Friday, August 15, 2008

Dreamjob

Changing jobs is always some sort of a gamble. Will I like it? Is it as described in the vacancy? Is it as I expected it to be?
Therefor, it is important to know what you want and expect of a job.

Taking my current and past job experiences in account, this is what my ideal job would look like :

  • It should have something to do with technology or IT. I enjoy creating new things, so some programming, engineering or research should be envolved.
  • I have to believe in what I'm doing or what I'm being part of. The long-term project or product should be something I can support and be commited to. Maybe some sort of Open Source project, or cutting edge technology.
  • Considering my health, it is important I get enough sleep. Although I always enjoyed doing project work which involved long, irregular hours and traveling abroad, it's better for me if I can have less demanding hours.
  • I don't mind forensing, to a certain extent, but I'd like to live near where I work. Working in the same city where I live, is therefor preferrable. For a dreamjob, I would even consider relocating, even if it means going abroad.
  • The working atmosphere should be nice. Getting along with my colleagues is important as I'm around them for a major part of the day, and maybe even for a large part of my working life.

Monday, August 04, 2008

Retraining batteries

I've bought an Apple iPod (4G) three years ago (December 2004) and I've noticed its battery life decreasing over the years.

A few months ago (March 2008) I started on a new job, for which I spend about 2-3 hours per day commuting by train, during which I listen to music on my iPod.
When I first started, I could use my iPod for 2 days (approx. 5 hours of listening), without recharging the battery. But over the past months, the battery life increased. Last week I managed to use my iPod for 4 consecutive days (approx. 10 hours of listening), without recharging. It seems that battery memory can be 'retrained'.