Warren in India
| Months | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr |
| May | Jun | Jul | Aug |
| Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
Mon, 07 Feb 2005
First day at ThoughtWorks
I started orientation at ThoughtWorks today -- over two months after I accepted their offer. Orientation is going to run through Wednesday, then I'm off to India on Thursday.
There's not much unusual to report about orientation, other than its length. We're going over a lot of things that haven't been big factors for me at other jobs: immigration, travel, cell phones, intellectual property. We're also going to learn a bit about sales and recruiting, which is another first-week first for me. From looking at the syllabus for boot camp, I'll be learning a lot more about many of these things between next week and early March.
Although I'll try to write a more in-depth "preview" of my trip later (after I'm packed? ha), I will say that it's been an interesting experience just getting ready for it. I've received eight immunizations and booster shots; I've started the most expensive drug regimen of my life (the anti-malarial drug Malarone, weighing in at about $6/dose); I've tried to figure out what I could possibly need over the course of four months while living on the other side of the world; and most importantly, I've tried to prepare myself for being immersed in a totally new environment with dozens of strangers without seeing any family or friends for almost four months.
Maybe this will show me what life would have been like had I decided to attend the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. Except for the weather. And the shots.
There is one bit of news that I'd like to share yet tonight. A few weeks ago, we campers were told what the general schedule would be: three weeks of intense learning, followed by thirteen weeks of half-contributing to/half-observing an actual project -- possibly internal, possibly for a client. The twist is that they may not be able to place everyone on a project, so those who cannot be placed will be sent back to their respective home offices. In other words, there is a small but real chance that I will be back in March, not June. I don't know when these decisions will be made, but I'll be sure to document them here.