a bittersweet departure from Energous

Today is a little bittersweet as I was laid off from Energous. I can't say I didn't see this coming because the tech industry has been hit hard by layoffs in the past several months. However, losing a job sucks no matter the cirumstance. Even though we are a unique company and don't have many competitors, the market is the deciding factor. Innovation does not always translate to success.

Despite the unfortunate turn of events, my two years at Energous couldn't have been better. I got to work with an awesome team and learned many useful things. Another great thing about Energous was the catered lunches. Food always brings people together, and the best part is we had a different menu each time. I'm aware that a free lunch is very small in the grand scheme of things, but can't say I'm not bummed.

One thing for sure is that I'll miss my co-workers. Tomas was a really cool guy and certainly knew how to keep everyone in high spirits. I'm also going to miss Allison as we had so many common interests, and that she was someone I really enjoyed talking to. She was very supportive when she found out I was losing my job. I made sure to give her a big hug before we parted ways.

Of course, job hunting is always going to be a challenge. I suspect it's going to take longer this time due to the current state of the economy. However, I'm not planning to rush into things because finding a job that fits is far more important than getting one as soon as possible. But wish me luck — I'm going to need it for sure. *fingers crossed*

Currently listening to: "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns N' Roses

a busy but awesome weekend

It had been a busy few days as we had to replace some water pipes that had been leaking for a while. We also had to repair a fence gate. I also had to prepare a PowerPoint presentation for a work demo. However, the weekend wasn't too bad otherwise as we went to a party at my mom's friend Carol's house!

Several weeks ago, my dad noticed the water bill was much higher than normal. We did an inspection and found that some leaks in at least two pipes. I hate to think how much money and water was wasted as this had been going on for several months. However, our neighbor Bob was had kindly offered to help us with the repairs. We agreed to do this on Monday as Bob needed to get parts. In the meantime, my dad and I also repaired a gate to our backyard after it fell off its hinges.

The other thing is my BMW failed a smog check a while ago. We were told there was a problem with the oxygen sensor, and that the best way to reset it is to take the car on a drive of around 50 miles. Our plan was to go to WinCo Foods in Tracy on Sunday as that was about the right distance. But it just happened that Mom's friend Carol invited us to her house in Pleasanton for lunch. As you could imagine, the three of us were more than happy to oblige.

In any case, all the food was delicious. Everyone had such a great time that we stayed for several hours. I really enjoyed the party even though there was no one else my age. We had planned to still go to WinCo Foods afterwards. But the three of us decided to leave that to another time as it was a little late. I then had to work on a PowerPoint presentation for a demo scheduled for today at 10 a.m.

Bob came over this afternoon to help us replace the pipes. Even with his help, this was a huge job and took several hours. I was also quite busy today due to some work-related deadlines. However, the good news is I found some free time after dinner and managed to hit 2,600 skill total in RuneScape on my alt account Traductus. Didn't think that would happen so soon. :-)

Currently listening to: "Now We Are Free" by Lisa Gerrard

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