I keep meaning to apologize for the huge gap in posts. At my old job, where none of the internet was blocked, I could write effusively in the midst of a Rage Blackout with little to no imposition. At this new place, Blogger was blocked, sadly, so I was having to skirt my way around the internet limitations by writing my posts in Google Docs, and then adding them to Blogger later. But for one, it's just not the same. For two, by the time I got home to sit my fat butt on the couch and watch my recordings of Mercy, Chelsea Lately, and the Biggest Loser, the last thing I wanted to do was stare at the computer for even 15 minutes to move the Google Doc into Blogger.
But, something momentous happened. I was checking my email randomly a few weeks ago, and the images on an email from Twitter were actually showing up. (Twitter was one of the blocked sites, obvi.) So I clicked the link, and was taken straight to the login page of Twitter. My next stop, obviously, was Facebook, and HUZZAH! It worked!! Well, partially. Something still blocks FB chat and Sorority Life (a travesty, I know!) from functioning, and I can't upload photos or crop out new profile pics, but most everything else is fair game.
I checked Blogger as well, via my FAVE blog and partial Rage inspiration, Working Girl, but I was so used to no longer having a Rage Blackout outlet at work, that I kept forgetting I could blog again. But never fear, peeps, I'm back!! And I'm armed with lots of new stories and more friends.
As I mentioned in my first comeback entry, I have a new fellow Receptionist who I exchange emails with regularly. She's my bestie and just moved back to California after a long hiatus in the icky-horrid-job-market of relatively-rural Colorado. She'll be known as "Pearl", and I'll probably refer to her on a regular basis. Who knows, maybe she'll want to write a guest post or two.
The other major roadblock to my continued blogging is that I am no longer single! Wee!! After nearly of year of ridiculously casual dating and more than a few "misses", I finally hit a bulls-eye with "Peter". He's sweet and cuddly and just as over-eager and clingy as I am, and we share a strange random affinity for fleur-de-lis, astrology, and tattoos. I guess the last one isn't really strange or random, considering our generation's general inclination to be inked...Did I mention he loves taking me to lunch when he gets off work early or has a long lunch break? What a sweetie!
Anywho, Pearl and Peter will be probably be frequently mentioned from now on, since they are usually the first receptors of my rages, before I bring them to you. Especially Pearl. She and I tend to keep our insanity in check.
I am filled with rage...
- Tiger Lily
- I am a 23-year-old and recent college graduate. I have a Bachelors degree in Womans Studies--which means grad school!! I'll go into the counseling/therapy field in some capacity, whether it be high school guidance, marriage and family therapy, or sex therapy.
Monday, March 29
I am the Gatekeeper of the Fortress of Purchasing Protection, you shall. Not. PASS!
Here we are again, Monday. And not just any Monday, but the Monday that marks the end of my 6th month here. According to my good buddy Cal, a few people upstairs were promoted from Temporary to Permanent after 6 months with the company, so I'm crossing my fingers that I'll get some news like that in the next week or two. Not only getting away from my *horrid* staffing agency that takes a third of my paycheck, but benefits would be amazing. In 2 weeks I'll be turning 23 and I'll be getting kicked off my parent's insurance. My mom said they would pay for me to continue under the COBRA benefits, but since it's really expensive and I'm already living there rent-free, I'm really not looking forward to the added burden.
In lighter news, I got word today that one of my (few, normal) coworkers (that I actually like) got a little bit of a promotion. Let's call her "Patty". She actually talks to me when she comes to the lobby and gives me first dibs on all of the goofy samples and free gifts she gets. Because she works in the Purchasing department, sales reps are always giving her free promotional junk to get her to buy stuff from them. Seriously weird stuff from seriously weird people. Smuckers hot fudge? This guy is really going to open up his laptop and make sales calls from the lobby?
