2004-05-05
Well, you make up your own anology (or similie, or whatever), and don't blame me for what your sick, twisted mind comes up with.
Allow me to explain today's topic.
For the past three summers, I have worked with the federal government, in the same building and in the same area. I was originally hired because they needed bilingual staff to man a phone line in the evenings. This help phoneline went to another area but I have been called back every summer ever since to act as a bilingual employee. My job has been pretty much the same all summers, save the fact that I have, naturally, been learning a little bit more every summer.
I was called back this summer and, assuming I'd resume my original post, I said 'yes'. It is an excellent job. My supervisor then asked me if I would mind working 10 to 6 some days in order to man an internet phoneline. Thinking that 'some days' meant 'occasionnaly', I said 'yes' once more. Misunderstanding the first.
She also mentioned in passing that there was a shortage of work in our unit, therefore we'd be doing the work of our unit and another one. 'We' being my coworker Bryanne, with whom I have worked every summer since 2001. By this last bit of information, I was somewhat lead to believe that both of us would be doing some of the work from the two units. I thought that I'd still be doing work from my old unit plus work from this new one. Misunderstanding the second. I decided to start work today, Wednesday, instead of Monday. If only I'd known.
I come to work and am bombarded with papers. Read this change in parking policy (which, by the way, I thought parking would be no problem since I'd be carpooling with my mother, who works in the same building). Sign this form. Read these memos... here's an updated manual... here's another manual... let's go for training now. This was when I found out that I would be needed to work 10 to 6 rather more than just 'occasionally'. They want either myself and Bryanne to work out a schedual so that one of us is there every day.
That means I work later 2 or 3 times a week. 2 1/2 hours later than my mother does. Which makes carpooling difficult. We have 2 options. I can drive my mother to work (10 minutes away), either kill 2 1/2 hours or go home for that amount of time, go to work myself, then when my mothers shift ends, she can either kill 2 1/2 hours waiting for me or go home, come back and pick me up... this every day I work late... at least tuesdays and wednesdays. OR, I can pay for my own parking spot and drive myself. Yeah. I think carpooling's shot to hell.
NEXT, I find out that Bryanne and myself won't even be sitting with everyone else in our immediate unit. Sure, we'll be on the same floor as them, but way accross the (very very big) room. Well, at least I still sit by Bryanne. Should be fun.
THEN, I find out that I'm not in the same unit I've been in since 2001. Bryanne stays in our original unit (since she was there on Monday and already started with that work), I'm sent to the new unit with the new supervisor and the entirely new workflow. Don't get me wrong, the new supervisor seems very very nice... they all do. And I knew I'd be doing some new work. I just really didn't expect that I'd be learning ALL new work. I have to be trained from scratch, and it sounds like I'm not going to get to do ANY of the work that I'm used to doing. All because I started work 2 days later.
I was kind of confused and upset about this at first... then I really thought about everything a bit more.
My first summer there, my shift was from 12 to 8. I loved that shift... I could sleep a bit longer and could still usually do things with my friends for a bit. My second summer, I worked compressed time. That means I work a bit longer every day, but I can get a day every second week off. Part of me liked that... I was already at work, so staying for an extra hour or hour and a half usually didn't bug me too much. Plus, some days I wouldn't even have to go at all. I liked working compressed. Last year, I worked 7:30 to 3:30... too bloody early, no compressed plus I had to wait for my Mom (who is notorious for getting to work early and leaving late) before I could go. Kinda bugged me.
This year, I get to work kinda later in the day, but the shift ends early enough that I can still go out. I'm not carpooling with my Mom, so I can work compressed if I want. It's kinda like having the best of both worlds. As for the totally new workflow... I've done it before, I can do it again. No one expects me to know ANYTHING about the area I'm going to. It'll be like when I first started working here (which, hey, I survived), only this time I have several years' worth of knowledge already. But I'm new enough that I can ask for help and not feel like I should know this already. Plus, there's something to be said for gaining new experiences. What seemed like such a huge headache just a few hours ago now not only seems like a great opportunity... it seems like it'll be fun too!! In hindsight... the day turned out better than I'd originally thought it had.
There's still the issue about the parking ticket (stupid revised parking policy... which I now have to worry about). But that's another story... and not really one of consequence, since the parking person was REALLY nice and waived my ticket. Sweet!!
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Current mood: Curiously optimistic. It must be something I ate. (There, Carla. You can put that in your quotebook and... uh... quote it).
Currently listening to: Nothing... it's oddly quite in here. There's not even the sound of the hamster running on his wheel. Strange.
Currently watching: Computer screen.
Currently reading: Sherlock Holmes. CURSE YOU CARLA!!
Current quote: "Curiously optimistic. It must be something I ate." - Me
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