Wednesday, April 25, 2007

new, new, new

Starting a new job is really tiring. First, there's the fact that my boss seems to get there before 9 a.m., so I'm on a whole new early schedule. (Although there are indications that everyone else at My New Employer trickles in around 10 or 11, so there's hope.) But more than the schedule, there's just a lot of new stuff. I've met dozens of people. They're all very nice, it's just...there's a lot of them. I'm using a Mac, which I haven't done since a brief newspaper internship in 2002, and even then I was confused. (Fortunately, G-dog has been giving me tips on keyboard shortcuts.) I'm supposed to write in Quark, some design program I've never used, and I'm afraid I'm going to accidentally delete something and make the designer have to redo the page. My office isn't settled yet - I'm getting a new desk tomorrow, and my couch doesn't fit any of the available walls. The editorial process is totally new to me, confusing, and uses (!) paper.

In many ways, the newness is fun, but I'm really looking forward to the time when I know who everyone is, I've figured out how to work the software, and I can just do my job.

12 comments:

Coloradan said...

Your office has a couch!? People come in at 10 or 11? You'll have to excuse me if I'm having a hard time feeling very sympathetic and your plight...

towwas said...

But the couch doesn't FIT!;)

grrrbear said...

As I sit here in my couch-less cubicle, having left for work at 6:20 this morning, I'm also finding it difficult to empathize...

Congrats on finding the cushiest job *evar*!!!!

towwas said...

In journalism hours (like dog years), 9 a.m. *is* 6:20 a.m.

J.Po said...

I don't even have a cubicle. Just a desk. In the middle of a room. Near the bathroom.

Public health - underfunded? No!

Anonymous said...

Since we're comparing crappy work environments, I write in a 4x4 chicken-wire cage in the library. My door is so small I have to take off my messenger bag to get in. And then I have put my bag under my desk in order to pull my chair out far enough to sit down.

I also just subcribed Melanie to your new employer. She'll be expecting prompt, personal service. Snap-snap!

towwas said...

Ok, everybody - you can relax! My substandard working conditions have been fixed up! The ridiculously large couch is gone! Now my office, which is the size of a smallish bedroom, is all fixed up and ready to rock with its GIANT WINDOW.

I still don't know who anyone is, though, and Quark is still kind of my nemesis.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, but you still have to look at fake plants. For, like, another week or two. So there.

Racine said...

From what I've heard, Quark will probably remain your nemesis forever. And you will grow to hate it more!

I know several folks who claim to have lost their religion because of it!

towwas said...

Fortunately, Quark is going away in a few short months. This is annoying, because I'll learn it and then have to forget what I learned, but at least it'll be gone.

grrrbear said...

What are you using in the interim? Will you try to type everything in Word?

I say just type everything in your email client and let the layout folks worry about pasting the text into the proof pages.

towwas said...

For now, we just write in Quark (or write in Word and paste it into Quark). In the longer term, we're getting some new system. No idea what that system does.