Episode IV: A NEW JOB (in which Denny is Made Of Win)

[denny]

So, that was the first week at my new job. How did it go? Really really well. I've actually been feeling a bit euphoric since about 5pm today, which I think you'll agree is a pretty good feeling to get from a week's work.

Highlights:
* On Monday, my first day, I identified and documented a bug in the installer for the system. I then fixed it, and committed the fix to the main code repository. This is unusual for a first day, which usually mostly consist of setting up your machine and finding some desktop wallpaper that you like. Both myself and my colleagues were very happy with this auspicious start.
* On Tuesday, I identified a group of related issues with the front-end of the system (in the WYSIWYG editor) and did some work on tracking down where it was going wrong, before handing the problem over to the contractor who built the editor. I then took the lead on Tuesday and Wednesday in getting him to follow through on the bug report and produce fixes for the two bugs that were causing the issues I'd found. By the end of Wednesday the issue was fully resolved and the bug closed.
* On Wednesday I found an extremely serious back-end issue with the system (extraneous database handles being created and held open by one of the senior access-level workflow functions, causing the system to break horribly after a fairly short period of serious use). I spent a lot of time tracing this through various module and templates on Wednesday, Thursday, and this morning, before eventually wrapping up everything I'd figured out (up to the point where I got stuck) into an email to the contractor who built the back-end. I was a bit nervous about this because the guy is Extremely Respected in my specific area of my industry, so I was quite worried that it would turn out to be something trivial and I'd look like a complete fuckwit. Turns out, his response to my email was essentially "D'oh! I am an idiot.", followed by an explanation of what he'd done wrong and why that had made it largely impossible for me to trace the problem any further than I had. He also checked in patches, resolving the issue at about 4:30pm today (hence my 5pm-ish euphoria).

So... I've found three bugs of various degrees of severity (one of them a real show-stopper). I've fixed the bugs where I could, and handed over very good bug reports to other developers where that was more appropriate. Where I've handed issues over, I've kept track of the issue and made sure that it got resolved appropriately. Basically, I am feeling incredibly professionally competent right now. This is a good feeling to have at the end of your first week in a new job.

As if this wasn't good enough, I went out for a drink with my boss last night (at whatleydude's Mobile Geeks of London event), and not only did he seem really very happy with my work so far, but he also turns out to be a bit of a club-monster and a generally cool person.

Speaking of clubbing:
* I'm going to go get ready for tonight's All Night Spinning Party at the Synergy Centre
* http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2732

Comments

[pooloftrees.livejournal.com]

Wow - that sounds like a stonking first week Denny!

I hope that has made a good and lasting impression on your new employer... :-)

[samoth.livejournal.com]

Fantastic - well done that man :)

[wildeabandon.livejournal.com]

Woo! It's a wonderful feeling, isn't it. I'm really glad it's going so well. xxx

[mr_magicfingers]

Angel after party with your boss, that's gonna be quite surreal.

Oh and for reference Denny's boss took one look at me last night, looked at my hair, and said 'so I take it you enjoy a good night out then'.

*smirk*

I like Denny's boss.

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

I'm having the same feelings too - it's bloody great isn't it? My boss is really happy with me and using all the stuff I'm doing for the rest of the team leads :)

Sometimes change can be good after all :)

[skx.livejournal.com]

That sounds fantastically good for you, but finding so many issues so soon makes me a little depressed at coding quality!

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

A fresh eye will tend to pick up odds and ends. The system is incredibly well engineered actually, my main concern in this role is whether I'm capable of keeping it so neat and tidy once I start adding features :)

[reddragdiva]

\o/

[djlongfella.livejournal.com]

Like I said. U haz da skilz. lol
No Fail 4 U
Glad it's on the up

[fayroberts.livejournal.com]

Epic win!start, fella - very nice. XD

(Mind you, I'm looking at what you've done and wishing you could either a) work for our IT Department, or b) work for the guys who produce our database front-end as both suck mightily, especially at the moment.)

[whatleydude.livejournal.com]

Excellent work Sir.

Weird but strangely pleasant having you there on Wednesday.
Top bombing on the WIN too.