first day at Energous

I just started working at Energous Corporation as a senior software QA engineer. Energous is a company based in San Jose that focuses on wireless power transfer. I'll be responsible for develop test plans and test automation for their wireless power systems.

Our receptionist Allison gave me some papers to sign when I showewd up. She then gave me a tour of the office before leading me to my cubicle. I took a few minutes to log into my laptop and make sure the e-mail works. On a related note, the laptop is a high-end mobile workstation with an octo-core Intel Core-i9 processor, 32 MB of memory and an Nvidia Quadro T2000 GPU. It's certainly comparable to the gaming laptop I got last September.

A short time later, my boss showed me around the labs and introduced me to my co-workers. Everyone was friendly and very helpful. It kind of sucks we weren't allowed to shake hands. The office feels a little empty as most people are working from home, but that's not a problem because I'm sure I'll get to know everyone soon enough. I spent the rest of the day studying the documentation and source code repositories.

Starting a new job is always an exciting experience. Although things were a little different this time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that didn't make my first day any less enjoyable. Allison says we usually have free lunches five days a week — which is very generous in my opinion — but they have been suspended since the pandemic began. On the bright side, there's no shortage of snacks. I can't complain about the fact that my boss wants me at the office for the next few days. :P

Tuesday update

The company gave me a T-shirt and a goodie bag that includes a stainless steel water bottle, a 400 lumen flashlight and a multi-tool. It also contains sanitary items like wipes and masks. I'm so glad to work at Energous.

But things didn't go without a hitch. I must admit I forgot to bring my badge on the second day of the job. Yeah... that's what happens when you work from home for over a year.

In other news...

Happy anniversary to my parents!

Currently listening to: "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen

last day at Silicon Labs + the long road to normalcy

I mentioned in the previous post that I decided to resign from Silicon Labs. It was no easy decision because Silicon Labs is really one of the best companies ever. The only reason for my departure is the costs of moving to Boston was too high.

I'm definitely a little sad that I never had the chance to meet my co-workers in person. It was so hard to say goodbye even though I was only on the team for seven months. Hope we can reconnect after the pandemic.

Our first "normal" gathering in ages

One highlight of the weekend is that the Hsuehs invited us over for lunch. We have had to decline numerous invitations in the past because COVID-19 is no joke. But now that have all gotten the vaccine, there was no reason we couldn't get together. It's certainly nice to not have to wear a mask or social distance!

Lily and Aaron prepared a nice Korean barbecue with vegetables. All of the food was delicious. Of note is that their son Alan was also home. He was pretty busy but did take the time to enjoy lunch with us.

Our group then went to the Stanford University campus for a hike. Lily and Aaron showed us some spots that we had never been to. Because it was quite hot outside, the Hsuehs insisted we go back to their house for ice cream. As you can imagine, this was quite nice for a change!

I still don't feel comfortable enough to dine indoors or spend time with large crowds. But it's nice to see some normalcy on the horizon. Let's hope the pandemic winds down in the coming months.

Currently listening to: "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys