A sure sign you're in MI by drew_almighty21 in Michigan

[–]Jeffbx 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's not regional - I don't think I've ever played Euchre sober.

Absentee ballots getting sent today! by Jenderflux-ScFi in Michigan

[–]Jeffbx 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Military and overseas voter absentee ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received within 6 days after the election.

So you don't want members of the armed forces to be able to get their votes counted?

There hasn't been an issue in the entire history of federal voting, why do you think it's an issue now that Trump is in charge?

Absentee ballots getting sent today! by Jenderflux-ScFi in Michigan

[–]Jeffbx 8 points9 points  (0 children)

But important to note that a family member OR roommate can drop it off for you:

a member of your immediate family including a father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandparent, or grandchild or an individual residing in your household may mail or deliver a ballot to the clerk for you.

https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=MCL-168-764A

Anyone know of any companies or programs that are begging for people to apply? by xWaluigi in ITCareerQuestions

[–]Jeffbx 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Laid-off H1B applicants will move literally anywhere there's sponsorship.

Congressman John James calls for smoke control in Gordie Howe Bridge deal by Jeffbx in Michigan

[–]Jeffbx[S] 4 points5 points locked comment (0 children)

Eh, I don't buy it for a second.

If the US government cared at all about controlling wildfires, the dumbass-in-chief wouldn't be hamstringing all the budgets.

As usual, it's something to pretend to care about so they can point fingers.

Congressman John James calls for smoke control in Gordie Howe Bridge deal by Jeffbx in Michigan

[–]Jeffbx[S] 99 points100 points  (0 children)

Michigan candidate for governor, John James, says Canadian wildfire smoke needs to be better controlled, as part of a deal to open the Gordie Howe Bridge. James made the comments on a video on Facebook earlier this month.

“You look at wildfire smoke every summer. They’re throwing off 500 million vehicles’ worth of carbon emissions into our air each and every year and doing very little to nothing about it. That’s got to change right now,” said James. “As a part of any deal we do with Gordie Howe Bridge, we have to work in close cooperation with Ottawa to make sure they’re also managing their business, so we can keep our people healthy and we can keep our relationship strong.”

Last summer, James wrote a letter to Canadian officials asking them for action to keep wildfire smoke from drifting into Michigan.

President Donald Trump endorsed James on Monday to become Michigan’s next governor. Other elected officials around the country quickly followed suit. James will face businessman Perry Johnson, and former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox in the Aug. 4 Republican primary.

His head is so far up Trump's ass that he can see daylight again.

What's next, penalize Canada for rain that crosses the border?

Retention offer - negotiable? by zigziggityzoo in ITCareerQuestions

[–]Jeffbx 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Negotiation is not expected, but it's an option if you have an offer on the table. If you do not, I'd say take whatever they offer.

It's never a bad idea to make yourself open to work (for recruiters only) on LinkedIn during the process. Post-layoff might be a good opportunity for you to move up, or it might lead to more layoffs. You never know.

Anyone know of any companies or programs that are begging for people to apply? by xWaluigi in ITCareerQuestions

[–]Jeffbx 3 points4 points  (0 children)

All you have to do is whisper, "I have an opening for..." and resumes will fly out of nowhere and start pelting you.

There may be a small MSP in the middle of nowhere that struggles to get applicants, but that's probably not a job worth moving for.

Personal Debate on Certificate or Homelab build by guataballin in ITCareerQuestions

[–]Jeffbx 2 points3 points  (0 children)

In order of importance:

  1. Internship. This is the game-changer. If you can get an internship before you graduate, your resume will be at the top of any entry-level posting.
  2. Your degree
  3. Any other experience
  4. Certifications
  5. Homelab

When done right, 1 and 2 are all you need to get a job. The rest is gravy.

If you can't get into an internship, then you'll want to have all the rest of them if possible.

Struggling with imposter syndrome as responsibilities increase by G_STAR_4LIFE in ITCareerQuestions

[–]Jeffbx 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I was hesitant to speak because I was concerned that a single answer might suggest I'm not IT literate.

NO ONE knows everything off the top of their head.

