 Poster: A snowHead
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I work in software, and that isn't a bad area but we do find that Jan - Mar is the busiest time of year as people don't like to commit their budget too early in the FY.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| driz wrote: |
| - Geneva or Lyon: speak (very very) basic French, seem to be jobs in my field but few advertised in English |
Maybe add Grenoble to your list for France.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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NickyJ,
I never have any trouble getting time off to ski, but I always book leave many months in advance. I broke their system the other year by wanting to book holiday more than 12 months in advance.
We are busiest in late summer / autumn getting ready for the Christmas rush. Most of the bigger operations have a moratorium in October. By the time Christmas arrives any software has bedded down OK and now belongs to customer services. I find I struggle far more to get holiday in the summer, but doesn't bother me in the slightest.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| meh wrote: |
philwig, I'm pretty sure spending lots of money going on lots of ski holidays is by far the more obvious approach than relocation!  |
Yeh but there are far more creative options than the straight holiday e.g. any job in continental western Europe gives you a chance of driving out to the mountains at short notice when conditions are good (even better if you get a fuelcard with your job). Or if you fly around a lot for work - just as easy to fly into GVA or ZRH at the end of the week having stashed your kit at a friendly hotel in a resort.
The real barrier for most is spouses who aren't committed to the same degree and kids in school/full activity diary.
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Hells Bells, 12 people in my team so can't have more than one off at any time. We already have a supplement of 2 or 3 freelancers. Some departments are smaller, so not quite as much competition for time off for them.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I do now book my leave well in advance but haven't been able to book next seasons easter week as they haven't added my next years leave quota onto the system.
It sounds like your software is used in retail? Ours is predominately internal business applications (or cross company but linked up intranets).
Actually we are trying but struggling to recruit at the moment. If anybody knows an ASP .NET / SQL Server developer who wants to work in Amesbury, Wiltshire let me know and I will PM the link to the job.
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(thinks) Maybe the next time I'm recruiting I should look here. We are snow sports friendly, no kidding. I just took on 4 people, so there's nothing right now, but anyone working in software around Cambridge.... feel free to drop me a PM with your email.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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queen bodecia, 31 days is 6 weeks plus 1 day though, or am I missing something, do you work 7 day weeks?
I wish I had been a skier when I chose what to study. I almost studied physiotherapy which must surely be a good job for a ski town and if I was going to stick with Science I should have tried to get into avalanche research, which must have great field trips
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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lynseyf, glaciology seems to offer some pretty rad ski field trips too; check out Klar's trip reports and photos on TGR (I believe she's doing a Phd in the subject).
I was originally planning to go into 'mountain risk engineering' (avalanche and flood defence structures, mainly) via the BOKU University in Vienna, but they changed the pre-requisites to study the Masters the year I would have been able to apply, meaning my BSc Geography wasn't good enough anymore. I'm not convinced that that would be all that ski-time friendly though.
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lynseyf, 8 days are bank holidays which are fixed, the other 23 days have to be taken as 3 weeks and 8 days. The 8 days can be taken as single days, pairs or even 3s and can be tacked onto a week for a longer holiday, but 4 days together counts as a week. It's all about scheduling work through studio and making it fair for everyone, there just aren't enough weeks in the year for everyone to be able to have 4 weeks off. Depending on workloads we can just about manage to have one person off for a week and one other person with an odd day off, but it would be a huge strain on the rest of the studio if two people had the same week off, we already work long hours (but only 5 days usually unless something crazy happens).
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You know it makes sense.
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
..Yeh but there are far more creative options than the straight holiday ...
The real barrier for most is spouses who aren't committed to the same degree and kids in school/full activity diary. |
Indeed. In winter, I always take my snowboard to meetings, mostly in the US, but it's the same deal except with jet lag.
It's surprisingly easy to arrange this, even working for big companies. Most large companies have their travel booked by secretaries. They get "perks" from the preferred travel company. So even if it's your own budget, you're generally forced to spend it through those official channels. You'll find yourself in mediocre hotels whilst your budget takes premium costs.
In two large companies I negotiated that I could manage my own travel budget for me & mine. The result was that I saved them a ton of money.... and stayed in hotels where I needed to be, one of which had its own ski slope, others which hired surf boards.... The secretaries hated me of course.
As far as spouses, I don't have one, but my girlfriend has her sports, I have mine. Beyond "holiday" levels, it's rare to find couples at the same level in many sports.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| dogwatch wrote: |
| Gämsbock wrote: |
| But if you are freelance, you could move to the mountains and ski every weekend. Or generally organise your time to get more skiing in, e.g. work long days on bad weather days, and not at all on blue sky powder days. Or work chalet style hours and ski in the middle of the day. Obviously you'd still have to balance getting the work done and attending any meetings, but even assuming you work a 50 hour week, that still leaves a lot of skiing time across a week if you are able to pick when you do those hours. |
"Freelance" isn't the same as not having to talk to clients at hours of THEIR choosing. Or not having to talk to other developers in office hours. Or never having to go to client offices.
It's windy, I'd like to go windsurfing. Can't because I've two calls to take in the next 3 hours. |
Call them from the mountain!
I've done that many times. I even VPN into the server while having lunch from the mountain resturant!
Obviously, you STILL need to get the work done. But if you're lucky enough to work for a boss who's result oriented rather than face time oriented, you're all set! Just get the work done "from home". For all my boss is concern, the home could be a gondola and it doesn't matter!
My only problem is I love writing codes even more than I love skiing! So I just make skiing plans and don't ski more than those days. There're days when the snow looks delicious and I wish to be on the slope...but the wish only last a few seconds before I return to finish what I was working on.
With all the technology available, more and more people are working from where they REALLY want to be, beach or snowy mountains. You just need to find the right boss.
Freelance would work even better, especially if you can find the work without being some place physically to get the work.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
Maybe the next time I'm recruiting I should look here. We are snow sports friendly, no kidding. I just took on 4 people, so there's nothing right now, but anyone working in software around Cambridge.... feel free to drop me a PM with your email.
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Ditto! Except we are recruiting now, so if there are any excellent engineers out there looking for a change in Cambridge I'd be very happy to hear from them.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| abc wrote: |
| dogwatch wrote: |
| Gämsbock wrote: |
| But if you are freelance, you could move to the mountains and ski every weekend. Or generally organise your time to get more skiing in, e.g. work long days on bad weather days, and not at all on blue sky powder days. Or work chalet style hours and ski in the middle of the day. Obviously you'd still have to balance getting the work done and attending any meetings, but even assuming you work a 50 hour week, that still leaves a lot of skiing time across a week if you are able to pick when you do those hours. |
"Freelance" isn't the same as not having to talk to clients at hours of THEIR choosing. Or not having to talk to other developers in office hours. Or never having to go to client offices.
It's windy, I'd like to go windsurfing. Can't because I've two calls to take in the next 3 hours. |
Call them from the mountain!
I've done that many times. I even VPN into the server while having lunch from the mountain resturant!
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Hmmm. You sound like a client of mine who thought he could take part in a detailed specification review while in the back of a taxi. A disrespectful waste of everybody else's time.
Anybody I ever found VPNing into a server from a restaurant would be fired. Some things require proper concentration.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I guess it depends on the type of software you work on. I couldn't do my job if I wasn't with my team and my client pretty much every day, but I appreciate it will be different in other industries.
It suits me to work hard the rest of the year, save the pennies, then have a few weeks where I have no commitments and I can enjoy my ski trip without thinking about work.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| dogwatch wrote: |
| abc wrote: |
| dogwatch wrote: |
| Gämsbock wrote: |
| But if you are freelance, you could move to the mountains and ski every weekend. Or generally organise your time to get more skiing in, e.g. work long days on bad weather days, and not at all on blue sky powder days. Or work chalet style hours and ski in the middle of the day. Obviously you'd still have to balance getting the work done and attending any meetings, but even assuming you work a 50 hour week, that still leaves a lot of skiing time across a week if you are able to pick when you do those hours. |
"Freelance" isn't the same as not having to talk to clients at hours of THEIR choosing. Or not having to talk to other developers in office hours. Or never having to go to client offices.
