New Adventures

I started a new job on Monday. And the road to get here has been ridiculous. I pretty much landed this one by accident. I received a listing for an entry level job at a trade publishing company. It wasn't even close to what I wanted, but it was a foot in the door, so I applied for it. They called me immediately and set up an interview. During this interview, they realize that the job wasn't really what I wanted. When they asked me why I applied for it, I told them I was hoping it would lead to an editorial position, since editing trade publications was my goal. At this point, the man conducting the interview said, "hang on a minute" and called in their editor-in-chief. He spoke to me briefly about what I was looking for and when he left, the original interview said, "you were so much more lively with him than you were with me. I think that's a good fit for you." I got called back for a second interview with the editor-in-chief. Later that same week, I was offered the job, and obviously accepted. My first day was Monday, the day after Thanksgiving break. Here's a run-down of the week so far, mostly so that I can remember how ridiculous/hilarious/rewarding it's been later:

Monday: I arrived fifteen minutes early for my first day and waited a little bit at the main entrance for my new boss to come retrieve me. Right away, he started showing me what my duties were and training me on them. There was a short break to speak with the woman who poses as the company's HR rep (they're a very small, family-owned company, so they don't have a full HR department). She laid out the benefits and time off, etc. She then said, "I heard you have a masters degree," which I confirmed. She said, "that's really great. I'm all about women. I mean, I'm not a feminist (yes you are), but I really support women strength." So, that was nice. She then took me on a tour of the building, which is small, and I returned to my training. During the training, my new boss and I took a few intermissions to make small talk. He's a nicotine and caffeine addict, which actually comforted me a little bit, because it shattered the illusion that people in higher positions have it all together. He clearly does not, and he openly admits it. He also asked me about my journey into the publishing industry. I told him it had been difficult and he said, "one of the reasons I hired you was because I could tell that you just really wanted someone to give you a chance. You were really looking for someone to just get you in the door." I said, "yeah, pretty much," and he responded, "well, now you're in," and proceeded to tell me about his journey, which was also long and frustrating. I was eventually introduced to everyone who was in the office that day, and the original HR lady came around to ask me if I had a boyfriend, because she "has a son for me." Sweet, but sorry to disappoint. Before leaving, I was cornered by one of the part-timers, who needed to tell me her "rules." Rule #1 was that if I walk into the bathroom and see her feet under the stall, I'm to immediately turn around and leave. She's "fine using public bathrooms," but doesn't like "sharing that business with co-workers." Her second rule was that if I'm sick, I need to stay at least two feet away from her desk. Okay, then. There's one in every crowd. I left my first day of work feeling optimistic and energized. It's been a very long time since I had a boss who I really thought valued me and wanted to see me succeed. I get that impression from this boss. He's smart as hell, incredibly approachable, and extremely nice.

Tuesday: Well, Tuesday I was sick as a dog. Ben and I were both home with a stomach bug. I felt it coming on Monday night and was hoping it wouldn't turn into anything. I didn't want to call out on my second day at a new job. But, alas, at roughly 3:30 a.m. I was laying on my bathroom floor, hugging the toilet. I emailed my new boss from the bathroom floor telling him what was going on and that I wasn't sure if I'd make it in, but that I'd update him later. A few hours later, when I was supposed to be at work, I emailed him again telling him I was going to sleep it off and that I might try to make it in by noon. I was determined not to miss the whole day. I had been trying to call, but kept getting a busy signal. Finally, around noon, I got a hold of him by phone. He said he received my emails and replied, but that their servers were down all morning and I probably didn't get them. He also said the phones weren't working. But, he thanked me for my call and said, "we've all been in awkward positions like this in our careers, so don't worry about it. If you feel much better, come in later, if not, we'll see you tomorrow." I barely got off the couch all day.

Wednesday: I arrived fifteen minutes late, because there was a road closure, which caused a ton of traffic. When I finally arrived, the first thing I said to my co-workers was, "well, this is shaping up to be one hell of a week." My boss laughed when I explained about the road closure and said, "don't worry about it. It's how you perform in the long run that really matters." After that, I was immediately asked by a dozen people if I was feeling better. I was. About 95%. If there's anything "good" about a stomach bug, it's that it generally only lasts 24 hours (although, now I'm terrified I got everyone there sick on Monday, since I didn't know I had it yet). We got back to training on the same things we were working on on Monday. He reiterated that he wanted me to really make this job my own, and that he could tell I was very bright. There's a bit of a learning curve for me, since everything is done on a Mac, and I have very little experience with that. So far, I've been training on my boss's computer. After lunch, we moved to my computer, which oddly is a PC. I ended up helping him, because he wasn't familiar with the operating system. It's the first time in my life I've actually felt smart enough for the job I'm doing, which is frustrating, because I think this is, by far, going to be the most difficult job I've ever had. Maybe I've just finally found my niche. There was also another brief intermission in which he explained to me that even though my job title is Web Editor, he really wants me to learn the print side of things as well, because "why not?" He said, "my goal is to have you know as much as I do." Well, boss, that's my goal too. :) The day ended with a ten-minute conversation about grammar and the rules that he thinks are ridiculous and annoying. I pointed out one of their style rules that I didn't like and he said, "well, keep it that way for now. I can't make a change like that right now, everyone will freak out." In previous jobs, when I pointed out a style rule that I didn't like, the answer has always been, "well, that's just how it is," or, "well, you'll have to get used to it." I felt heard this time, and it was nice. Also, as weird as this sounds, I love the fact that my new boss has a bit of a potty mouth. It's a refreshing change from the uptight corporate environments I'm used to. He's not faking it. He's not putting on airs, or pretending to be someone he's not. He puts his feelings out there. He's told me repeatedly that whether he agrees with the politics of a story or not, it gets printed without bias. Just the facts.

I think I might like it here.