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Retiring as a Senior C++ Software Engineer?

I've had a long career as a Senior Software Engineer. I've got a few years to go till retirement, and I just wanted to request advice on how to deal with new grads. A lot of kids these days have no respect, and often will correct without professional courtesy. I also have a strong reputation at this company, and I've built up a large infrastructure that I have control over. These new kids, though often with better ideas, would undo what I've done, and possibly risk the hard work that justifies my position.

Unfortunately HR still seems convinced that new grads are worthwhile, and occasionally I wind up interviewing them. So I'm having to come up with workarounds.

So far I've found the following useful:

1 Telling HR that new grads are flaky. It's easy to convince HR that every single one will leave in a year or less, especially these hipster kids that are interested in the latest startup.

2 Telling HR that new grads will take forever to add value, even if we have a smaller component that needs working on. This is still easy to convince them, given the ramp up to some of the prototypes that we do. If the new grad actually makes it to the interview stage, I just finish my questioning and tell HR that the candidate has an attitude problem. This works even if they get every question right, or if they go into detail. The latter works especially because they think they're showing value, but they actually make themselves easy to label instead as arrogant up-jumpers with a "behavioral problem"- and I can easily convince my HR of that.

3 Telling HR that new grads don't know a specific tech well enough. Even if that tech has a ramp-up of a week or less. Because again, HR will take my word for it.

So other than these, I'm wondering if there is any other tips and advice that you may have in preventing these kind of people from getting in? I would really appreciate the help. I've got quite a few grey hairs, and I just want to finish my time without any serious headaches.

Thanks!
Is this a joke? You ought to just quit while you still have some dignity. What you're doing is beyond disrespectful.
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Not a joke in the slightest. Thanks for the perspective, but this is actually a standard practice in a number of departments here. If you voiced that kind of attitude to a number of the folks in my company, you would never be hired.
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You guy's may have some unspoken agreement about an inside scam you have going, and maybe you can justified it in some way, sticking it to the man, screwing your company, but giving false interviews and then committing fraud to make sure these poor kids you have strung along have no chance at a job is just cruel. If this is normal practice, then it's no wonder so many companies that have lots of funding and resources produce such bad software. This is why I don't want to work at a large company. You have a bunch of leaches running the place. If you try to do a good job, your superiors might punish you for it.

What you're describing is pretty much criminal, and you're complaining about so called behavioral problems, "correcting you".

Then again, I think there is a greater than 90% chance I am being trolled.
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msteinberg wrote:
I've had a long career as a Senior Software Engineer. I've got a few years to go till retirement, and I just wanted to request advice on how to deal with new grads. A lot of kids these days have no respect, and often will correct without professional courtesy. I also have a strong reputation at this company, and I've built up a large infrastructure that I have control over. These new kids, though often with better ideas, would undo what I've done, and possibly risk the hard work that justifies my position...
It sounds like they are not the only ones with no respect. My advise, take them on and mentor them (you can bother learn from each other).
http://thedailywtf.com/

Experience and knowledge are two different things.
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That's crab mentality and that's bad. Being selfish does not make the company become better.
A lot of kids these days have no respect, and often will correct without professional courtesy

While there might be some truth in that, your professional courtesy, and smart counter talks can become your advantage especially that as what you said, you are already a "Senior" and experience is your best weapon.
You can either enhance your skills(both communication and programming, if you still think you dont have that much) or quit in the company to retain your reputation.
There's something suspicious about this thread.
I think this is what you where looking for. https://www.google.com/search?client=ubuntu&channel=fs&q=how+to+kick+someone+without+leaving+a+mark&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
Now, seriously, What is wrong with you? If you care so much about your reputation and your large infrastructure, then why are you turning down people that could help you? because they corrected you!? In addition, you lie to the company that you care so much about. Is that how you built your large reputation? by lying so you would have no competition? These people are here to help and have just as much of a right to be there as you, possibly more, and you need to respect that. After what you posted, I wouldn't have any respect for you either. If you lie to your company and to other people, then you go on the internet talking about how people have no respect these days, who would respect you? You sabotage your coworkers, and ask people you don't know for help doing it. And the thing that is probably worst is your reasons. You do it because they are better than you at something and correct you sometimes. Thats like stabbing a stranger because his clothes cost more than yours. Now I'm going to stop talking before this turns into downright insults.
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Wow, I have the same problem. The elderly have no goddamn respect and reject every idea I throw at them like I'm an idiot. I spend enormous amounts of effort fixing and dealing with their decrepit old systems that they're afraid to get rid of because they're afraid they won't be able to adapt. I've come up with a few ways to work around this:

1. Steal their coffee. They're not anything if they haven't had their morning coffee.
2. Treat them like they're old and yell at them while talking, pretending they can't hear.
3. Play young peoples music.

How do you deal with your elderly assholes companions who simply misunderstand you?
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How do you deal with your elderly assholes companions who simply misunderstand you?

I walk around with my pants around my ankles and play on their lawns.
@ OP: Come on spoony, you told us you were going to behave this year. It hasn't even been a week and you're already riling up some of the more 'trusting' members. Now don't get me wrong, I actually find you to be hilarious most of the time and I have nothing but respect for your style and how you never recycle your characters. In fact, in any other place I'd be one of your biggest fans. But this really isn't the place for it.
If this really does turn out to be spoonlicker then I'm going to have to tip my hat.
Spoonlicker?
Just use the site's built-in search functionality. Bring popcorn.
What happened to all of us programmers helping each other out? We all have passion for what we are doing, no developer wants to ruin another developers's work. I find this post quite unpleasant. Yet i believe this is a troll :3
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