It's windy, I'd like to go windsurfing. Can't because I've two calls to take in the next 3 hours. |
Call them from the mountain!
I've done that many times. I even VPN into the server while having lunch from the mountain resturant!
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Hmmm. You sound like a client of mine who thought he could take part in a detailed specification review while in the back of a taxi. A disrespectful waste of everybody else's time.
Anybody I ever found VPNing into a server from a restaurant would be fired. Some things require proper concentration. |
That is a little harsh! Whether it is acceptable depends on what you are doing and what you are like as an individual. Some people can completely focus on what they are doing and don't even notice people talking to them let alone general noise around them.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I think 2 options:
1) as others have said, relocate to the snow.
2) Work your nuts off till your are 55, the mortgage is paid off the kids have left home and then take up a freelance strategy. Probably get 5 years before Alzheimer's gets you and you can't ski anyway. So 30 years knuckling down followed by 5 years of fun.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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emwmarine, exactly, have a less stressfull job that allows you to take days off at short notice and where you can live near the snow and get lots of days or weekends or have a really well paying job which is most likely more stressfull, less chance of leave at short notice and more responsibility but with the money to have some really special trips.
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How do gps do for skiing? I know it is a very lengthy process to become qualified but am I right in saying that you can scale back work when you want? So you could work like mad in the summer to work very little in the winter to get lots of skiing?
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JackSkier, I don't think it would work like that unless you were working as a locum. Particularly as people expect continuity of care.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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JackSkier, I would have thought that a GP would have to agree hours with their partners in a practice.
I do know someone who is a Consultant Surgeon in Grenoble, he works three days a week and skis the other four.
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| kieranm wrote: |
| Quote: |
Maybe the next time I'm recruiting I should look here. We are snow sports friendly, no kidding. I just took on 4 people, so there's nothing right now, but anyone working in software around Cambridge.... feel free to drop me a PM with your email.
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Ditto! Except we are recruiting now, so if there are any excellent engineers out there looking for a change in Cambridge I'd be very happy to hear from them. |
Is there an option to work remotely from Vancouver? 
(used to be in Cambridge, but managed the moving closer to snow bit already!)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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stuarth, are you working in software in Vancouver? I'm unable at the moment to relocate to mainland Europe because my wife would have to become fluent in the local language to continue her profession, but Canada...
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Okay, thanks for your help 
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rjs, don't know many surgeons in the UK who work like that. 3 days NHS, 4 days private work, maybe.
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You know it makes sense.
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| NickyJ wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Anybody I ever found VPNing into a server from a restaurant would be fired. Some things require proper concentration. |
That is a little harsh! Whether it is acceptable depends on what you are doing and what you are like as an individual. Some people can completely focus on what they are doing and don't even notice people talking to them let alone general noise around them. |
I've managed IT service provision to other companies, including sometimes the fun process of explaining to clients why things have gone wrong. It is very, very easy to make expensive errors working on servers. Anyone who has done it long enough will have horror stories to tell (or possibly, not to tell). Anybody I managed accessing servers from a restaurant would be fired.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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dogwatch, point taken but most people using VPN in a restaurant are probably checking emails.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| dogwatch wrote: |
| NickyJ wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Anybody I ever found VPNing into a server from a restaurant would be fired. Some things require proper concentration. |
That is a little harsh! Whether it is acceptable depends on what you are doing and what you are like as an individual. Some people can completely focus on what they are doing and don't even notice people talking to them let alone general noise around them. |
I've managed IT service provision to other companies, including sometimes the fun process of explaining to clients why things have gone wrong. It is very, very easy to make expensive errors working on servers. Anyone who has done it long enough will have horror stories to tell (or possibly, not to tell). Anybody I managed accessing servers from a restaurant would be fired. |
I still disagree completely with you, it depends WHAT you are doing.
