My Learning Log

Category: Uncategorized

  • being focused

    I think I can be focused. Yesterday and today, I have made a very good progress and focusing on work and just work. Not checking email every half an hour, or not spending time reading news. I will continue doing that.

    I have plenty of stuff that I want to learn, and not enough time for them, so I need to use all of the available time for dev and work related stuff.

    I am also adjusting my learning time at home. I wake up at 5:45 now, and I am finding more time for learning, uninterrupted. Yes, that’s what I need! Great. If need to, I can increase it to 5:30 or so, but I don’t want to wake people up too early. I think 5:45 should work fine, or perhaps 5:40, I’ll see.

    All is not lost on the LM opportunity. I received a response from Ajanta with items to follow up. I am not sure what she really wants for #3, but I sent her some questions so hopefully she gives me a hint or two.

  • status and a bad day

    I feel pretty crappy today. I made a few mistakes. The major one was a SEV 1, where no articles could be displayed because the logic for paragraph breaking was broken.  I should have been more careful. I deleted a file that I was not sure about. Major mistake. Am I out of focus or something? Not sure, but definetely not the best day for me here at NBC.

    Talking about NBC, I think I will probably not stick around for too much long. At least that’s my hope. There is not much going on, so I think it’s best for me to start looking more aggresively. I would like to have something by March 10. Or something like that. On my 2nd anniversary here, I would like to have something.

    Things were going really well in this regard as well. I got contacted by LM and from my research, though not great publically, it looks like a good company. I had a decenter phone screen — not great I must admit. Then I solved a homework assignment that I submitted. I thought I did a decent job. My solution should work fine. However, it’s been a couple of days now, and I have not really heard anything. Except from Bobby, but only after my inquiry.

    I’ll wait till the end of the week and we’ll see. I will give up after that and start a new, more aggressive search. We’ll see.

  • getting better

    I have the ability to post within a browser. I think this is really cool. It will enable me to write more. Easy access to the tool. Yes, that’s what I need.

    I need to have a better focus on work. I have to. I spent too much time doing stuff that’s neither work related nor dev related. I cannot. I need to just do what helps me.

    But I’m waiting for a reply from LM. That’s disrupting my work a little. But I’ll live.

    I am also thinking of waking up at 5:45. I don’t have enough time in the morning. This will allow me to have more time for self improvement.

  • Post from ScribeFire

    I just learned that I can use ScribeFire to add posts to my MT blogs! Directly from Firefox! That’s awesome! I’ve been looking for something like this for years!

  • job status

    I learned that I got a 1% increase this year. What? Are you kidding me. Well, it’s better than nothing and I think hardly anybody has got it. It’s called “merit” increase so I’ll take whatever they give me. But that’s only $1200 a year, or $100 per month. Pretty crappy. But like I said, I did not expect anything and extra money is extra money. I’ll take it.
    I am still considered for Lime Wire. I have a few doubts about that environment. But I’m not even interviewing. As of now, I am just waiting for a reply from them. I sent in my Java code and analysis on Wed. Supposedly, they should get back to me tomorrow. We’ll see where this goes. I believe I did a good job implementing the problems they assigned to me. I would be surprised if they came with something negative. But who knows.

  • phone screen

    My son started pre k school in Garfield today. Supposedly, he cried a decent amount. I think he’s crying because Kacper is crying and that’s affecting him. I think he’ll be fine. I will be dropping him off next week.
    I also had a phone screen today. I got asked some tough/obscure Java questions. I did not necessarily knew the answers. But I did know a lot of others. So overall, I have a mixed feeling.
    But I got a response from Bobby that the feedback been positive! Great to hear. I am expecting a homework assignment. I am curious to see. Hopefull it will not be a major project. I do need to brush up on some of the basic Java stuff if I go for an onsite interview. I do need to make a good impression. If I get called, of course. I have a feeling it might be a good fit for me. But I want to be comfortable that the place is where I want to go.

  • another opportunity

    I will get a shot at a Java phone interview. It’sfor Lime Wire. Seems like a good place. I do seem to have forgotten quite a fewthings about Java. Perhaps this will be a good chance to review and preparemyself for more Java interviews. I actually wish I get this job so I get achance to do more Java development, but since I have not had a good exposure toJava in this job, I might be a little bit rusty. We’ll see. If I get called forthe next step, then I think I did OK. If I go for an onsite interview, then evenbetter!
     
    But if I don’t get it, then it’ll be time to do someextensive Java training and practicing. I have already started it. Plus, if Idon’t get the job, then I should not despair. I only started looking. My goal isto have something by the end of Feb next year. I will get a lot of opportunitiesto prepare myself by then.
     
    I might also consider applying to Google, but I need a lotof preparation for them. I will update this posttomorrow.

  • opps

    things are slow at nbc currently. Not a lot of things are happening. My manager Matt decided to

    to call it quits. It sucks. I’ve enjoyed working with him.But he decided it’s not for him anymore. What can you do. He lasted a year and ahalf. As much as I have so far. But I am also considering calling it quits. Ihave to find something first. I do see something interesting here and there, butthat’s not much.
     
    One opportunity that’s been there is Lime Wire. First when Igot it, I said to myself, no this is not a reputable company. This is notsomething that I want to be part of. But today he sent me another note with asubject of “exceptional” note. Perhaps it’s not really a dump after all? Notsure yet. But if it seems stable and the work is decent, Java oriented, then Idon’t really see why not. 5 weeks vacation! Yes, that would be nice. We’llsee.
     
    I do have to pick it up at work. I have a great opportunityto really delve into learning for myself. I have a great chance to learn for anhour or two a day. I need to take it. I cannot let it go towaste.

  • improving

    It’s been kind of slow at workthe last couple of days. I am mostly dedicated to self improvement. But not allthe way. I need to change that. I will have my 7 rules of life sent to me dailysoon. I am hesitating of actually scheduling them before I read the 2 books onthe subjects that I ordered.
     
    How am I going to improve? I amgoing to spend time on stuff that really means something. Either to me or to mycompany. But I need to do something every day work related. Whether it’supdating the documentation or improving a template, I need to do something. Icannot just work on my personal stuff.
     
    But I also have to work more onthe personal stuff, though. I need to learn JPA, JSF and other JEE technologies.I have a great book for that. I might want to try getting into google. I seethey posted the job description there. But I don’t really feel like studyingalgorithms. It’s tough. But if I want to get it, that might be the way to go. Iwonder if they’re really hiring. Doesn’t really hurt sending my resume there.It’s a good time for me.

  • reorg at work

    We had a few things going on in the workplace. Mattis leaving. It’s sad. I liked his technical ability. He was a good communicator.Knew what to do in stressful moments. Did not have a hands on style, but he waskeeping things under control. I will miss working with him. But perhaps hebrings me onboard sometime in the future.
     
    I also got passed over for apromotion. I’m sad. I think I was very close though. Ben has been here a bitlonger and he’s done a good job here. So I can see why they did that. Hmm, couldit be that I did not show up at the last team event. Perhaps that had somethingto do with it, but I doubt it.
     
    In any case, this is just aconfirmation that I should be looking more actively. I don’t think this is agreat place for me to be anymore. I will update my resume in a few places. We’llsee what happens. I would like to have something lined up by my 2nd anniversary.That’s 6 months from now. I’ll be OK. Nothing really bad happening for me here.I will just have more time to brush up my skills and work on some good personalprojects.