I have really come to admire the people that work in Purchasing. They have to meet with and talk to annoying, greasy, schmoozy sales reps all the time who I can barely stand talking to for 5 minutes while I wait for Patty or one of the other purchasing buyers to come down and meet with them. They also get lots of cold calls and random drop-ins, and dealing with the latter is the most work but also the most satisfying. Essentially, I get to tell them to piss off, since an appointment is required to meet with any of our buyers, to avoid these annoying nut-jobs. Of course, I don't actually get to say "Piss off", which would probably make things a lot easier, and this is where things get sticky. (And by sticky I mean with their copious amounts of disgusting and unattractive hair gel.) As we all know from dealing with car salesmen, telemarketers, and anyone else who works on commission, these people are pretty...uh..."persistent". They pepper me with questions about how many people work here, what Patty or the other buyers' extensions or emails are, and "Is this the product you sell? You don't manufacture here, do you?" More often than not they are working in pairs, so I have four hungry eyes (or sometimes two hungry eyes and two pleading eyes, if the latter pair belong to a trainee) searching and dissecting me for fissures and weaknesses in my Fortress of Purchasing Protection. I feel like Gandalf every time they retreat out the door again in defeat. Then I reach quickly for the hand sanitizer because just talking to them makes me feel like I have cooties scampering all over my skin. Yuckth.
Oh, speaking of hand sanitizer, being the receptionist with a cold is no fun. I feel like a rat during the Bubonic Plague. Thank God I am quarantined to the front lobby, all alone. :(
In lighter news, I got word today that one of my (few, normal) coworkers (that I actually like) got a little bit of a promotion. Let's call her "Patty". She actually talks to me when she comes to the lobby and gives me first dibs on all of the goofy samples and free gifts she gets. Because she works in the Purchasing department, sales reps are always giving her free promotional junk to get her to buy stuff from them. Seriously weird stuff from seriously weird people. Smuckers hot fudge? This guy is really going to open up his laptop and make sales calls from the lobby?
I have really come to admire the people that work in Purchasing. They have to meet with and talk to annoying, greasy, schmoozy sales reps all the time who I can barely stand talking to for 5 minutes while I wait for Patty or one of the other purchasing buyers to come down and meet with them. They also get lots of cold calls and random drop-ins, and dealing with the latter is the most work but also the most satisfying. Essentially, I get to tell them to piss off, since an appointment is required to meet with any of our buyers, to avoid these annoying nut-jobs. Of course, I don't actually get to say "Piss off", which would probably make things a lot easier, and this is where things get sticky. (And by sticky I mean with their copious amounts of disgusting and unattractive hair gel.) As we all know from dealing with car salesmen, telemarketers, and anyone else who works on commission, these people are pretty...uh..."persistent". They pepper me with questions about how many people work here, what Patty or the other buyers' extensions or emails are, and "Is this the product you sell? You don't manufacture here, do you?" More often than not they are working in pairs, so I have four hungry eyes (or sometimes two hungry eyes and two pleading eyes, if the latter pair belong to a trainee) searching and dissecting me for fissures and weaknesses in my Fortress of Purchasing Protection. I feel like Gandalf every time they retreat out the door again in defeat. Then I reach quickly for the hand sanitizer because just talking to them makes me feel like I have cooties scampering all over my skin. Yuckth.
Oh, speaking of hand sanitizer, being the receptionist with a cold is no fun. I feel like a rat during the Bubonic Plague. Thank God I am quarantined to the front lobby, all alone. :(
Friday, March 19
Kill Me. Kill Me Now.
This lady that just came in is a Hot. Mess.
First of all, she is hobbling in here in crutches with a whole laptop bag and this huge brace on her left knee. I had to run around and help her even get in the front door, cause it's so heavy. She compliments my shoes (the peep-toe booties with the zippers and stuff on them that I bought for V-day) and then she tells me she's here to see a guy in our office, but she pronounces the name wrong. I could probably forgive that on any other occasion, people butcher the shiz out of people's names all the time, but I've seen this woman before. She came in sans appointment (and knee brace) a couple of weeks ago trying to "get a moment" with Tod*. And then she goes into this whole story about how she's supposed to have had the meeting at "10:15, well, 10:30" but then she got a late start (probs her gimpy leg) and went on and on about how tried Tod's cell multiple times, and "he just wouldn't answer!" As if all he does all day is field calls from people--this dude isn't even a VP and he's running like 3 or 4 departments right now.
So I'm like "Ok, ma'am, hold on" so I can call Tod's extension, and then possibly his assistant. And OF COURSE she's one of those over-the-counter peerers, trying to watch everything I'm bloody doing, talking to me WHILE I'M MAKING THE PHONE CALL about how he wasn't answering his cell phone, so maybe I should call someone who sits next to him.
