year 4, week 23 ~ interviewing
i don't really like interviews
HELLO and welcome back to the newsletter, I hope you are all having a great week. This week started off calm and then took off like a damn rocketship since Thursday. I basically made the decision that, as I wrap up my time at Apple, I should also try to interview for a few startups and companies to see what my full list of options are as far as full time work. I tried to space things out, but they inevitably fell around the same time and it’s just been a lot of meetings and work these past few days.
Outside of that, definitely a slower social week. I was exhausted coming home from work and spent most of my weekend just doing this interview stuff. I really really want to come into the school year with a full time offer ready to go so I can just focus on school.
Also, no matter how hard I try, I just can’t seem to get started on these early. This has become a Monday night affair every single week. I’m hoping it’s not reflected in the quality, but I really need to get back to making these a weekend writing process.
Table of contents:
context
thoughts
work
workout
social life
hours
music
newsletter
context
Week 10 of the internship
Only 2 weeks left of internship
thoughts
sf giants
I went to the game with my family on Friday. I didn’t really expect much, because although we had a good week, the team is still not great. That being said, they scored 15 and broke the season high for runs (and maybe hits?). It was an electric game including two four-hit performances, a splash hit, and a bunch of action overall. I’m really hyped about the splash hit because there have only been 107 hit in the history of Oracle Park. Seeing one in person was a bucket list item for sure. Outside of the game itself, maybe there is something brewing in San Francisco. All of a sudden, we can hit the ball and the team is coming alive. I don’t want to get ahead of myself but let’s just go one game at a time for now.
stir fry tofu
I’ve been spending more time trying to cook and stir fry tofu has been the best dish I’ve made so far. It’s really just tofu on a wok with a mix of sauces and veggies but it works and it’s healthy so I really like it. Since I don’t have a meal plan this coming year, I do need to figure out my food situation and I think cooking meals like this is going to help a lot.
work
Things are going well. This past week was not the most productive honestly, but I made a lot of progress on my presentation and presented it to our director and stakeholders. Both went positively and it seems like my job on that front is done. My mentor and manager basically said that’s the end of the work I need to do so I’m just spending the last few weeks writing documentation, cleaning up code, practicing my presentation for the final, and writing some technical docs about next steps and implementation for the future.
It seems like they’re implying a return offer but nothing has been made official so I’m not going to say anything for sure. Basically, my manager said he wants to bring me back and will talk to leadership to get their recommendation. They could still reject me or fail to find headcount, but at least I know that I’ve done my part.
That being said, I’ve been spending a lot of time interviewing at startups because I really liked that culture in the past. I don’t know if I’ll take Apple in the case I get a return offer and so I think seeing some other opportunities is not a bad idea. However, interviews are tough and they require a lot of energy. I’ve had maybe 4-5 a day for the last few days and it’s definitely starting to get to me. I can’t tell if I’m making progress but it seems like I’m moving through the rounds at some places so hopefully it goes well.
My goal for the next two weeks is just finish out work strong. I started really strong, had a dip around week 4, picked it back up for a month, and have been dipping the last two weeks. I saw this last summer when the last two weeks were really weak performance-wise and I don’t want that to happen again. I don’t need to stay super long or come early, but just have a good workday from 9-5 and that’s it.
workout
Not the best week as usual, but also not the worst. The thing that’s really hurting me is when I went to the gym on Sunday to lift, I really really enjoyed my time there. I’ve been very demotivated to go, but I still enjoy the actual lifting portion of it. I need to find a way to change my mental approach and motivation to working out in general.
Other than that lift, I went on a run Saturday as well as lifted on Monday and ran on Wednesday. I think that’s still 4 workouts in seven days unless I’m missing something, but it could have been much more if I just stuck with it. Also benched for the first time in a while yesterday and it felt pretty good. Strength isn’t 100% there but no pain in the elbow which is what I’ve been worried about this summer. Hopefully I can go up slowly and try to get back towards my max which was in May.
At this point, I just want to finish summer out. It wasn’t the best workout summer but my physique is fine, I didn’t lose weight, and I’m eating healthy. These may not have been the big wins I was shooting for, but at least it wasn’t a loss. I still have time to have a good few weeks and come into school with some momentum.
social life
Giants game with family on Friday
Saw Subha on Saturday
Called a few people
Spent some time playing video games
Got to see Kilas
hours
Work Total: 40 hours
Commute Total: 7 hours
Professional Total: 18 hours
Workout Total: 5 hours
Sleep Total: 54 hours
social/chill: the rest
Overall, a fairly productive week. I don’t think I had 40 productive work hours unfortunately, but lots of productive professional hours so it kind of makes up for it. I was aiming for 60-70 productive hours a week and this one was right at 70 so I feel good about that. I’ve been going to bed more tired, waking up earlier, and generally focusing for longer periods of time. Things are coming together.
music
Some country for sure
Kanye
I never really listened to him much before so it’s all sort of new to me
So much Drake
Lil Baby, Gunna
ROD WAVE
newsletter
Thank you all so much for reading!
As usual, if you have any feedback pls lmk! If you want to stop receiving the newsletter also pls lmk (NO HARD FEELINGS)! If u read all this, I LOVE YOU!
Ishan