I have a 2nd phone screen with microsoft this evening which if it goes well I will have onsite interviews with them and could potentially get a job offer. I'm having a hard time deciding whether I'd rather work for Amazon or microsoft.
amazon pros:
- pay is very similar according to glassdoor. Supposedly Amazon actually pays a little more when you add up bonuses and everything but take home regular pay is probably less.
- A lot of projects to work on...the company runs lean so there is always a lot of work to do.
- Your choice of technologies to work with.
- Innovation and creativity highly encouraged.
- Collaborative work culture
- You're closer to the customer experience so you get to see your impact on the company a lot easier.
- SDET = SDE here. if I'm a developer in test vs a developer it is truly considered the same here which is awesome. switching will be a lot easier.
microsoft pros:
- take home pay is higher but not as much bonusing ends up being less money all together between the two.
- free parking....literally I'm paying min of 14$/day to park at amazon.
- way better benefits.
- its' microsoft! ...big name
- get to work with a lot of very smart talented people.
- get to learn about microsoft technologies better.
amazon cons:
- parking!! I'm not a fan of the bus cause I need flexibility to get home to my girls,..but the more I work here the more I'm seriously thinking I need to look into it. I hate taking the bus!
- don't like working in the big city because of traffic and concern about safety in a big city.
- on-call every amazon employee has to be on call every couple weeks or something for the weekends because amazon is a website requireing 24hr support.
- a lot of socially awkward people here.
microsoft cons:
- microsoft gets a bad rep
- learning microsoft technologies will not necessarily further my career where i need to go doing work from home. c# is used a lot of places but not necessarily in work from home situations which I hoping is my next career move.
- performance review process is based on employee rank so everyone is watching out for their "rank" during the year. If you don't protect yourself during the year you might find yourself at the end of the list.
- 50+ hours. supposedly at amazon some people work this too it probably applies both places but I've heard microsoft is definitely at least 50 hours which means more than occasionally more.
- a lot of over-confident people here who are also passionate....i can see the fireworks now. :)
So what do you think? Which place would you rather work and why?
Friday, April 27, 2012
measuring the passage of time
Ok,.. actually I don't think anybody else that reads my blog uses the pill for bc but I just thought how odd it was this morning that I find myself measuring the passage of time by my pill packets. Does anyone else find themselves doing that?
When I first moved into my in-laws it sure felt like we had been there an awfully long time and there was some pressure going on to get some things done and then a couple days after that thought I was taking my pill and had the reality check of,.. oh hey,.. we're doing all right,.. i haven't even refilled my pill packet once yet since we've been there so it hasn't even been a month yet. slow down turbo. hehe.
Then just before refilling my 2nd pill pack I remember thinking,... wow time sure is flying by it's been 2 months already? I can't believe it. Better start making more progress on getting that job.
Then just before refilling my 3rd pill pack I remember thinking. Ack! I might as well just do this now while I'm here waiting to pay my rental deposit and get my stuff moved in because once we start moving in I'm going to be too busy to pop over here to rite aid and fill my prescription.
This morning as I was taking my pill It got me thinking.... gosh it's only been 2 and 1/2 weeks since we moved into this place? huh,... I think we're doing pretty good... and here I was thinking last night how long its taking me to get anything done and how I'm never going to finish and we're going to be unpacking for the rest of our lives and it stinks,.... 2 weeks?.... that's like nothing in the busy world of a full time working mom. No wonder I've only been to my ward once and last week was stake conference. No wonder all the progress I've made is getting my kitchen unpacked. No wonder I haven't gotten more done,... It really has not been that long,.. Lets give me some credit here. Meanwhile I'm interviewing too so gosh,..people. Ease up a little I'm doing great!
Anyway,... getting these reality checks is actually kind of therapy for me. I never thought I'd come to appreciate my pill packs in all of this mess. Thank you Pill Pack. For the sanity you bring me.
When I first moved into my in-laws it sure felt like we had been there an awfully long time and there was some pressure going on to get some things done and then a couple days after that thought I was taking my pill and had the reality check of,.. oh hey,.. we're doing all right,.. i haven't even refilled my pill packet once yet since we've been there so it hasn't even been a month yet. slow down turbo. hehe.