For one, Lady, I'm on the f*cking phone. Back up for like 30 seconds. Second, I have no idea where Tod's office is in these two ginormous buildings, let alone who sits next to him, for Chrissake. Third, Tod is not some cubicle-bound moron, he's the Director of Operations on top of at least two other departments that he's managing temporarily while we look for someone to replace the former directors.
And this whole time she's bloody peering, which makes me absolutely INSANE. When Tod's extension went to voice mail--like it almost ALWAYS does--she comments AGAIN about how he wasn't answering his cell phone, blah blah blah. I keep my homicidal** urges to myself long enough to get on the phone with his assistant, who--praise Jesus--answers in the 2nd ring and says she'll go track him down.
Then, we wait.
Probably 10 minutes pass til the assistant comes out to tell this lady they'll have to reschedule again. They chit-chatted about knee injuries (and gag-me-with-a-spoon,I'm-only-halfway-through-my-ep-of-Marriage-Ref,will-you-please-move-it-along?). And wouldn't you know it? This lady is STILL sitting here on her laptop after the assistant has left, and THEN--sweet merciful heaven, give me strength--she ask to see our accounts payable manager "if he has a moment" (I'm really learning to DESPISE that phrase.) He's been out all week, so I don't actually have to do anything, but its that look on her face like "aw shucks". Makes me want to kick a puppy or something. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....
This is mostly copy-pasted from an email to a fellow Receptionist, not 30 seconds after sending it, I had to send the following:
OMG SHE JUST ASKED FOR THE ASSISTANT AGAIN WTFF JUST LEAVE LADY I'M SICK OF YOU
"I swear this leg thing has affected my brain! Haha Or at least its a good excuse, right? hahaha"
AGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
I hope your Fridays are going well. Boooooooo...
*Name changed, because, lets face it, I don't wanna get fired.
**I tried to spell that "homocidal"...I love The Gays that much.
First of all, she is hobbling in here in crutches with a whole laptop bag and this huge brace on her left knee. I had to run around and help her even get in the front door, cause it's so heavy. She compliments my shoes (the peep-toe booties with the zippers and stuff on them that I bought for V-day) and then she tells me she's here to see a guy in our office, but she pronounces the name wrong. I could probably forgive that on any other occasion, people butcher the shiz out of people's names all the time, but I've seen this woman before. She came in sans appointment (and knee brace) a couple of weeks ago trying to "get a moment" with Tod*. And then she goes into this whole story about how she's supposed to have had the meeting at "10:15, well, 10:30" but then she got a late start (probs her gimpy leg) and went on and on about how tried Tod's cell multiple times, and "he just wouldn't answer!" As if all he does all day is field calls from people--this dude isn't even a VP and he's running like 3 or 4 departments right now.
So I'm like "Ok, ma'am, hold on" so I can call Tod's extension, and then possibly his assistant. And OF COURSE she's one of those over-the-counter peerers, trying to watch everything I'm bloody doing, talking to me WHILE I'M MAKING THE PHONE CALL about how he wasn't answering his cell phone, so maybe I should call someone who sits next to him.
For one, Lady, I'm on the f*cking phone. Back up for like 30 seconds. Second, I have no idea where Tod's office is in these two ginormous buildings, let alone who sits next to him, for Chrissake. Third, Tod is not some cubicle-bound moron, he's the Director of Operations on top of at least two other departments that he's managing temporarily while we look for someone to replace the former directors.
And this whole time she's bloody peering, which makes me absolutely INSANE. When Tod's extension went to voice mail--like it almost ALWAYS does--she comments AGAIN about how he wasn't answering his cell phone, blah blah blah. I keep my homicidal** urges to myself long enough to get on the phone with his assistant, who--praise Jesus--answers in the 2nd ring and says she'll go track him down.
Then, we wait.
Probably 10 minutes pass til the assistant comes out to tell this lady they'll have to reschedule again. They chit-chatted about knee injuries (and gag-me-with-a-spoon,I'm-only-halfway-through-my-ep-of-Marriage-Ref,will-you-please-move-it-along?). And wouldn't you know it? This lady is STILL sitting here on her laptop after the assistant has left, and THEN--sweet merciful heaven, give me strength--she ask to see our accounts payable manager "if he has a moment" (I'm really learning to DESPISE that phrase.) He's been out all week, so I don't actually have to do anything, but its that look on her face like "aw shucks". Makes me want to kick a puppy or something. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....
