1) Emailed two of my past employers to ask if I could use them as references on my paperwork to Apple. I could have been sneaky, as I’ve been in past, and just listed them without notifying them, but of course that can be awkward if they actually are contacted. Plus, it’s generally seen as bad manners, or some such.
I always find it awkward talking to past employers… since all my work has been internships that they wanted to extend or follow on from, and yet I’ve never been back to any of them as yet, I always feel like I’m letting them down in some way. At NEC, for example, it always felt like they were hoping to snare me good and early, and possibly get me onboard as a real employee once I graduated. Who knows what will happen over a year from now – lord knows I could do far worse than NEC, which was a job I really liked.
There’s also the work I did at the Department of Primary Industries Research Victoria (or whatever they call themselves this month), which was really interesting – lots of genetics and biology, mixed with fairly hard-core software development. It was good to be applying my knowledge into another field, not just straight computing – variety and all. Still, I now know way too much about the mating habits of mice… disgusting little buggers. :)
2) Sorted out alternative arrangements for ARC examination, in so far as getting the lecturer’s support. Since I’m currently planning to leave here on the 12th of November, I’ll be gone before two of my exams are done. My ARC lecturer is really nice, and supportive, about it – he’s happy to provide me with an earlier exam, or some other such arrangement. My other lecturer, for DIS – who’s also head of the department – doesn’t seem quite so keen on it… I have to speak to him on Monday; one way or another it has to be wrapped up soon.
I’m mainly happy with myself for just doing it… I tend to avoid asking for favours from people like this, by my haphazardly shy nature. But it had to be done, and I eventually said “f* it” and did it. I’m disproportionately happy because I think I really need to be more assertive like that.
