Thoughts on a New Job
So I joined the ranks of Corporate America this last week. I started a new job with my own cubicle, my own phone extension, and my own security card that needs swiping to open the doors. I get to go to board meetings and order things with the company credit card. Whenever I show up is when I start, and whenever I leave is when I'm done. And to top it off, I get Workspace Ergonomics Training, with a personal consultation for my very own office!
Doesn't get any better than that.
And my building is incredible, it's fairly new (3 years I think) and full of art and landscaping and research laboratories and big windows. It's right on the shores of Puget Sound, and my window looks across the lawns and waterfalls and sculptures right out on the islands and peninsulas backdropped by the entire Olympic Mountain range. On sunny days I can wander down and eat lunch on the seawall. Starbucks is right across the street. It's the sort of place where I could be happy for a very long time.
But I'm only just starting to realize the level of responsibility I've got! I got a phone call yesterday, "Your presence is requested at a meeting right now, sorry we forgot to tell you about it." Turns out it was the directors of all the departments involved in anything related to Emergency Management. The Director of Security invited me down later for a meeting, and showed me around the security hub for the whole research facility. The Director of Maintenance wants my opinion on how to set some projects up. The head of Facilities and Engineering wants me order about $100K in equipment.
And my "previous experience" for this job was sitting around the corner of a warehouse answering phone calls about whether or not the shovels had arrived. I'm in way out of my league...
Fortunately, I long ago learned the lesson about the art of BS - if you look like you know what yer doing, people will generally assume do know what yer doing. That'll get me a long ways during business meetings, and then I can run back to my office and cry and figure out exactly how the heck I'm gonna do whatever it was I just got myself into. Good times. Hopefully nobody finds out.
Doesn't get any better than that.
And my building is incredible, it's fairly new (3 years I think) and full of art and landscaping and research laboratories and big windows. It's right on the shores of Puget Sound, and my window looks across the lawns and waterfalls and sculptures right out on the islands and peninsulas backdropped by the entire Olympic Mountain range. On sunny days I can wander down and eat lunch on the seawall. Starbucks is right across the street. It's the sort of place where I could be happy for a very long time.
But I'm only just starting to realize the level of responsibility I've got! I got a phone call yesterday, "Your presence is requested at a meeting right now, sorry we forgot to tell you about it." Turns out it was the directors of all the departments involved in anything related to Emergency Management. The Director of Security invited me down later for a meeting, and showed me around the security hub for the whole research facility. The Director of Maintenance wants my opinion on how to set some projects up. The head of Facilities and Engineering wants me order about $100K in equipment.
And my "previous experience" for this job was sitting around the corner of a warehouse answering phone calls about whether or not the shovels had arrived. I'm in way out of my league...
Fortunately, I long ago learned the lesson about the art of BS - if you look like you know what yer doing, people will generally assume do know what yer doing. That'll get me a long ways during business meetings, and then I can run back to my office and cry and figure out exactly how the heck I'm gonna do whatever it was I just got myself into. Good times. Hopefully nobody finds out.
posted by Rils | 10:58 AM
2 Comments:
Whoah, sounds like you have a lot of responsibility to get a grip on!
Don’t underestimate yourself, I have the rights to that, you can’t have em :P
when you bluff your way through each thing, just remember to learn from it, and next time you look, you actually will know what you’re doing.
Forget about the big picture, when you’re such a newb in anything, the big picture is just too big. Break it into pieces and deal with each one as you need to. Sounds like you have the view to calm your frazzled nerves, use it ;) *jealous of the view, extremely jealous*
You’ve found or fallen into something which will be good, and you will be happy there as you say, for a long time.
Just don’t allow yourself to get too overwhelmed.... smile and breathe!
baby steps to the door... baby steps out the door... baby steps down the hall...
And hey presto, before you know it
DR. MARVIN, I'M SAILING!!!!
I'll get through it, it's a bit overwhelming right at first, but then it's always that way. I knew nothing about my last job either when I started out, but when I left they had to hire three people to replace me. So I'm sure I can figure it out.
Just so long as my head doesn't explode first! ha ha
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