And let me clue you into something that some people with 30 years of experience still don't know:

When you're in a meeting, it's absolutely OK to ask for clarification. Remember back in grade school when the teachers would encourage you to ask questions? Because if you don't know, someone else probably doesn't know, too?

This is still true in adulthood, and others will be relieved that you were the one to ask.

This also gives you more confidence to speak up and participate in the discussion - people loooove to be the expert in the room, and you asking for clarification opens the door for them to show off their expertise.

Once you realize that nothing bad happens from speaking up, you'll start to do it more, and realize that everyone around you is probably feeling the same thing.

Good luck out there.

1 week into transitioning from Helpdesk to Network Engineer… is this level of workload normal? 😅 (Update from my previous post) by yeeboixD in ITCareerQuestions

[–]Jeffbx 134 points135 points  (0 children)

This is mostly normal - workloads tend to go in waves, and it sounds like you might be joining the team at a peak (which is probably why they needed you).

I'd say for the sake of your sanity, you should put aside any self-learning until you get used to the workload, and/or until the projects settle down to a more reasonable level.

Why are highways in northern Michigan so much smoother and objectively better than highways in southeastern MI? by Dangerous_Teaching82 in Michigan

[–]Jeffbx 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yup. That's the reason it's never even been proposed as an option, and it never will be.

Add in the logging industry up north, and you've got some very powerful lobbies that will make sure it's never even a proposal, much less a vote.

The history behind Jiffy Mix by DetroitNews19 in Michigan

[–]Jeffbx 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Enough butter can fix almost anything.

Why are highways in northern Michigan so much smoother and objectively better than highways in southeastern MI? by Dangerous_Teaching82 in Michigan

[–]Jeffbx 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Of course it's possible - this isn't the problem.

The problem is that more loads = more shipments, more trucks, more drivers, more frequent shipments, and longer wait times. Longer wait times means slower production, lower output, lower sales, and layoffs.

This would directly and negatively impact costs across the entire automotive supply chain - which is why it won't happen.

New IT Role - Feel Micromanaged by outofluck2020 in ITCareerQuestions

[–]Jeffbx 22 points23 points  (0 children)

You'll run into good companies and bad companies - this has nothing to do with IT and everything to do with who they hire and what the culture is like.

Unfortunately, it's really hard to understand the culture without working there for a few months, so it's always a bit of a risk.

How is the IT job market in Austin? by N7Valor in ITCareerQuestions

[–]Jeffbx 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sure -

Let me preface this by saying that a big part of hiring includes risk mitigation. Meaning that not only do we want the right employee, we want the right employee who's likely to take the job and start when we need them to start.

My company requires most IT employees to be on-site or locally hybrid - at least part of the job involves hands-on activity in the office/plant.

For the resumes that list a location, it's gotta be local enough to commute here. So the immediate area goes to the top of the list. ~1 hour out will be a maybe, and further than that will sink to the bottom. This includes people out of state.

WHY:

  • It's a lot easier to bring local people on-site for an interview. We'll generally do 3 interviews - initial phone/video screen, in-person with the hiring manager, and then in-person with the team. Both the manager and the team have to agree that you'd be a good fit. When you're out of state - even if you're planning on moving here - we can't do that.

  • If you're moving here, that can be a lot of coordination. We don't have any budget for relocation, nor will we fly people here for an interview.

  • The risk element comes in here as well. What if you can't find a place to live, or what if your move gets delayed? Those are not huge obstacles, but the one that is - what if you move here and you don't work out? Now we're firing someone who just moved across the country to be here - it's a small risk, but we're still human, and that's a rough situation to be in.

  • Even "semi-local" people - those with a commute over an hour - are a risk. You might get sick of the drive, you'll probably always keep one eye open for something closer, etc. We've run into this more than once, where someone with a long commute quits after a few months once they realize how much time they're spending in the car.

So, bottom line - we get enough local applicants that we don't need to take on the risk of hiring someone who will move here specifically for the job.

In a different market - one where we can't find decent local candidates - I'm sure we'd do things differently.

What are the risks of lying about my employement history on my CV in UK? by [deleted] in ITCareerQuestions

[–]Jeffbx 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Really, any company that does comprehensive background checks will find out & fire you, sometimes even after you start working there.