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Put the Documents on the Fax FACE UP

By gzt (Tue Jun 10, 2008 at 11:20:02 AM EST) gzt (all tags)

And dial 9 before the number.

I use the fax, like, 3 times a year, and 2 of those times it's for personal reasons rather than business reasons, so I always forget one of those steps.

I just got a call from my bank saying, "Uh, dude, we never got that stuff you were supposed to fax us." And I was all, "Aw frig, I'll try again." I faxed them again and then noticed I am supposed to leave these things face up. Oops. Friggin' fax.

So, what would you think about starting out at a place which is slightly chaotic and moving into completely non-traditional practices and may fold? Does it sound fun and exciting, or should one shoot for something stable and established to start out at? Highly-experienced professionals, of course, would probably be more able to manage chaos and provide structure to it. But, hey, just throw out thoughts, why not?

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Put the Documents on the Fax FACE UP | 16 comments (16 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback

I'm not sure by ad hoc (2.00 / 0) #1 Tue Jun 10, 2008 at 11:35:27 AM EST

I understand the question.
--
The three things that make a diamond also make a waffle.

yeah, that was sort of vague by gzt (2.00 / 0) #2 Tue Jun 10, 2008 at 11:37:58 AM EST

let's just talk about how much faxes blow. damn, i hate fax machines.

[ Parent ]

Mine always grabs 2 sheets at a time. by ad hoc (2.00 / 0) #3 Tue Jun 10, 2008 at 11:46:17 AM EST

--
The three things that make a diamond also make a waffle.
[ Parent ]

Why does my felxible spending account by georgeha (2.00 / 0) #4 Tue Jun 10, 2008 at 11:47:53 AM EST

demand faxes? Email is quicker and just as secure.

[ Parent ]

just as secure if done right by gzt (4.00 / 1) #5 Tue Jun 10, 2008 at 12:08:33 PM EST

And I think they may not want to have to deal with spam and attachments and stuff. I mean, come on: you don't want to accidentally filter out somebody filing for reimbursement for their penis-enlargement cream (I think that's FSA-eligible...).

[ Parent ]

VACATION RENTALS NOW by georgeha (2.00 / 0) #6 Tue Jun 10, 2008 at 12:09:37 PM EST

You don't get fax spam? I still see a few pages every week.

[ Parent ]

possibly by sasquatchan (2.00 / 0) #7 Tue Jun 10, 2008 at 12:19:33 PM EST

if you've got the balls to claim it.

[ Parent ]

: well, i suppose that depends on whether it worked by gzt (4.00 / 1) #9 Tue Jun 10, 2008 at 01:55:21 PM EST

wouldn't it?

[ Parent ]

It all depends on what you want to do by MohammedNiyalSayeed (4.00 / 1) #8 Tue Jun 10, 2008 at 12:46:25 PM EST

If chaos with a collapse at the end is the kind of environment you want to work in, I say go for it. Well, go for it now, I guess. Going for it later would be more painful and tedious.

-
You can build the most elegant fountain in the world, but eventually a winged rat will be using it as a drinking bowl.

: well, the question is always... by gzt (2.00 / 0) #10 Tue Jun 10, 2008 at 02:00:49 PM EST

...what will be better to jump from in a couple years, in terms of prospects. i'm not the sort to stick around longer than that without pretty good incentives.

[ Parent ]

e-mail to fax by Merekat (2.00 / 0) #11 Tue Jun 10, 2008 at 02:18:55 PM EST

Probably horribly inefficient, but beats having to work out how to use the machine each time.

well, then i have to figure out... by gzt (2.00 / 0) #13 Tue Jun 10, 2008 at 03:34:38 PM EST

...how to e-mail to fax every time.

[ Parent ]

: WWW.TPC.INT by sasquatchan (2.00 / 0) #15 Tue Jun 10, 2008 at 04:52:48 PM EST

three letter words, man, you can remember that, can't you ?
http://www.tpc.int/
One of the few known, lesser used, TLDs.

[ Parent ]

Scarred old warrior here by johnny (4.00 / 1) #12 Tue Jun 10, 2008 at 02:34:19 PM EST

I've worked at three hardware/software startups; four if you count Sun Microsystems, which I joined a few months before they went public.

Two of the places I worked were literally in converted garages when I started working for them.

Which is just as well, since I know for a fact that I'm temperamentally unsuited for non-startup companies. Startups are the only kind of company I'm good for.

On the other hand, I'm sick of holding giant piles of stock options that turn to dust and ashes. It would be nice to make some actual, you know, money.

So now I'm self-employed. It actually feels less risky than working for another damn startup.

If you have a chance to work for a startup & think they'll probably be in business for at least a year, you should do it. It will be more interesting than working for an established business, and maybe you'll get rich. Who knows?
Buy my books, dammit!

Depends. by ks1178 (2.00 / 0) #14 Tue Jun 10, 2008 at 04:28:50 PM EST

Here's some things to think about.

If it goes belly up and you're out of a job, can you handle it? Both financially and mentally.
Do you care if all that you do for the next X years never comes to fruition?
Are you willing to stick through some hard times? Where in that scale would you plan to jump out.

- ie at the first sign of trouble are you going to want to leave?
- are you going to stick through it even after its obvious its a sunk ship?

Do you ever want to possibly start your own business? Even if it's not specifically similar to that of the startup.
How much access will you have to the people making the decisions?

- Even if you can't necessarily affect the decisions yourself
- seeing the issues, and decisions can be great for you in the future in a similar situation.

Will you be doing something related to what you want to do?
What type of skill building will you see while you're there.

   - ie will you be doing something similar to what you're currently doing - good
   - or enhancing new skills that you want to pursue awesome.
   - If you're going to be doing something not related/not useful/too specialized maybe not as useful for when you look for your next job.
8. Do you think you'll get to levels/positions/growth that's difficult to get without time in a larger company?
   - will you have that position long enough, and actually do relevant tasks to actually be able to fill a similar position in another company?
   - Or will it likely just be a title, with nothing to back it up.
9. Do you like to be challenged?
   - particularily if you don't have someone to go to for the answer/are expected to figure it out for yourself?

I'm currently in a "startup" type consulting firm. I've been there for 4 of the 5 years now. (The first year was mostly planning and some setup, mostly all redone since then).

Overall even if for some reason everything went bust tomorrow (which it shouldn't) and I was out of a job, I would say it was worth it, and that I'm better off now than I was when I started.

Uh... by ana (2.00 / 0) #16 Tue Jun 10, 2008 at 09:13:45 PM EST

Does completely non-traditional practices include stuff that may get you escorted off the premises in handcuffs?

Because that happened to the prez of a company my brother worked for. He left soon after, and started his own company, to pick up some of the clients that were too small potatoes for the parent company.

"And this ... is a piece of Synergy." --Kellnerin

Put the Documents on the Fax FACE UP | 16 comments (16 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback