Passing probation at work - would this jeopardise my chances
Discussion
Incident 1:
I had to add users to a website and I did this fine. I sent an email to the Project Manager, who forwarded the email to the client. Problem is, one of the letters in the password had a wrong casing. So the client tried to login, couldn't, rang up support, and the client wasn't happy. Of course, my senior developer spoke to me about this and he was cool with it but I had to accept the responsibility. He said it wouldn't effect my probation as it was my first mistake.
Incident 2:
I was adding users, and the sheet with the list of users to add listed 20 users, 5 of which which were already added. Although the users may have been added, there is no way to know if they have been granted access unless I ask(ed), which I didn't. The user accounts are physical. There has been no client impact yet. I have no idea why the list contained duplicates. That gave me the impression that the existing accounts hadn't been signed off/given to the client, because they could be changed. I am working on this site with someone and he said "the client will want access, let me know when", so I'm not sure if the client has access but then the site has content on it (which we put up).
So I have changed client passwords on a live system, first time due to lack of attention to detail, second time due to inexperience (not in the systems I am using, but company procedures - I need authorisation to edit existing accounts and obviously in hindsight I need to ask and find out if they're being used). I wish my documentation warned me of this but I only found out too late. I was just told to add the users. The list had two tables - one with 5 users, another with 20 users (including those previous five, so fifteen unique users.
I am probation and everything I do has to get checked anyway, because I am not fully trusted before I made these errors (and certainly won't be now), so that implies I will make errors. I suppose being on probation means I might make mistakes so I need to be supported (as well as being a trial period) and I am new (just 3.5 weeks so far), so all of the errors I have made are probably expected (but not entirely excusable). If I had passed my probation I'd be experienced in my job and how the company works so there'd be no excuse.
My senior developer says I am doing fine so far (though I did get a slight lecture about incident 1, which is understandable). However, I have a good relationship with my team leader and he has not had a talk to me about this (like when my senior developer may make a mistake), I have no idea what his thoughts on the incident (he only knows about 1) is.
Should I be worried that this would effect my probation? Also, would it be my senior developer's choice to hire me and he recommends me to my team leader, with my team leader having final say, or my team leader's choice completely? I don't work with my team leader on a day to day basis, but I do work with my senior developer on a day-to-day basis about my work (eg what to do, when to do it by, I suppose my team leader passes all that onto my senior dev).
I had to add users to a website and I did this fine. I sent an email to the Project Manager, who forwarded the email to the client. Problem is, one of the letters in the password had a wrong casing. So the client tried to login, couldn't, rang up support, and the client wasn't happy. Of course, my senior developer spoke to me about this and he was cool with it but I had to accept the responsibility. He said it wouldn't effect my probation as it was my first mistake.
Incident 2:
I was adding users, and the sheet with the list of users to add listed 20 users, 5 of which which were already added. Although the users may have been added, there is no way to know if they have been granted access unless I ask(ed), which I didn't. The user accounts are physical. There has been no client impact yet. I have no idea why the list contained duplicates. That gave me the impression that the existing accounts hadn't been signed off/given to the client, because they could be changed. I am working on this site with someone and he said "the client will want access, let me know when", so I'm not sure if the client has access but then the site has content on it (which we put up).
So I have changed client passwords on a live system, first time due to lack of attention to detail, second time due to inexperience (not in the systems I am using, but company procedures - I need authorisation to edit existing accounts and obviously in hindsight I need to ask and find out if they're being used). I wish my documentation warned me of this but I only found out too late. I was just told to add the users. The list had two tables - one with 5 users, another with 20 users (including those previous five, so fifteen unique users.
I am probation and everything I do has to get checked anyway, because I am not fully trusted before I made these errors (and certainly won't be now), so that implies I will make errors. I suppose being on probation means I might make mistakes so I need to be supported (as well as being a trial period) and I am new (just 3.5 weeks so far), so all of the errors I have made are probably expected (but not entirely excusable). If I had passed my probation I'd be experienced in my job and how the company works so there'd be no excuse.
My senior developer says I am doing fine so far (though I did get a slight lecture about incident 1, which is understandable). However, I have a good relationship with my team leader and he has not had a talk to me about this (like when my senior developer may make a mistake), I have no idea what his thoughts on the incident (he only knows about 1) is.
Should I be worried that this would effect my probation? Also, would it be my senior developer's choice to hire me and he recommends me to my team leader, with my team leader having final say, or my team leader's choice completely? I don't work with my team leader on a day to day basis, but I do work with my senior developer on a day-to-day basis about my work (eg what to do, when to do it by, I suppose my team leader passes all that onto my senior dev).
I'm guessing this is your first job out of uni.
f
k ups are to be expected, just don't make the same one twice.
As to who makes the decisions, that's individual to a company, but you can expect your first line manager will have a considerable say in it. From my management experience, attitude, aptitude and a sense of humour will all be judged equally. Keep showing enthusiasm, a willingness to learn and don't piss anyone off and you're likely to be ok unless the company is badly run.
f
k ups are to be expected, just don't make the same one twice. As to who makes the decisions, that's individual to a company, but you can expect your first line manager will have a considerable say in it. From my management experience, attitude, aptitude and a sense of humour will all be judged equally. Keep showing enthusiasm, a willingness to learn and don't piss anyone off and you're likely to be ok unless the company is badly run.
You don't say what kind of company you work for (some are less lenient than others) but generally speaking to fail probation you need to do a lot more than cock up a couple of user accounts. If you'd trashed the production database and wiped the backups then maybe you'd be right to be concerned - but what you've told me wouldn't even register on my 'can them' radar.
spikeyhead said:
I'm guessing this is your first job out of uni.
fk ups are to be expected, just don't make the same one twice.
