Life

[Zeusthecat]

What do you with 9-5 desk jobs do when/if you have downtime?  I struggle with feeling guilty and nervous about my time use when I have nothing pressing to work on.  (And this might just be me), but I also find that prolonged periods of downtime in a day makes me feel detached and less capable of communicating when work/phone calls do pop up.  Any tips?

 

I come here. Not sure about how to make yourself feel more capable of communicating after a prolonged period of downtime though. I just force myself back into it because I have no choice.

[SecretAsianMan]

I assume you mean downtime at work.  I too do what Zeus said and visit the forums, probably far more than I really should.  I also try to get up instead of sitting down.  I'm almost always thirsty and I keep a water bottle at my desk, but I purposely only fill it part way so that I get up and walk to the water fountain more often.

[clyde]

I draw in my sketchbook, read the forums, psuedo-code, listen to podcasts, write down ideas for games and such. 

[Badfinger]

What's downtime?

[syntheticgerbil]

What's time?

[Mangela Lansbury]

What do you with 9-5 desk jobs do when/if you have downtime?  I struggle with feeling guilty and nervous about my time use when I have nothing pressing to work on.  (And this might just be me), but I also find that prolonged periods of downtime in a day makes me feel detached and less capable of communicating when work/phone calls do pop up.  Any tips?

 

I kept up with industry-related news or, when that failed (news flash: the lighting industry is not a fast-paced world, more after this incremental LED efficiency improvement), just news in general. I also spent time doing "professional development," like online courses for what I was employed to do, or doing cross-training for other positions so I could take on more responsibility to eliminate that downtime.

 

But mostly Twitter and the news. A whole lot of Twitter and the news.

[Erkki]

Just got back from a company trip to Mexico a couple of days ago, still jetlagged, going to a 3-day salsa cruise tomorrow, kind of in crunch mode to release a new product soon, and next weekend will have a 2-day housewarming party (two years after moving in, but so what) that I have to prepare for during the week. Also still trying to work out almost every day. But really all I want this moment is to sleep a lot...

[elmuerte]

would that product be xrebel by any chance?

[Erkki]

Yes. Where did you hear about it?

[elmuerte]

Yes. Where did you hear about it?

 

Via you on twitter. You retweeted about it on the 5th of may.

[namman siggins]

EDIT: EDIT

[RubixsQube]

I am sitting in a hotel lobby in Dubrovnik, Croatia. There was a conference on galaxy evolution that just finished today, and overall it was pretty good. But, do you ever feel like maybe you're in over your head?

 

They don't tell you when you're a kid, and you have dreams, that maybe some day you'll achieve them, but then it will always feel like you are in the ocean by yourself and you're kicking and kicking like mad, but the waves are just so high. I think that we all, to some degree, have impostor syndrome, but knowing that doesn't make me feel any better. I just feel like the only person in the entire universe, and I feel that a lot, and it's such a dumb thing to think since I am so lucky, all the time, to have what I have, and to do what I do. But that doesn't make the swimming any easier. 

[dibs]

I am sitting in a hotel lobby in Dubrovnik, Croatia. There was a conference on galaxy evolution that just finished today, and overall it was pretty good. But, do you ever feel like maybe you're in over your head?

 

They don't tell you when you're a kid, and you have dreams, that maybe some day you'll achieve them, but then it will always feel like you are in the ocean by yourself and you're kicking and kicking like mad, but the waves are just so high. I think that we all, to some degree, have impostor syndrome, but knowing that doesn't make me feel any better. I just feel like the only person in the entire universe, and I feel that a lot, and it's such a dumb thing to think since I am so lucky, all the time, to have what I have, and to do what I do. But that doesn't make the swimming any easier. 

 

Fake it till you make it baby. You were at a conference, like an academic one? The process of getting my PhD burned all such thoughts out of me. I no longer get very nervous about things, and I take the position that everyone else is just as big a faker as me, but that maybe i'm not such a big fake after all.

[Ucantalas]

Got a date tonight! I'm excited but nervous because I don't want come off as a fool. The woman in going out on a date is some I've come to like a good amount and I hope it all goes well.

Congrats! Wishing you good luck!

 

 

In other news... Monday night I start on the bottling line of the brewery. I once again have a job. Hooray!

[Frenetic Pony]

Got a date tonight! I'm excited but nervous because I don't want come off as a fool. The woman in going out on a date is some I've come to like a good amount and I hope it all goes well.

