Monday, February 27, 2006
Chocolate is good for you
At least that is what I hope this study concludes. Then I can splurge on chocolates guilt free.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Some thoughts after an interview
This past week I attended an interview where I performed rather poorly. I still can't shake off the bad vibes. The first interviewer left me confused and I never recovered. I blame myself for being under-prepared. Moreover though the position was for a software engineer, it was clear that I had no passion for it at all. When the first guy asked me what I really wanted to do, I launched into my favorite spiel about working with customers which really confused the guy. The position was a hard core development position and I really have no love for that kind of work. Sitting and coding in a cube just bores me to death these days.
The first guy wanted me to write code, which was fine, but he was a stickler for exact syntax - and called me on several minor mistakes. That kind of frazzled me, but that cannot be an excuse that a professional like me can bandy about. There were a couple of tough technical questions that I wasn't good at answering.
The next three guys were far more tolerant and easy going and I thought I did well . The last interview of the day was with the VP of Engineering. I made the fatal mistake of telling him that my Java skills were a little rusty. I don't know why I said that. He immediately probed me on that and from then on the interview went downhill. He was short, brusque and tough with his questions and I knew then that I stood no chance of being considered for that position. The thing that really hurt was when the VP told me that I was not a good fit for the engineering position and that my customer facing experience was so thin that he had to basically hire me on faith and he was reluctant to do that.
As I left I thanked him for his time and complimented him on the sharp team he had. All the guys who had interviewed me were really sharp and that is often an indication of a company that has a good chance of succeeding.
Driving back home, I was actually glad for having gone through such a tough interview. It hopefully will force me to be better prepared for future interviews. But I wish I had done well. I was really disappointed with how I performed and that bad tasted has stayed with me for the past few days.
The first guy wanted me to write code, which was fine, but he was a stickler for exact syntax - and called me on several minor mistakes. That kind of frazzled me, but that cannot be an excuse that a professional like me can bandy about. There were a couple of tough technical questions that I wasn't good at answering.
The next three guys were far more tolerant and easy going and I thought I did well . The last interview of the day was with the VP of Engineering. I made the fatal mistake of telling him that my Java skills were a little rusty. I don't know why I said that. He immediately probed me on that and from then on the interview went downhill. He was short, brusque and tough with his questions and I knew then that I stood no chance of being considered for that position. The thing that really hurt was when the VP told me that I was not a good fit for the engineering position and that my customer facing experience was so thin that he had to basically hire me on faith and he was reluctant to do that.
As I left I thanked him for his time and complimented him on the sharp team he had. All the guys who had interviewed me were really sharp and that is often an indication of a company that has a good chance of succeeding.
Driving back home, I was actually glad for having gone through such a tough interview. It hopefully will force me to be better prepared for future interviews. But I wish I had done well. I was really disappointed with how I performed and that bad tasted has stayed with me for the past few days.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Guerneville
We enjoyed a great couple of days with friends at a vacation home in Sonoma county in the village of Guerneville. Our rented home was on the edge of the Russian river in a scenic part of town. We played games, cooked great food, visited wineries and drank lots of wine. It was both fun and relaxing. Now it is back to work!
Friday, February 17, 2006
The startup dilemma
I interviewed at a startup recently and that raised some interesting issues. My last job was at a company that had passed the startup phase - I was the 140th employee - and was on the verge of going IPO back in those halcyon days of '99. Things were rosy and every company that went IPO seemed destined to hit the jackpot so to speak. So going there was an easy decision to make. My current job is at a fairly big well established company with a billion dollars in revenue each year. An advantage of working for a big company is that you have a fairly stable work environment, a nice salary and good benefits. Your next paycheck is never in doubt.
The startup I interviewed at made it clear that they would love to have me, but I had to agree to a pay cut. The figures they bandied about would result in at least a 30-40% pay cut from my present salary. When I told D~ about it, she thought I was mad for even considering such a move.