As to who makes the decisions, that's individual to a company, but you can expect your first line manager will have a considerable say in it. From my management experience, attitude, aptitude and a sense of humour will all be judged equally. Keep showing enthusiasm, a willingness to learn and don't piss anyone off and you're likely to be ok unless the company is badly run.
what this guy said ^f
k ups are to be expected, just don't make the same one twice. As to who makes the decisions, that's individual to a company, but you can expect your first line manager will have a considerable say in it. From my management experience, attitude, aptitude and a sense of humour will all be judged equally. Keep showing enthusiasm, a willingness to learn and don't piss anyone off and you're likely to be ok unless the company is badly run.
Even experienced staff will make mistakes. The trick is to spot them, own up to them and correct them with minimum fuss and delay.
At this stage, unless you are totally inept at the job, attitude is the most important thing - willingless to learn, taking responsibility for what you do (and sometimes don't do), integrity, enthusiasm and so on.
oldbanger said:
Z064life said:
obviously in hindsight I need to ask and find out
To be honest out of all you said, that was the only real mistake you made, and it looks like you've already realised it. If you don't know, just ask.Would this be serious enough to effect my probation? I do usually ask (like when using a system I don't have much experience of, or an unexpected error comes up). I try to research it, but I don't take action without hesitating as I am not experienced enough.
Although I realise it, I'm more interested in what my superiors think. I will discuss my performance with my team leader.
The company seems quite lenient and my relationships with my peers helps. My team leader has said (not to me), that he'd rather have someone make mistakes and learn rather than just learn things without seeing the repercussion of mistakes (or something like that). He also said that there are no expectations on me because I am junior - although if I don't pull my weight, I'll be out, so this isn't strictly true, but it just means there isn't a great deal of expectation on me - yet.
Z064life said:
oldbanger said:
Z064life said:
obviously in hindsight I need to ask and find out
To be honest out of all you said, that was the only real mistake you made, and it looks like you've already realised it. If you don't know, just ask.Would this be serious enough to effect my probation? I do usually ask (like when using a system I don't have much experience of, or an unexpected error comes up). I try to research it, but I don't take action without hesitating as I am not experienced enough.
Although I realise it, I'm more interested in what my superiors think. I will discuss my performance with my team leader.
The company seems quite lenient and my relationships with my peers helps. My team leader has said (not to me), that he'd rather have someone make mistakes and learn rather than just learn things without seeing the repercussion of mistakes (or something like that). He also said that there are no expectations on me because I am junior - although if I don't pull my weight, I'll be out, so this isn't strictly true, but it just means there isn't a great deal of expectation on me - yet.
The question i would ask is, did you learn? If not then that could effect your probation, if you did then no probs.
Is it your first job or are you experienced? If its an experienced job they maybe expecting someone who doesnt make mistakes like this, if not then you have no worries.
You should take this as a given.... If you have any doubts, ASK.... I prefer people to ask questions, even stupid ones rather than people who make mistakes on assumptions.
Don't worry about it, you'll be fine. Those are normal mistakes to make, the idea is you do learn from them. Always ask if you're not sure, the company will appreciate 2 minutes talking to you rather than having to deal with a customer who's been locked out of a system.
You won't suddendy know everything, even after probation, so keep showing you can learn. I've been doing my job for nearly five years and I still find things I need to ask about, constantly updated systems and new technologies mean this will keep happening.
It'll get easier when you have a better idea of your colleagues and who to ask in different situations.
You won't suddendy know everything, even after probation, so keep showing you can learn. I've been doing my job for nearly five years and I still find things I need to ask about, constantly updated systems and new technologies mean this will keep happening.
It'll get easier when you have a better idea of your colleagues and who to ask in different situations.
shouldbworking said:
They gave you a slight lecture about one mistyped character?
Sounds like a typical post uni job. One year and then out to a real job
It's the effect that letter has. In programming, one wrong character can cause big problems.Sounds like a typical post uni job. One year and then out to a real job
It's my 3rd job out of uni, just still junior though.
Z064life said:
Dupont666 said:
put your mind at rest and read some of the major fk ups on one of the other threads, most kept their jobs.... st happens.
k ups on one of the other threads, most kept their jobs.... st happens.LOL good idea!
spikeyhead said:
Z064life said:
Dupont666 said:
put your mind at rest and read some of the major fk ups on one of the other threads, most kept their jobs.... st happens.
k ups on one of the other threads, most kept their jobs.... st happens.LOL good idea!
Z064life said:
spikeyhead said:
Z064life said:
Dupont666 said:
put your mind at rest and read some of the major fk ups on one of the other threads, most kept their jobs.... st happens.
k ups on one of the other threads, most kept their jobs.... st happens.LOL good idea!
k up so they weren't career limiting moves.Read about half of the post. You will be fine.
Mistakes happen, and you are learning. So long as you don't try to cover up the fact that you made a mistake or blame someone else then it's expected.
Tip no. 2. I don't know if that is the way you would explain it to your PM/manager but I would get to the point. They are more likely to want to know what the effect is/was and what can be done about it.
Incident 1 was covered quite well, incident 2 seemed to go on and on.
Something like "I made a mistake and created some duplicate users, which means the client won't be able to access the site as soon as they wanted."
Mistakes happen, and you are learning. So long as you don't try to cover up the fact that you made a mistake or blame someone else then it's expected.
Tip no. 2. I don't know if that is the way you would explain it to your PM/manager but I would get to the point. They are more likely to want to know what the effect is/was and what can be done about it.
Incident 1 was covered quite well, incident 2 seemed to go on and on.
Something like "I made a mistake and created some duplicate users, which means the client won't be able to access the site as soon as they wanted."
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