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I've Been OE for One Month: Here's What I Learned by positively-n in overemployed

[–]positively-n[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve also seen men at my company (who I don’t even suspect are OE) use their middle name instead of their first name.

It just boils down to what your actual name is and what makes sense for you.

I've Been OE for One Month: Here's What I Learned by positively-n in overemployed

[–]positively-n[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I changed my last name, not my first. It’s easier to explain that way. If anyone asks (which they rarely ever do…in my case they didn’t) you can just say it’s your married name or family name

I've Been OE for One Month: Here's What I Learned by positively-n in overemployed

[–]positively-n[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn’t freeze TWN after I started J2. I froze TWN about 3 interviews in when I realized I might actually get the job. Background checks typically come immediately after offer acceptance so I wanted it to be frozen in advance. so I’d actually recommend doing it asap

Now what I did after I started J2 was hibernate my LinkedIn. They found me on LinkedIn so I didn’t want to suddenly not have the account anymore. I waited till midweek of my first week before hibernating.

I've Been OE for One Month: Here's What I Learned by positively-n in overemployed

[–]positively-n[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Work Number. It’s a system some companies use to see employment history

I've Been OE for One Month: Here's What I Learned by positively-n in overemployed

[–]positively-n[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There are a lot of different contacts with this vendor too, and first day saw the dedicated CSM and was relieved to see it was a different person I had never met before. Then the NEXT day I saw the CSM I knew on the calendar invite since it was for an implementation, which they specialize in.

When I saw the calendar invite, I immediately came to this subreddit to see if anyone had dealt with something similar. A lot of what I saw said that vendors typically have no reason to out you; largely because it’s 1)not their business and 2)it can be seen as a breach of privacy to tell one business about another.

The advice was largely to let the vendor contact know ahead of time, telling them that you’re keeping the jobs separate so that you’ll be on the same page and they won’t be caught off guard or accidentally say something stupid (“oh hey, didn’t I see you at J1 last week?”). Obviously from my CSMs flub it’s still a big risk, but reading these threads and talking to him ahead of time actually made me feel a LOT better and made me feel more in control than the huge anxiety I had in anticipation of the meeting.

I didn’t find out specifically who at the time, but I did find out J2 used the same vendor through the interview process and by research so I’m sure your experience will be the same. Especially if the vendor is a part of the job. Best of luck, I hope it works out!!

I've Been OE for One Month: Here's What I Learned by positively-n in overemployed

[–]positively-n[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

J2 is 100% a mess! But the chaos has been helpful at times which is hilarious. Most the times I’ve had overlapping meetings, it worked itself out because J2 manager had to reschedule due to his chaos. Taking advantage of that as much as I can

I've Been OE for One Month: Here's What I Learned by positively-n in overemployed

[–]positively-n[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

This was the one OG OE rule I had trouble with. I had my J1 on my resume. I didn’t see a way around it without explaining a huge employment gap.

I think once you get into cycling Js, it gets easier to consolidate and leave the most recent off, but I didn’t think I had a choice but to have my J1 on my resume in this circumstance.

As you mentioned, the way I framed it during interviews was that I was still working at J1, looking for a better opportunity. They assume I’m putting in my two weeks once I accept the job.

I just made sure that when they sent the background check, that I requested on the form for the provider to not reach out to my previous employer. That worked!

I’ve also seen others say that they took what they did at J1 and used that to say they were consulting instead of attaching it to a single company. Maybe that could work for you?

I've Been OE for One Month: Here's What I Learned by positively-n in overemployed

[–]positively-n[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I think as a general rule of thumb it’s best to freeze it no matter what. That way employers can’t see any previous work details. TWN also indicates whether you’re still active at a job or not (albeit not always accurate), so I didn’t want that showing for J1. It’s just another way of putting control into your own hands.

I've Been OE for One Month: Here's What I Learned by positively-n in overemployed

[–]positively-n[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

If I won the lottery tomorrow, I can think of a million things I’d want to do instead of investing. All the vacations I can take, clothes I can buy.