Then just before refilling my 2nd pill pack I remember thinking,... wow time sure is flying by it's been 2 months already? I can't believe it. Better start making more progress on getting that job.
Then just before refilling my 3rd pill pack I remember thinking. Ack! I might as well just do this now while I'm here waiting to pay my rental deposit and get my stuff moved in because once we start moving in I'm going to be too busy to pop over here to rite aid and fill my prescription.
This morning as I was taking my pill It got me thinking.... gosh it's only been 2 and 1/2 weeks since we moved into this place? huh,... I think we're doing pretty good... and here I was thinking last night how long its taking me to get anything done and how I'm never going to finish and we're going to be unpacking for the rest of our lives and it stinks,.... 2 weeks?.... that's like nothing in the busy world of a full time working mom. No wonder I've only been to my ward once and last week was stake conference. No wonder all the progress I've made is getting my kitchen unpacked. No wonder I haven't gotten more done,... It really has not been that long,.. Lets give me some credit here. Meanwhile I'm interviewing too so gosh,..people. Ease up a little I'm doing great!
Anyway,... getting these reality checks is actually kind of therapy for me. I never thought I'd come to appreciate my pill packs in all of this mess. Thank you Pill Pack. For the sanity you bring me.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
response: Hilary Rosen's comment to Ann Romney
I noticed in the news today all of the reaction to Hilary Rosen's comment to Ann Romney that she had "never worked a day in her life!" and I just wanted to respond in general with some thoughts about stay at home moms and working mothers.
I am a working mom. In some ways that decision is one of the hardest decisions I have ever made and I get to make it every day as I get up and get ready to walk out the door and go to work. I won't go into the reasons why it's hard for me or why I've chosen it. Instead i'd like to comment on the differences. In many ways being a working mom is a lot easier than being a stay at home mom (I am not saying that being a working mom is actually easier than being a stay at home mom or that everybody is able to make either choice. I am saying that Mom's responsibilities are the same either way so a stay at home mom knows everything about the job necessary to understand the complexity of adding a 2nd job to it). Just looking at my mommy responsibilities on paper, it should be easier to be a working mom right? Since I work, my family has more money which allows us to live comfortably and meet our expenses and debts. I pay someone else to watch my children during the day. I've watched them myself on an occasional break and it is not easy finding activities for a 2 year old to do other than sitting in front of the tv that don't take more energy than you have to do or more creativity than you have to keep it new and interesting. I get home and I only need to take care of them for about 2 hours before it's bedtime and I can have the rest of the night to myself. I only have to make meals on nights and weekends. The babysitter tidies up before I get home so that I don't have to clean up the messes that they made with the kids during the day. Meanwhile, I get a break with real adult conversation and friendships at work most days of the week. I could continue here but I think you get the point.
Being a mom is hard work for someone. When you're a working mom it means someone else is doing the work or it doesn't get done but believe me you still feel it when it doesn't. I would argue that someone who has made the choice to be a stay at home mom has the capacity to know exactly what things a working mom is or is not getting to do for their families. Bottom line is that as a stay at home mom you barely have the time to do the things that your daily 24/7 job demands of you let alone adding a minimum of a part-time 20 hour job on top of that. I personally work a 40 hour minimum full-time job. My guess is, if Ann Romney has sat down and put any thought into what adding a minimum of 20 or 40 hours into her week would mean to the things she had to do raising 5 boys I would bet she has a pretty good idea what other working mom's are struggling with.
Obviously there are usually other factors which lead a mother to choose to work either voluntarily or out of necessity that make the job complex or more difficult than someone else's situation but you will never be able to find a candidate who has experience in every person's circumstances or walk of life. The best you can do is find someone who's done one of the hard jobs and I would argue that raising kids is one of the hard jobs any way you slice it.
Finally, regardless of any of this discussion I just want to say Go Moms! You can do it! All you can do is your best for your family and the Lord gives you strength and help to make up for any lack. You're doing great! Keep up the good work!
