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Friday, 12 November 2004 02:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
daYesterday started early, an 8:45 meeting with an Interfaith group that I attend representing the local Quakers. I don't want to go into the long story, but it was considerably less dramatic than I had feared, and I am quite glad that I trusted my initial instincts and questioned authority concerning a (potentially very) bad decision.
One thing I hope I learned this time 'round: don't trust email to very difficult communications, even if I'm in a comfortable position regarding the communication. Pick up the damn phone, it's the kind thing to do.
Then I had my first lunch, because it was that sort of a day, then I had my second lunch, with d at the university. Got my flu shot, and bought new glasses.
Did a bit more work on a few web projects that I'd really like to finish...
And got official word that I've been hired by d's university, on a one-year contract, for nearly my dream job.
Some time ago, I interviewed for a position in the Computer Science IT facility, which matched me at about 75% skills/interest. It was touch and go whether I'd take the job if they offered it to me, though it was an interesting interview- it took over five hours (or six? I seem to recall d called me after five hours to see where I was), with one break, and a lot of tough questions. I guess I made a good impression, even though they hired somebody else. Months later, they asked me if I wanted to apply for nearly the same job- but replacing somebody with similar specialties to mine.
I'm now a Software Specialist in the Infrastructure Group, replacing the Debian expert going on a one-year leave. I'm starting a some brand-new projects, replacing old crufty linux/unix with pretty new Debian. Lots of learning opertunities (sample: one project I was offered involves seeing if I can replace proprietary $500 Sun thin clients with commodity hw and open-source sw), some end-user support (for CS Graphics Professors; administering two labs), and my boss is extremely enthusiastic about giving me a lot of leeway with what I work on. I will be paid for attending Debian Interest Group meetings, and they will send a van of us to YAPC (Yet Another Perl Conference) which is being held in Toronto next summer. Two weeks vacations, flextime. Otherwise, no benefits. Oh well.
This is the closest I've come to a real job, and I feel *really really lucky* it seems to be a good one. Guess I'll find out when I start in January.
Well, that last line is a fiction- I'm going in at the beginning of December for two days, to overlap with the guy I'm replacing.
One thing I hope I learned this time 'round: don't trust email to very difficult communications, even if I'm in a comfortable position regarding the communication. Pick up the damn phone, it's the kind thing to do.
Then I had my first lunch, because it was that sort of a day, then I had my second lunch, with d at the university. Got my flu shot, and bought new glasses.
Did a bit more work on a few web projects that I'd really like to finish...
And got official word that I've been hired by d's university, on a one-year contract, for nearly my dream job.
Some time ago, I interviewed for a position in the Computer Science IT facility, which matched me at about 75% skills/interest. It was touch and go whether I'd take the job if they offered it to me, though it was an interesting interview- it took over five hours (or six? I seem to recall d called me after five hours to see where I was), with one break, and a lot of tough questions. I guess I made a good impression, even though they hired somebody else. Months later, they asked me if I wanted to apply for nearly the same job- but replacing somebody with similar specialties to mine.
I'm now a Software Specialist in the Infrastructure Group, replacing the Debian expert going on a one-year leave. I'm starting a some brand-new projects, replacing old crufty linux/unix with pretty new Debian. Lots of learning opertunities (sample: one project I was offered involves seeing if I can replace proprietary $500 Sun thin clients with commodity hw and open-source sw), some end-user support (for CS Graphics Professors; administering two labs), and my boss is extremely enthusiastic about giving me a lot of leeway with what I work on. I will be paid for attending Debian Interest Group meetings, and they will send a van of us to YAPC (Yet Another Perl Conference) which is being held in Toronto next summer. Two weeks vacations, flextime. Otherwise, no benefits. Oh well.
This is the closest I've come to a real job, and I feel *really really lucky* it seems to be a good one. Guess I'll find out when I start in January.
Well, that last line is a fiction- I'm going in at the beginning of December for two days, to overlap with the guy I'm replacing.
