there.

Yes they have evil plans. Personal data collection is priority one at MS now. Windows 10 and its obfuscated data collection process that you can't completely turn off is just the beginning. In fact MS was just caught automatically inserting telemetry code in programs compiled by Visual Studio C++.

[Chimpy]

What do you expect? MS realize that Facebook makes at least as much profit as they do now and doesn't actually have to produce products that the plebs pay for and thus expect support, all Facebook does is monetize everything about those same plebs lives.

[Trippy]

It's actually Google they are imitating.

[schild]

Tomorrow there may or may not be a story coming out about a gator snatching an infant and the father playing tug of war with the gator and the infant as a rope (and losing).

Anyway. Florida. Carry on.

[Abagadro]

I am currently  in Floreeda. It is hot and humid. I want to go back to the desert. 

Also, that sounds horrific.

[Merusk]

Jesus, you didn't mention it was also at Disney World, Schild. Just saw the story.

[schild]

Jesus, you didn't mention it was also at Disney World, Schild. Just saw the story.

Yeah, there are reasons I didn't mention that.

[Paelos]

Happiest place on earth my ass. What a week in Orlando. Ugh.

[Rendakor]

The body has been found.

[schild]

In tact no less.

[Torinak]

Jesus, you didn't mention it was also at Disney World, Schild. Just saw the story.

Yeah, there are reasons I didn't mention that.

Once these guys get established, maybe they'll take parents instead of kids.

[Abagadro]

People who have an exit row and still recline into you are literally worse than Hitler.

[Morat20]

Less the kids more the owners.

If you stay in the same job more than 3 years in the private sector, you're losing approximately 50% pay over the course of your career. It's kind of fucked, but there it is. That 2-3% pay increase every year or two isn't going to match job-hopping with a 5-10% increase every few years. Loyalty is not rewarded.

My company has kept me. I could increase my salary about 20% by jumping, but I also get four weeks of vacation (five either next year or the year after), and the education benefits are....fucking ridiculous.

Like "I'm kind of in a rut so I'm thinking of getting a Chem E or ME degree". To go with the two (BS and MS in CS) degrees I already have. Because it'll run me about four hundred bucks a semester and I'll get paid time off for studying. Doesn't even have to be work related. They'd pay for me to get a law degree if I wanted.

It doesn't hurt that, here in Houston, a Chem E degree is called "doubling my earning potential". Of course, I'd have to wear slacks instead of jeans to work, so it's got downsides. :)

[Sky]

People who have an exit row and still recline into you are literally worse than Hitler.

I don't fly much, I find first class is entirely worth it. Last time I flew and had my last leg bumped from first class to coach was like leaving a nice relaxing limo and getting in one of those central American buses with teh chickens and whatnot. The stew still treated me first class and tried his best to make it right...it was almost worth it for the sweaty hordes to glare at me the whole trip.

[Morat20]

People who have an exit row and still recline into you are literally worse than Hitler.

I don't fly much, I find first class is entirely worth it. Last time I flew and had my last leg bumped from first class to coach was like leaving a nice relaxing limo and getting in one of those central American buses with teh chickens and whatnot. The stew still treated me first class and tried his best to make it right...it was almost worth it for the sweaty hordes to glare at me the whole trip.

What's the coach/business/first class differential these days? I haven't had to fly in years.  (My only work trips are inside of Texas. It's generally quicker to drive, once you factor in security and waiting around).

[MahrinSkel]

If you're booking well ahead of time and staying over a weekend, about double the price of Economy/Coach. But most First Class seats are booked on short notice with returns the same week, as I understand.  Then it goes up fast.

--Dave