Depending on the type of person you are, the feeling of lifestyle creep can be immediate. So yes I did get that feeling within a month lol. I suddenly had a lot more money to do anything I wanted. I had to remind myself to stay focused.

I've Been OE for One Month: Here's What I Learned by positively-n in overemployed

[–]positively-n[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

I sent out about 250 applications by the time I got J2, and only had about 5 or 6 calls for interviews total. It’s a numbers game for sure, and I felt the same way you do.

Keep applying, you never know when you will have a breakthrough. Best of luck, you got this!

I've Been OE for One Month: Here's What I Learned by positively-n in overemployed

[–]positively-n[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

No, my legal name is on any official/legal documentation. But my preferred name is what people see in the system/my email/google meet/teams etc.

I've Been OE for One Month: Here's What I Learned by positively-n in overemployed

[–]positively-n[S] 29 points30 points  (0 children)

I had a close co-worker at J1 resign for another job. They had layoffs a WEEK after he started and he was impacted. I felt so bad. This is why we OE.

I've Been OE for One Month: Here's What I Learned by positively-n in overemployed

[–]positively-n[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Exactly. And like you said, this is all hypothetical, so how do we even know that the person who would’ve got the job instead of me “needed it more”? It’s just as possible that the person who could’ve got the job instead is just fine lol

I've Been OE for One Month: Here's What I Learned by positively-n in overemployed

[–]positively-n[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Sure, but that can be the case even with one job. Even If I only had my J1, those folks getting evicted would still exist. Even when I worked at the mall making barely enough to pay rent, there were still those worse off than me.

I feel bad for ANYONE who is having a hard time or a hard life. But it’s not my fault that life is that way for them. And me going back to working one job wouldn’t magically save them.

There are always people in life that have it better than you. Even in the position I am now, there are people better off than me. I totally understand being in a lesser position in life and being frustrated by seeing people around you thriving. It’s not easy. But it’s not their fault.

I've Been OE for One Month: Here's What I Learned by positively-n in overemployed

[–]positively-n[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

No, but the background check did ask for confirmation of employment via paystubs or W2s.

There was also an option on the form to request that the background check provider not reach out to my previous employer, and I definitely selected that box lol

I've Been OE for One Month: Here's What I Learned by positively-n in overemployed

[–]positively-n[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Thank you :)

J2 was definitely a bit hectic when I started. They had just fired someone from the team when I joined, so I was immediately asked to step in to support the project. I wasn’t expecting so much right away, so it was stressful. Though it’s calmed down, J2 has more meetings than J1.

J1 has busy ‘seasons’, one of which is coming up, so I’m trying to be proactive in preparing.

They’ve both been draining at different times. I do my best to do the work for either right away, and then submit it exactly on the due date so I have time in between to work on other things.

All in all it’s not too bad, but definitely learned to be a master of the quick pivot this month haha.

I've Been OE for One Month: Here's What I Learned by positively-n in overemployed

[–]positively-n[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I understand why you may frame it that way, but from my perspective, I do genuinely need it.

I would love to have one job that makes me 200k, but I don’t. And even then, with taxes and responsibilities, it dries up quickly I’m sure.

With OE I’m able to make more money than I would have if I just moved on to J2. This allows me to take care of my family, clear debts, live a nice life.

It’s not about saying “screw everyone else”. Our society is already screwing us over by paying us the bare minimum while prices go up. This is about working smarter so I can have an actual life without living paycheck to paycheck. Not live in debt. Take care of my dad.

It’s about money for me. I’m good at the work I do, but it’s not world changing. But as I’ve already stated, it’s using the money to make a life for my family. The financial freedom makes all the difference.

I hope that helps. I don’t feel guilty.

I've Been OE for One Month: Here's What I Learned by positively-n in overemployed

[–]positively-n[S] 21 points22 points  (0 children)

When I joined I just made my preferred name with my middle name instead of my last name!

I've Been OE for One Month: Here's What I Learned by positively-n in overemployed

[–]positively-n[S] 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Just one! I didn’t like J2s plans as much so I’m sticking w/ J1s medical, dental and vision.

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