The New Job
I guess I feel settled enough now to write about my new "situation", as they used to say in Victorian England. The first couple of days at my new company, I felt rather depressed. I did not feel one trace of the excitement you would normally expect to feel in a new job. I just felt lost, and kind of numb. I think it was the combination of a lot of things, most noticeably the abysmal, devastating heatwave we have been having here. I think it's been over 90 degrees for 2 weeks straight ... and on top of that, having to take the subway, because there is no parking at my new building. The spots have all been taken, and I'm on a waiting list to get a spot. So, because of that, I resorted to the subway, and did I hate it. I guess driving has really spoiled me. I hated the TTC before, but now I just cannot tolerate it AT ALL. The mass of humanity, the delays, the way I feel like just another cattle on its way to the slaughterhouse ... nope, sorry. So, for the last couple of days I have been driving and parking at a nearby mall. It made a huge difference. I felt human again, and could concentrate on my new surroundings. So, onward ...
I am being trained by a very nice, cheerful woman. Everyone there is nice. My first day I must have shaken hands and been introduced to about twenty or thirty people. I'm in a room with the woman who is training me and one other woman, who is on vacation right now but will be back next week. It'll be the three of us in this room, and there are other proofreaders outside. It's nice and quiet, and my desk is in the back, so it's nice and private. The work is definitely not thrilling, but I have to say I am being called upon to use all my editorial skills, and that's something I didn't do in my last job. So, it is a bit of a challenge, and there certainly is a lot to learn and get accustomed to.
My main focus has been the people around me. This company seems to be a lot more easygoing and basic than my last one. I know I have only been there a few days, but already there seems to be a marked lessening of office politics. I sense a lot less in-fighting going on, and I hope that's the case. My manager is an extremely kind, gentle black man with a slight stutter. I noticed it in my interview and was a bit embarrassed, but I'm getting used to keeping my expression steady while he speaks. It's hard not to want to rush in and spare him, but I know that would not be the right thing to do. Anyway, he is extremely nice and has made sure that I feel comfortable. The funny thing is, there's another guy there who has a speech impediment. In my orientation on Monday, the Human Resources person told me they take human rights and discrimination very seriously, and it is one of their policies to hire minorities and so forth. That impressed me, and I guess it's obvious in the case of these two men with stutters. They hired them anyway, in spite of it. That's very human, and I like that.
This other guy's stutter is quite a bit worse, and he is another proofreader. I kind of have a crush on him already. He came in to see me and be introduced on Monday and I looked at him and I was like, Mmmmmm. I'm already having dirty thoughts about him. :-) But he is quite attractive to me. Who knows? He's very friendly, anyway. Maybe I can seduce him in his cubicle. :-)
On Tuesday, they had a barbecue for everyone in our department. I must have had about ten people come up to me and say, "You sure started working here at the right time! This doesn't happen every day!" They had a guy who has a show on the Food Network here in Canada -- his name is Bob Blumer -- come out and do the lunch. He showed us how he prepared the dishes we were having at the lunch, which included grilled asparagus (mmmm!), barbecued pizza with asparagus, caramelized onions, red pepper and brie topping (double mmmmm!), fennel salad (good), smashed potatoes (grilled baby potatoes with olive oil and garlic, oh yeah!) and for dessert, grilled bananas with honey and rum sauce and chocolate gelato (need I say more?). It was quite nice.
Anyway, so far my impressions are pretty good. Will I be there forever? Hard to say, but somehow I doubt it. I still have the wanderlust in me. I still regret passing up that other job. I still believe it was a better opportunity, but the hours sucked. I don't mean not to appreciate this job, because it certainly isn't bad, but it just doesn't feel ... like it's where I belong.
I really need to feel like I BELONG.
I am being trained by a very nice, cheerful woman. Everyone there is nice. My first day I must have shaken hands and been introduced to about twenty or thirty people. I'm in a room with the woman who is training me and one other woman, who is on vacation right now but will be back next week. It'll be the three of us in this room, and there are other proofreaders outside. It's nice and quiet, and my desk is in the back, so it's nice and private. The work is definitely not thrilling, but I have to say I am being called upon to use all my editorial skills, and that's something I didn't do in my last job. So, it is a bit of a challenge, and there certainly is a lot to learn and get accustomed to.
My main focus has been the people around me. This company seems to be a lot more easygoing and basic than my last one. I know I have only been there a few days, but already there seems to be a marked lessening of office politics. I sense a lot less in-fighting going on, and I hope that's the case. My manager is an extremely kind, gentle black man with a slight stutter. I noticed it in my interview and was a bit embarrassed, but I'm getting used to keeping my expression steady while he speaks. It's hard not to want to rush in and spare him, but I know that would not be the right thing to do. Anyway, he is extremely nice and has made sure that I feel comfortable. The funny thing is, there's another guy there who has a speech impediment. In my orientation on Monday, the Human Resources person told me they take human rights and discrimination very seriously, and it is one of their policies to hire minorities and so forth. That impressed me, and I guess it's obvious in the case of these two men with stutters. They hired them anyway, in spite of it. That's very human, and I like that.
This other guy's stutter is quite a bit worse, and he is another proofreader. I kind of have a crush on him already. He came in to see me and be introduced on Monday and I looked at him and I was like, Mmmmmm. I'm already having dirty thoughts about him. :-) But he is quite attractive to me. Who knows? He's very friendly, anyway. Maybe I can seduce him in his cubicle. :-)
On Tuesday, they had a barbecue for everyone in our department. I must have had about ten people come up to me and say, "You sure started working here at the right time! This doesn't happen every day!" They had a guy who has a show on the Food Network here in Canada -- his name is Bob Blumer -- come out and do the lunch. He showed us how he prepared the dishes we were having at the lunch, which included grilled asparagus (mmmm!), barbecued pizza with asparagus, caramelized onions, red pepper and brie topping (double mmmmm!), fennel salad (good), smashed potatoes (grilled baby potatoes with olive oil and garlic, oh yeah!) and for dessert, grilled bananas with honey and rum sauce and chocolate gelato (need I say more?). It was quite nice.
Anyway, so far my impressions are pretty good. Will I be there forever? Hard to say, but somehow I doubt it. I still have the wanderlust in me. I still regret passing up that other job. I still believe it was a better opportunity, but the hours sucked. I don't mean not to appreciate this job, because it certainly isn't bad, but it just doesn't feel ... like it's where I belong.
I really need to feel like I BELONG.
posted by emily pound at 2:50 PM
1 Comments:
What Jennie said lol :o)
~Lily
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