 

I hope it goes better than that sentence did 

[Twig]

I got an email about a gameplay programmer position at one of my favorite developers yesterday after applying almost a year ago.

 

I gotta study up on my programmings now because this is IT if I don't get this job I am QUITTING LIFE. Well, anyway, guess I'll go like do some practice whiteboard stuff or something.

[Gormongous]

Friday nights are for writing a threatening email to my university library because they have restricted my ability to request books through interlibrary loan.

[Twig]

I just had a panic attack where I checked the website of the developer that just contacted me for information on the position they were considering me for (because that's faster than waiting until Monday for an email), and it's asking for a senior gameplay programmer and it's blatantly obvious I'm not senior or even close and the requirements are like "shipped at least two games, have at least five years of experience" and jesus... 

 

But then I thought maybe they just haven't updated or they just decided to hire from old applications first instead of making the post or something.

 

I really hope it's just that because I do not think I have the ability to fake being a senior-level programmer of any sort. God I hate this. I've been so laid back about the job search recently because nothing has been happening even when I actively apply and this comes out of left field and simultaneously excites me and TERRIFIES THE FUCK OUT OF ME.

 

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[ariskany_evan]

Friday nights are for writing a threatening email to my university library because they have restricted my ability to request books through interlibrary loan.

 

Hahahaha. I used to work interlibrary loan at a small liberal arts college, so I've been on the receiving end of some of those emails.

[Gormongous]

Hahahaha. I used to work interlibrary loan at a small liberal arts college, so I've been on the receiving end of some of those emails.

 

It actually ended up being more defensive than threatening. "Yes, I know I have sixty books checked out, some of them for almost two years, but I'm dissertating and I need all of them so what are you going to do to help me with this problem?"

[Nachimir]

But then I thought maybe they just haven't updated or they just decided to hire from old applications first instead of making the post or something.

 

Do the interview, don't try to fake being a senior programmer. They've seen your resume, they wouldn't be asking if they didn't think it was worthwhile. Worst case: regard it as practice for other interviews.

[clyde]

Here's how you write a for loop and.... here is my AARP card.

[Twig]

Do the interview, don't try to fake being a senior programmer. They've seen your resume, they wouldn't be asking if they didn't think it was worthwhile. Worst case: regard it as practice for other interviews.

I've had enough practice. I want a fucking job. I'm tired of practicing. It's only been almost a year...

 

Besides, if they are actually hiring for a senior programmer, I won't make it past the initial phone screening. Regardless of what my resume says or if they're just giving me a chance for whatever reason. I'm not experienced enough for that position. At all.

 

Anyway, this is my first opportunity to work at a company I actually already love (though I have been interviewed by a view companies that sold themselves to me pretty well, like the one in Dallas that was going to hire me and then couldn't). Point is, this is the first time I've been seriously invested in an interview and so nothing anyone says will help calm me down.

[tegan]

I just got back from the East Coast Comic Expo! It kind of... wasn't... good.

 

There wasn't really anything there besides a couple of vendor booths and the special guests. There weren't any events or panels or anything (or if there were, I had no idea because there weren't any schedules anywhere on either their website or at the convention itself), so I just kind of walked around for a bit and spent more time in the bleachers (it was held in a hockey rink, because Canada) checking streetpasses than actually doing anything. I talked to Troy Little, who seemed pretty cool (got to tell him about my friend from college with the same name who was intensely jealous of him) and got Kate Leth to sign my copy of Seeing Red. I don't know if it was just con season stress or how small the convention was or what, but she didn't really seem interested in anything or like she wanted to be there, which was a big disappointment.

 

Considering how much effort it took to get over my anxiety about going... I don't think I want to go to any comic conventions anymore.

[Codicier]

Considering how much effort it took to get over my anxiety about going... I don't think I want to go to any comic conventions anymore.

 

But you went! & that's good.

 

Maybe this con was't all that great. But maybe next time there's a con that interests you the anxiety wont be as pronounced, because you've given the rational part of your brain battling the anxiety a little more ammunition to convince the rest that even if it wasn't great you could handle it, and maybe you'll go and that one will be great.

 

I know it doesn't seem like much, and I know anxiety's are a very personal thing. So what i say about how i feel about it and how deal mine wont necessarily help or be of any comfort to you but... I really think you did a good thing by going.