I feel too boxed in and unchallenged in my present job. I have a fear that my skills are being underutilized and that I could make a greater contribution elsewhere. To be truthful, I have not made a serious attempt to look for alternatives within the company. I think I could do a better job there. Though the fact that there is a hiring freeze in place certainly tempers my enthusiasm. But it wouldn't hurt to look seriously and engage in serious discussions. The other thing that puts me off is that I have to tread carefully and not piss off my current boss as I look for other jobs within the company. Sometimes I feel it is best to start off fresh elsewhere.
Going to a startup is certainly a risk. It is much like rolling a dice and hoping that the winning hand shows up. The dilemma continues
The startup I interviewed at made it clear that they would love to have me, but I had to agree to a pay cut. The figures they bandied about would result in at least a 30-40% pay cut from my present salary. When I told D~ about it, she thought I was mad for even considering such a move.
I feel too boxed in and unchallenged in my present job. I have a fear that my skills are being underutilized and that I could make a greater contribution elsewhere. To be truthful, I have not made a serious attempt to look for alternatives within the company. I think I could do a better job there. Though the fact that there is a hiring freeze in place certainly tempers my enthusiasm. But it wouldn't hurt to look seriously and engage in serious discussions. The other thing that puts me off is that I have to tread carefully and not piss off my current boss as I look for other jobs within the company. Sometimes I feel it is best to start off fresh elsewhere.
Going to a startup is certainly a risk. It is much like rolling a dice and hoping that the winning hand shows up. The dilemma continues
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Superbowl ads
Watched the Superbowl (at least until the third quarter when Seattle was still in it) but none of the ads really caught my eye. The Ameriquest ad was supposed to be good, but I never made the connection. I see the humor, but whats the point? Perhaps I am too dumb to see it. I liked Shaq in his promotional for Desperate Housewives. I tell you, this man is going to make another career for himself as an actor. He is pretty good.
The reach of religion
D~ has a friend who lives in the Bay Area. They grew up together back in India in the same neighborhood. Those childhood bonds never die and they have kept in touch with each other all these years.
U~ was always a devout Muslim, but lately the extent of her religious belief and the passion with which she follows it has surprised me. I believe in religious freedom and the right for anybody to practice their faith. But I rebel when religious ideology - or is it fundamentalism - runs counter to modern reality.
U~ believes Islam forbids any business transaction that involves interest. Her belief, for instance, precludes her from owning a house that she otherwise cannot buy outright by paying the full price. I find this sort of rigid religious belief suffocating and uncomfortable. It surprises me that an otherwise intelligent woman would allow herself to be swayed by a religious edict that is outdated. Taking a loan or paying interest, I would argue doesn't make U~ any less of a Muslim. If she did take a loan or pay interest, I would argue instead that she was being a progressive Muslim, who was faithful to her religion and those edicts that were realistic and pragmatic in her approach otherwise.
U~ was always a devout Muslim, but lately the extent of her religious belief and the passion with which she follows it has surprised me. I believe in religious freedom and the right for anybody to practice their faith. But I rebel when religious ideology - or is it fundamentalism - runs counter to modern reality.
U~ believes Islam forbids any business transaction that involves interest. Her belief, for instance, precludes her from owning a house that she otherwise cannot buy outright by paying the full price. I find this sort of rigid religious belief suffocating and uncomfortable. It surprises me that an otherwise intelligent woman would allow herself to be swayed by a religious edict that is outdated. Taking a loan or paying interest, I would argue doesn't make U~ any less of a Muslim. If she did take a loan or pay interest, I would argue instead that she was being a progressive Muslim, who was faithful to her religion and those edicts that were realistic and pragmatic in her approach otherwise.
Monday, February 06, 2006
Tiger
I am an avid golfer and I am simply in awe of Tiger. He won again yesterday making it two out of two this year. He is so tough mentally that you can never write him off and that is what I admire the most about him: his mental toughness. His sheer will and ability to fight make him such a great golfer. I think those attributes will serve someone well regardless of what you do for a living.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
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