This is mostly copy-pasted from an email to a fellow Receptionist, not 30 seconds after sending it, I had to send the following:
OMG SHE JUST ASKED FOR THE ASSISTANT AGAIN WTFF JUST LEAVE LADY I'M SICK OF YOU
"I swear this leg thing has affected my brain! Haha Or at least its a good excuse, right? hahaha"
AGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
I hope your Fridays are going well. Boooooooo...
*Name changed, because, lets face it, I don't wanna get fired.
**I tried to spell that "homocidal"...I love The Gays that much.
Wednesday, November 4
Ups and Downs
[written 10/22]
I have discovered a new target of Receptionist Rage today. "Mr. Jackson" paid me for 2 stamps (88 cents) with a $20 bill and couldn't have been any less unapologetic about taking the rest of my paper change--18 one-dollar-bills--as well as a dollar in quarters, and 12 cents. I'm left with two 20's and more nickels than I know what to do with. If someone comes to pay with a 5, they're getting $4 in quarters. "Mr. Jackson" is officially on my shit list with "Mr. Refund", aka "Mr. I Have A Full Time Job, But I Want My 75 Cents Back" (see "Already?").
Other than that, this Thursday has been fabulous. One of my bosses brought the box of donuts down so I could pick one, since I'm stuck at this desk normally and don't get upstairs where they keep all the goodies, it seems. And "Cal" is going to bring me more freebies from upstairs, a yo-yo and a stressball. It's almost lunch time, and I can't wait to walk down to the little park I discovered yesterday next to our local YMCA. I have discovered a new appreciation for enjoying the outdoors for my little midday break, especially in the last few warm days of the fall.
Other than that, this Thursday has been fabulous. One of my bosses brought the box of donuts down so I could pick one, since I'm stuck at this desk normally and don't get upstairs where they keep all the goodies, it seems. And "Cal" is going to bring me more freebies from upstairs, a yo-yo and a stressball. It's almost lunch time, and I can't wait to walk down to the little park I discovered yesterday next to our local YMCA. I have discovered a new appreciation for enjoying the outdoors for my little midday break, especially in the last few warm days of the fall.
Raging Receptionist Tip of the Day: Get OUTSIDE for your lunch break!! Get some B vitamins!
Happy Thursday everybody!!
Wednesday, October 14
More Gold Stars...Less Hot Guys
So yesterday, I knocked the socks off the head of the accounting department. Literally rendered her speechless. Not only did I have a witness, but this woman that runs accounting is probably one of my most intimidating superiors. She's really buddy-buddy with "Gwen"/Hot Accounting Guy and she's pretty serious most of the time.
So when she calls to ask me about how the mail is being sorted, I barely believed it when I spit out something to the effect of, "Well, it looks like stuff down here was pretty unorganized before. Could you send me an email with the list of all the mail items that always go to you? This is really our chance to reorganize and make sure things are done correctly from here on out."*
*But imagine it sounding like the most beautiful sentence you've ever heard, it was insane.
My coworker "Cal"* stared at me, mouth gaping. I'm pretty sure my eyes were bugging out, I was shocked, too. It took the head of accounting a few seconds to regain her train of thought, and respond, "Yeah, uh, ok. That- that sounds great. I'll send that right over."
*An old high school classmate--yes, I got him the job, because I rock ;)--so named because he just graduated from Berkeley
I thanked her and hung up the phone. I stared at "Cal" with my mouth open, and he mirrored my expression. "Uh, sorry but...GOLD STAR FOR ME!!" He answered, "Yeah! I wasn't gonna say anything, but yeah!"
Basically, we rock.
In other, less exciting news, I also learned a few days ago that Hot Tech Support Guy has a girlfriend. SAD. DAY. In even sadder news, it's not even like I could make it into some kind of fun challenge, because in the same breath that he told me about his girlfriend, he told me she had done a double major in Woman's Studies and [something that I don't remember because he definitely stunned me with the line about the girlfriend] and was now getting her Master's. Basically she's me, but not, particularly in the man department. So he is hereby removed from The List and re-nicknamed "Cool Tech Support Buddy". Now I have more time to spend on "Gwenny" ;V
"Somebody's got a case of the Mondays!"
