Major update
Apr. 22nd, 2008 05:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
emony42I'm currently sitting in the shared computer lab in Sloan and it occurs to me that I haven't written in my journal for months. I'm proctoring a lab exam, so I have nothing but time on my hands at the moment and, seeing as there have been some major developments in my life, I figure I ought to say something about them. Here goes...
In December my advisor, Sirisha, and her husband, Murali, informed us that they were moving to Boise. They left in January. Murali has a new position as Chair of the Computer Science Department and Sirisha is there as an associate professor. This makes it rather difficult to talk to her, seeing as I have a hard time understanding her on the phone (too fast, too high pitched, too much mumbling, too much accent). Combine this with the fact that she won't answer my emails, and life is wonderful. I'm beginning to doubt whether I'll ever get finished. However, I need to get finished soon because...
(drum roll please)
I have a job! Wahoo! (Don't get too excited, there's a caviat with this.) So far this year I've had interviews with Barco, Google, HP, Atlas and Microsoft. Barco decided to interview me at 7pm (I'm not awake then). I didn't want to work for Google, so I didn't try on that interview. HP wanted me, but instituted a hiring freeze the day before my interview. Microsoft was hell. Have you ever walked into a place and it just felt wrong? As in walking onto the set of Gattaca type wrong? Big brother watching you all the time, skin crawling, no trust at all, kind of creepiness. Combine this with a five part interview that went from 8:15 until 4:00 during which time I was grilled, forgotten, shuttled to and fro, and mildly insulted, and you've got my Microsoft experience.
Atlas however was wonderful. Nice people, cool projects and problem spaces, pleasant environment. Both Microsoft and Atlas wanted me and I'm going to work for Atlas (obviously). Here's the catch. Atlas is now a Microsoft subsidiary, since it's parent company, aQuantive, was purchased last fall. Microsoft recruiting is pissed at Atlas recruiting because the folks that interview with both of them invariably choose Atlas over Microsoft. My start date with Atlas is after the two companies merge, so my offer has to come through Microsoft recruiting, not Atlas, and they won't return emails and phone calls from the Atlas recruiter. Lovely, eh? Top it off with the fact that Microsoft's recruiter wasn't going to tell me that Atlas wanted me - he left that out to try and force me into choosing Microsoft proper - and I'm pissed at Microsoft.
The two recruiting branches were getting into bidding wars against each other, so now the policy is to have the candidate decide which group he wants, then give him his offer (an offer that has been settled on by both atlas and microsoft). I'm apparently the first person to be affected by all of the new policies, which is making life wonderful. I know I have a job, and a start date of July 28, but I don't know what my benefits are or what I'm going to be paid. I've been waiting on my offer letter for a week.
I'll end my bitch-fest here. On a happier note, my friends Nathan and Katie got married last weekend. I've never seen a happier, more confident bride and groom than the two of them. Rob was the best man and didn't loose the rings. Also, he remembered to bring my wedding ring on the trip so that he could put it in the safety deposit box for the next year. The dog survived the trip, despite the huge panic attacks he had on the car trip over and back and I managed to keep Rob's parent's from killing each other while deciding on paint colors for the house. All in all, it was a good weekend.
Lab's done. I'll write more later.
In December my advisor, Sirisha, and her husband, Murali, informed us that they were moving to Boise. They left in January. Murali has a new position as Chair of the Computer Science Department and Sirisha is there as an associate professor. This makes it rather difficult to talk to her, seeing as I have a hard time understanding her on the phone (too fast, too high pitched, too much mumbling, too much accent). Combine this with the fact that she won't answer my emails, and life is wonderful. I'm beginning to doubt whether I'll ever get finished. However, I need to get finished soon because...
(drum roll please)
I have a job! Wahoo! (Don't get too excited, there's a caviat with this.) So far this year I've had interviews with Barco, Google, HP, Atlas and Microsoft. Barco decided to interview me at 7pm (I'm not awake then). I didn't want to work for Google, so I didn't try on that interview. HP wanted me, but instituted a hiring freeze the day before my interview. Microsoft was hell. Have you ever walked into a place and it just felt wrong? As in walking onto the set of Gattaca type wrong? Big brother watching you all the time, skin crawling, no trust at all, kind of creepiness. Combine this with a five part interview that went from 8:15 until 4:00 during which time I was grilled, forgotten, shuttled to and fro, and mildly insulted, and you've got my Microsoft experience.
Atlas however was wonderful. Nice people, cool projects and problem spaces, pleasant environment. Both Microsoft and Atlas wanted me and I'm going to work for Atlas (obviously). Here's the catch. Atlas is now a Microsoft subsidiary, since it's parent company, aQuantive, was purchased last fall. Microsoft recruiting is pissed at Atlas recruiting because the folks that interview with both of them invariably choose Atlas over Microsoft. My start date with Atlas is after the two companies merge, so my offer has to come through Microsoft recruiting, not Atlas, and they won't return emails and phone calls from the Atlas recruiter. Lovely, eh? Top it off with the fact that Microsoft's recruiter wasn't going to tell me that Atlas wanted me - he left that out to try and force me into choosing Microsoft proper - and I'm pissed at Microsoft.
The two recruiting branches were getting into bidding wars against each other, so now the policy is to have the candidate decide which group he wants, then give him his offer (an offer that has been settled on by both atlas and microsoft). I'm apparently the first person to be affected by all of the new policies, which is making life wonderful. I know I have a job, and a start date of July 28, but I don't know what my benefits are or what I'm going to be paid. I've been waiting on my offer letter for a week.
I'll end my bitch-fest here. On a happier note, my friends Nathan and Katie got married last weekend. I've never seen a happier, more confident bride and groom than the two of them. Rob was the best man and didn't loose the rings. Also, he remembered to bring my wedding ring on the trip so that he could put it in the safety deposit box for the next year. The dog survived the trip, despite the huge panic attacks he had on the car trip over and back and I managed to keep Rob's parent's from killing each other while deciding on paint colors for the house. All in all, it was a good weekend.
Lab's done. I'll write more later.
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no subject
Date: 2008-04-23 02:12 am (UTC)Interesting to know that the experience of applying for a job at Microsoft sounds a great deal like using Windows Vista. But still, grats on the job!
no subject
Date: 2008-04-25 05:54 pm (UTC)Creepy...
no subject
Date: 2008-04-25 05:54 pm (UTC)CONGRATS on the job. Where oh where oh where is this Atlas of which you speak? Do you have some assurance that it will remain a separate enough entity through the sale that you won't wind up
being assimilatedworking for Microsoft-clone anyway?no subject
Date: 2008-04-25 05:59 pm (UTC)