I am a working mom. In some ways that decision is one of the hardest decisions I have ever made and I get to make it every day as I get up and get ready to walk out the door and go to work. I won't go into the reasons why it's hard for me or why I've chosen it. Instead i'd like to comment on the differences. In many ways being a working mom is a lot easier than being a stay at home mom (I am not saying that being a working mom is actually easier than being a stay at home mom or that everybody is able to make either choice. I am saying that Mom's responsibilities are the same either way so a stay at home mom knows everything about the job necessary to understand the complexity of adding a 2nd job to it). Just looking at my mommy responsibilities on paper, it should be easier to be a working mom right? Since I work, my family has more money which allows us to live comfortably and meet our expenses and debts. I pay someone else to watch my children during the day. I've watched them myself on an occasional break and it is not easy finding activities for a 2 year old to do other than sitting in front of the tv that don't take more energy than you have to do or more creativity than you have to keep it new and interesting. I get home and I only need to take care of them for about 2 hours before it's bedtime and I can have the rest of the night to myself. I only have to make meals on nights and weekends. The babysitter tidies up before I get home so that I don't have to clean up the messes that they made with the kids during the day. Meanwhile, I get a break with real adult conversation and friendships at work most days of the week. I could continue here but I think you get the point.
Being a mom is hard work for someone. When you're a working mom it means someone else is doing the work or it doesn't get done but believe me you still feel it when it doesn't. I would argue that someone who has made the choice to be a stay at home mom has the capacity to know exactly what things a working mom is or is not getting to do for their families. Bottom line is that as a stay at home mom you barely have the time to do the things that your daily 24/7 job demands of you let alone adding a minimum of a part-time 20 hour job on top of that. I personally work a 40 hour minimum full-time job. My guess is, if Ann Romney has sat down and put any thought into what adding a minimum of 20 or 40 hours into her week would mean to the things she had to do raising 5 boys I would bet she has a pretty good idea what other working mom's are struggling with.
Obviously there are usually other factors which lead a mother to choose to work either voluntarily or out of necessity that make the job complex or more difficult than someone else's situation but you will never be able to find a candidate who has experience in every person's circumstances or walk of life. The best you can do is find someone who's done one of the hard jobs and I would argue that raising kids is one of the hard jobs any way you slice it.
Finally, regardless of any of this discussion I just want to say Go Moms! You can do it! All you can do is your best for your family and the Lord gives you strength and help to make up for any lack. You're doing great! Keep up the good work!
Monday, April 9, 2012
My Kitty - Moods
I'm not really a cat person but today I found out that my kitty is most likely eaten by coyotes and it makes me very sad. If there was any cat out there that was my kind of cat he was it. His temperament suited me well and everyone who met him agreed that he was an unusual cat. I will miss you kitty.
I suspect hormones or bad news or whatever to be the cause of moodiness today. Don't you hate it when you get into one of those woe is me? and I can't do it! moods? They're so,.... depressing. :) hehehe. Anyway. I was in such a good mood previously with a new place to live and new job prospects and beautiful kids etc. Things were looking up. Now I just feel like there's too much on my plate and I should just quit it all and do what I want to do and who cares what happens to me I'll worry about that tomorrow. Throwing caution to the wind so to speak. It's so much easier to get things done when the sky is not falling and I'm not drowning in my own self-pity tears. :) It feels like I'm already pulling out of this mood just writing this post and getting it off my chest. So here's to pity parties and non-rainy rainy days. (I happen to like rain btw) So maybe my rainy day isn't so moody in the end and finally I can get past the pity forecast! Lookout sunshiny day,.. I'm getting over myself!
I suspect hormones or bad news or whatever to be the cause of moodiness today. Don't you hate it when you get into one of those woe is me? and I can't do it! moods? They're so,.... depressing. :) hehehe. Anyway. I was in such a good mood previously with a new place to live and new job prospects and beautiful kids etc. Things were looking up. Now I just feel like there's too much on my plate and I should just quit it all and do what I want to do and who cares what happens to me I'll worry about that tomorrow. Throwing caution to the wind so to speak. It's so much easier to get things done when the sky is not falling and I'm not drowning in my own self-pity tears. :) It feels like I'm already pulling out of this mood just writing this post and getting it off my chest. So here's to pity parties and non-rainy rainy days. (I happen to like rain btw) So maybe my rainy day isn't so moody in the end and finally I can get past the pity forecast! Lookout sunshiny day,.. I'm getting over myself!
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