Tidbits of life in 9 minute increments.

October 25, 2004

Here's the skinny...

My last job was as a QA Analyst backing up an established team of 3 (or 4) programmers. Development, documentation and process were very well defined, though the QA was very basic. It was all manual with only the scantiest of program assistance for the documentation side.

The job I am taking is to set up QA for a team of 40 programmers. Currently the developers test their own work as there is no Quality Assurance group. This is just about the worst way to go about things, except having no testing at all. I will be defining the development, documentation and process for the newly forming QA group.

Yeah, you read that right. I am the man. I'll be going into a company and starting up their formal Quality Assurance from scratch. Once we're set up we'll expand the QA group to provide comprehensive coverage. The rule of thumb is one analyst for each three developers so while I'm the sole analyst I'll only be concentrating on top projects.

Challenging? You bet. Rewarding. Oh, yeah. Will I be a busy boy? Damn straight!

I'm incredibly excited over this job and unbefuckinglievably relieved to be back in the provider seat for my family.

Posted by: Jim at 12:56 PM | Comments (12) | Add Comment
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I got it!!!!!

I got the job!

Thank you so much to everybody who's been pulling for me and supporting me with good wishes and much twisting of digits.

More later. Right now I'm too delerious to type. :-)

Posted by: Jim at 10:01 AM | Comments (12) | Add Comment
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October 22, 2004

I do so totally kick ass

Interview number 2 went smashingly well. It was three on one and very convivial. I may hear as early as today whether I get the job or not.

I'm terribly excited. This is a dream job and a fantastic opportunity.

Please pray, cross fingers, or bargain with the Devil (as appropriate).

Posted by: Jim at 10:37 AM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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October 18, 2004

Second interview set

Just got the eagerly awaited call from my headhunter. I've got the second interview set up for first thing Friday morning.

I'm all a-twitter!

Posted by: Jim at 10:49 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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October 11, 2004

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about

The interview went well. Very well. Really, really well.

Except for one little bit. Say there were 10 categories, I aced 9 of them. I mean totally aced and annihilated. That last one smacked me right in the gobber though.

They use a client/server application built on a .NET framework. I have exactly zero experience with this particular bit of computerdom so I've just acquired several .NET books and am getting a head start on my learning curve.

I also let the interviewer know what I'm doing and informed him that I'm similarly aggressive with other workspace challenges.

Did I do good? We'll find out some time next week.

UPDATE: Yeah, I did look like all of that and a bag of chips in my new suit. No pictures as I was in a bit of a rush this morning. If I get the job I promise photos of me wearing various parts of it at the celebration party.

Posted by: Jim at 11:37 PM | Comments (16) | Add Comment
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1 Do NOT panic if there was one part that you didn't ace one part of the interview-if you aced the other parts, they will view you as an ideal candidate that can maybe do some training to learn whatever other part you felt you didn't ace. DO NOT PANIC!

Posted by: Helen at October 12, 2004 03:16 AM (psQcz)

2 First Helen's house, now your job ... I'm running out of bits to cross! But in all seriousness, if you need a hand with .NET stuff it's 90% of what I work with day in day out so just give me a shout...

Posted by: Rob at October 12, 2004 05:50 AM (kXZI6)

3 If it were me I'd say that was the perfect answer - no one's likely to be 100% on top of it all, and demonstrating (a) aptitude (b) willingness to learn and (c) no aversion to Microsoft are all pluses. It wasn't a birthday suit, was it?

Posted by: Simon at October 12, 2004 05:53 AM (OyeEA)

4 Sounds like you handled it just fine, Jim.

Posted by: RP at October 12, 2004 07:18 AM (X3Lfs)

5 Congrats Jim - whenever I've left an interview thinking I knocked it out of the park, I did. From the standpoint of what you're doing (I'm assuming), I can't imagine that a super deep understanding of .NET is that important... At any rate, I'm sending good mojo down to you!

Posted by: Clancy at October 12, 2004 09:38 AM (EGVPL)

6 Way to go, Jim. Like Clancy, i'm sending Mojo the helper monkey down to you.

Posted by: tommy at October 12, 2004 10:32 AM (v0EoW)

7 Rob - Very cool. I may just be taking you up on that. Simon - Nope. It was an un-birthday suit. Helen - Fear not. I'm not panicking. I do have my extra dark sunglasses ready though*. All - Thanks for the good wishes, mojo and monkeys. It's a rather trying time and having y'all backing me up is very reassuring. :-) * Three points to the first person to get this reference.

Posted by: Jim at October 12, 2004 11:13 AM (GCA5m)

8 Good luck Jim; don't sweat the one out of nine. I agree with Helen's assessment....

Posted by: Rachel Ann at October 12, 2004 12:33 PM (KKZFj)

9 Good luck! Does this mean if you get the job you're going to ignore your Blogger Bowl team even more? You've had players on bye weeks for the last two weeks, dude. It's no fun whipping your udder-sucking self if you're just going to sit there and take it. I want to see you cry.

Posted by: Victor at October 12, 2004 01:39 PM (L3qPK)

10 Extra dark sunglasses--either Blue's Brothers or or Corey Hart. He's still singing "Sunglasses at Night" somewhere.

Posted by: Victor at October 12, 2004 01:41 PM (L3qPK)

11 I have fingers and toes crossed. My tubes are tied...does that count as crossed?

Posted by: mitzi at October 13, 2004 07:15 AM (4ijZX)

12 Close Zaphod, but they only turned really dark when bad things were about to happen so you don't see it coming. I prefer a towel over the head to avoid the ravenous BugBlatterBeast of Traal, though. if you can't see them, they think they can't see you. Speaking of which, i need to watch that again. Way to go, again.

Posted by: tommy at October 13, 2004 01:53 PM (v0EoW)

13 Hey Jim, I got another trick for you. If say this interview went not so well and you dont get the job, the next interview you get, write down the names of the people who interview you and send them a letter thanking them to take the time to actually interview you. You could always do it to this job if you remeber the names. We've been interviewing candidates here in Austin at my company for IT positions and I was highly impressed with people that took the time to follow up like that.

Posted by: pylorns at October 14, 2004 09:35 AM (FTYER)

14 "The future so bright, I gotta wear shades" Timbuk 3. (Awesome tune even if it's not the answer your looking for. It took many many years for me to realize that it's actually about nuclear annihilation.)

Posted by: Clancy at October 14, 2004 03:36 PM (EGVPL)

15 Tommy's got it! The "Don't Panic!" sunglasses reference was from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I also keep a towel handy at all times.

Posted by: Jim at October 14, 2004 04:47 PM (GCA5m)

16 Any good news to update us on? Please? *keeping fingers crossed*

Posted by: RP at October 15, 2004 04:04 PM (LlPKh)

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October 08, 2004

My new suit is at the tailor's

It's getting ready to make me look good for my interview on Monday.

Wish me luck, y'all!

Posted by: Jim at 06:35 PM | Comments (11) | Add Comment
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