7 reasons why I’m NOT the best fit for your company

In the past 3 weeks, I’ve applied to hundreds of jobs, received tens of rejections, had dozens of interviews, and I understood something.

What makes me unique are the things that are not so easy to show in an interview process. So what makes me different? Here are 7 reasons why you might NOT want to work with me:

1. I don’t lie

You want me to lie to a customer and tell them that we are 50% done with a project, but we haven’t yet started working on it? Sorry, can’t do that.

Am I an expert in all technologies listed in my CV? No, of course not. But I can find my way around Google and get things done.

Do you want honest feedback about your management style or how the product is doing? I will bring arguments and sustain my point of view, in a humane way.

2. I always keep my word

You want something done in 2 weeks? Maybe we have to reduce some features, but I will get you what I promised in 2 weeks. If something that is not dependent on me disturbs my timeline, I will announce you right away so that we will find a solution together.

Do you want someone on a project for 2 years and you want to be certain that they will not leave because you need that stability for your business? If I promise you that, only a deathbed can make me break that promise. I’ve already promised exact exit dates for two companies in the past, and I’ve kept my word.

3. I like being part of a group

I’ve worked alone in the past for several years, and that’s ok, but it’s not my optimal way of working. I like being part of a collective. Being in sync for a common goal makes more passionate about the work I’m doing.

4. I’m not a die-hard fan of any tech

Programming is a means to an end for me. Programming is a tool that helps you achieve your goal. I like to understand the tools that I’m using, but I also like learning about new ones. I will NOT be a die-hard fan about any tech, but I will try to find the best tool for the job.

I am not an expert in NodeJS, but I would love to use it more. I am very curious about blockchain, AI, gamification and UX.

5. I like teaching

The sparkle you see in someone that figures out something is addictive.

I’ve been teaching kids programming for the past years and it’s one of the highlights of my week. I will not give this up.

6. I like working on products that help people

I can’t be passionate about an e-commerce platform that sells shoes, but if I’m hired, I’ll do my best and I think you will be pleased with my work.

But if you’re directly trying to help people by giving them better control for their destiny, teaching them or lending them a hand, I’m the guy for you.

7. I keep a good work/life balance

I won’t work long hours for more money, but I will help you if you’re in a crisis.

I never work from Friday at 4:30 p.m. until Saturday at 9 p.m. This is a special time for my family.

Final words

I am still open to work, but if I’m not the best fit for your company, that’s fine.

If you think I am, hit me up on LinkedIn or email.

Setting cookie in iframe that is in different domain

To set a cookie in an iframe that is in a different domain than the parent site, you can use SameSite=None. These are called third- party cookies.

Here is a site where you can test this https://www.beski.in/demo/test-parent.html .

This works on:

  • Chrome (normal)
  • Firefox (normal and incognito)
  • Edge (normal and incognito)
  • Safari (incognito apparently)

This does not work on:

  • Chrome (incognito)
  • Safari (normal)

This is due to the blockage of third party cookies

This is toggle on Chrome incognito that if it’s disabled, the cookies will work.

For other settings on how to disable this, you can go here https://medium.com/@akohubteam/how-to-enable-third-party-cookies-on-your-browsers-f9a8143b8cc5

Webkit also announced that third-party cookies are disabled by default from 24th of March 2020 and this will roll out eventually on every browser that uses webkit.

I also expect this to be reflected by other browsers in the near future.

If you think you can use localStorage , think again. That is also blocked when third-party cookies are blocked.

This is great news for security but what about the sites that still need this to work properly? What should iframes use to remember data when they are embedded in other domains? A friend of mine said that iframe are becoming deprecated and embedded widgets are the future.

What do you think?

Working from home vs. from the office

I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since I started working from home.

Let me draw a picture for you so that you can understand my situation.

I’m married, I have two small children (5 and 3) and I live in a two bedroom apartment.

The main reason why I wanted to work from home was to spend more time with my family. I was at the office 9 hours a day, with a minimum of 2 hours commute (in total). I was not spending enough time with my children and I felt that I was investing a lot more in work than in my children.

Another reason was that we, as a family, wanted the possibility to move where we wanted and maybe, in the future, to travel while working.

Here are my lists after 7+ years of working in Bucharest in offices and ~1 year of working from home.

Working from home

Pros

  • More time in general
  • Schedule flexibility
  • Spending more time with my family
  • You can move wherever you like
  • Not being tired all the time
  • Wanting to visit and travel more because I have more energy

Cons

  • Lack of social situations (but that can be arranged by going out with friends and at church, in my case)
  • No real separation between work and home
  • You have to “hunt” for silence if you have two kids (by working late/early)
  • We need a bigger bed
    We need a bigger bed
  • Working near my beautiful wife
    Working near my beautiful wife
  • Working from a camp where my kids went
    Working from a camp where my kids went
  • Working from the park while the kids are playing
    Working from the park while the kids are playing
  • Homemade lemonade
    Homemade lemonade
  • With my lovely girl, Miriam
    With my lovely girl, Miriam

Working in an office

Pros

  • Easier to learn/teach from/to people in person
  • Socializing everyday
  • Company events

Cons

  • Less time for family
  • Commute
  • Less flexibility (working in a range of hours, 1-2 days work from home, if you’re lucky)
  • The Front End Team
    The Front End Team
  • Enjoying some calories
    Enjoying some calories
  • The good old days of making fun on someone on the internet
    The good old days of making fun on someone on the internet

If you have any pros and cos about these, feel free to share in the comments bellow.

If you’re interested in working from home, at OakBits we are always looking for people we can click with. For more info, you can reach me at radu@oakbits.co.