I work in the applications side. Scenario I am at lunch in a restaurant and get a call from a guy on the help desk because one of our applications is not allowing login. I hop onto the server while still in the restaurant rather than waiting until I have finished lunch, and realise after running a query it is failing because the log file is full. I extend the log file as much as I dare with remaining disk space, send a message to a guy in the infrastructure team asking him to extend the disk. Check I can login to the application OK and report back to the help desk guy that the problem is resolved. I get a message from infrastructure team the disk has been extended so I extend the log file max size further, I then Report to DBA what I have done, and ask them to check if that server is included in their monitoring.
I would not expect to get fired for this. If it were a member of my team taking these actions, I would instead thank them for firstly picking up the call while on lunch and secondly for resolving it quickly while on lunch.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Firstly, you are going to wreck your digestion. Don't take calls at lunch.
Secondly, if I'm sitting next to you in the restaurant, I hate you. Don't take calls in a restaurant. It's rude to other diners. It's even ruder to anyone having lunch with you.
Thirdly, if you worked for me, I'd still fire you. What you think you are doing and what you are actually doing aren't always the same. Especially in a distracting place like a restaurant, done in a rush.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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dogwatch, no you wouldn't fire me as to be perfectly honest anybody with that sort of attitude I wouldn't be working for long enough. Do you have a staff retention problem by any chance?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Have a problem hiring good people. Doesn't everybody? CVs full of lies seem common today. Retaining a problem? No, not really.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| dogwatch wrote: |
| Have a problem hiring good people. Doesn't everybody? CVs full of lies seem common today. Retaining a problem? No, not really. |
Yes, I am discovering that! Honestly what do people think will happen if by some reason they interviewed by people who don't have a clue once they are in the organisation? Still think we may finally be making some progress on that front.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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What about mountain guiding? I know there is a huge amount of work that goes into getting the qualification and lots of climbing pre requirements, but is it honestly possible for someone with little climbing experience who has not grown up in the alps?
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JackSkier, there's a snowHead doing just that I believe, but not seen him around for a while. He's probably too busy gaining his qualifications.
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| dogwatch wrote: |
| Thirdly, if you worked for me, I'd still fire you. What you think you are doing and what you are actually doing aren't always the same. Especially in a distracting place like a restaurant, done in a rush. |
The application had already failed. It will continue to fail until some intervention happens. The sooner the intervention, the sooner the application will start working again. I know my clients would prefer he perform the intervention at the first chance he get.
| NickyJ wrote: |
| dogwatch, no you wouldn't fire me as to be perfectly honest anybody with that sort of attitude I wouldn't be working for long enough. Do you have a staff retention problem by any chance? |
I wouldn't even consider working for him to start with. I've only made that mistake once. Never again do I take an offer without asking some question about their work environment. If the expectation is exactly 9-5 chained to the desk, I decline. I prefer a more flexible attitude, even if it means slightly longer working hour or slightly lower pay. In my own experience, that inflexible attitude often goes hand in hand with lack of willingness to embrace new technology. It would mean boring work.
I once wrote an automation program for monitoring a laser beam that drift with temperature changes. The program would readjust the laser to compensate the change. Re-tuning the laser was the reason for having someone sitting in the control room 24 hrs a day (which I was one in the rota). Now that the human had nothing to do since the computer took over. But the boss refuse to abandon the rota.
In disgust, I looked for and found a programming job and left the profession (I was an engineer at the time, NOT a software engineer). Never looked back. Will not go back to that kind of environment. (though to be honest, nowadays one of my selling point is to bring new technology to my clients, it's a pre-selected client base. I don't encounter that attitude much any more)
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| JackSkier wrote: |
| What about mountain guiding? I know there is a huge amount of work that goes into getting the qualification and lots of climbing pre requirements, but is it honestly possible for someone with little climbing experience who has not grown up in the alps? |
Certainly possible, I believe to train through the British system the majority of the logbook you need to fill to apply should come from British routes.
Damn hard though for anyone, raised in the Alps or not.
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Hmm I can imagine getting the British routes would be quite hard. I imagine one could save and do a few years in somewhere like Chamonix to get the experience, but the British routes would make it a lot harder! I guess the other alternatives would be to do it over in Canada/ The US when I looked at it a while back I think that their requirements were a bit more balanced Skiing : Climbing compared to the Brit route
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