[Written October 5]
Big exciting day at work today! And by "big exciting" I mean "stressful" and then "boring as hell".
It all started last night, when I suddenly realized that my time card--which I needed to fax to my staffing agency by noon today--was somewhere at home... And I am house sitting 30 miles away. I had to get up an hour earlier than usual so I had enough time to get ready, drive home, get gas, and have enough time to search for the time card in case it wasn't in someplace logical. The 'getting gas' part of that was also extremely crucial. I always get Chevron, I'm a bit of a brand whore about it. If all I had to do was go to work, it would've been no big deal--there's a Chevron station on my way to the freeway. On my way home, however, there is nothing. So I am praying I'll make it to the Chevron station an exit away from my house the entire 25-minute drive home. I don't think I've ever driven so cautiously in my life.
Thankfully, my time card was easily recovered and I even had time to take my chipped-and-ugly black nail polish off. In celebration of the fact that I am officially caught up with the newest episodes of Mad Men, I wore a super cute Joan-style gray dress today. Obviously, Joan would never be caught dead wearing gray, but the cut is totally her! I'm just the modern American version of her. Hooray!
When I do get to work, I have absolutely nothing to do after I've faxed my time card. But despite the boredom, the afternoon has been somewhat productive in the Man Dept.
Ok, people, not that I am advocating office romances or just generally being a major slut-slut and flirting with every Tom, Dick, and Harry in the office, there is nothing wrong with choosing one or two (or even three, depending on the size of your company) cute co-workers with which to engage in witty banter with and bat eyelashes at. After last week I have two front-runners and a third who I am still assessing (read: I keep forgetting to check his hand for a wedding band and he is somewhat awkward in the interpersonal-relations department). I have described them as vaguely as possible (most favorite to least favorite) below.
Candidate Numero Uno...
Candidate Numero Dos...
Candidate Numero Tres...
Big exciting day at work today! And by "big exciting" I mean "stressful" and then "boring as hell".
It all started last night, when I suddenly realized that my time card--which I needed to fax to my staffing agency by noon today--was somewhere at home... And I am house sitting 30 miles away. I had to get up an hour earlier than usual so I had enough time to get ready, drive home, get gas, and have enough time to search for the time card in case it wasn't in someplace logical. The 'getting gas' part of that was also extremely crucial. I always get Chevron, I'm a bit of a brand whore about it. If all I had to do was go to work, it would've been no big deal--there's a Chevron station on my way to the freeway. On my way home, however, there is nothing. So I am praying I'll make it to the Chevron station an exit away from my house the entire 25-minute drive home. I don't think I've ever driven so cautiously in my life.
Thankfully, my time card was easily recovered and I even had time to take my chipped-and-ugly black nail polish off. In celebration of the fact that I am officially caught up with the newest episodes of Mad Men, I wore a super cute Joan-style gray dress today. Obviously, Joan would never be caught dead wearing gray, but the cut is totally her! I'm just the modern American version of her. Hooray!
When I do get to work, I have absolutely nothing to do after I've faxed my time card. But despite the boredom, the afternoon has been somewhat productive in the Man Dept.
Ok, people, not that I am advocating office romances or just generally being a major slut-slut and flirting with every Tom, Dick, and Harry in the office, there is nothing wrong with choosing one or two (or even three, depending on the size of your company) cute co-workers with which to engage in witty banter with and bat eyelashes at. After last week I have two front-runners and a third who I am still assessing (read: I keep forgetting to check his hand for a wedding band and he is somewhat awkward in the interpersonal-relations department). I have described them as vaguely as possible (most favorite to least favorite) below.
Candidate Numero Uno...
- Nickname: "Jax", so named because of his slight resemblance to the (adorable) main character of Sons of Anarchy, and the fact that he definitely rides a motorcycle (crotch-rocket or Harley-style is yet-to-be-determined)
- Early Interactions: "Jax" works in Tech Support, and I met him on my first day. He is very nice and a little goofy-looking, but anyone who knows the physical attributes of my past beaus knows I like them a little on the goofy side! As I once told my mother and aunt, who tried to set me up with the former's super-metro/possibly-gay trainer, "I refuse to date any man who is prettier than me--my ego can't handle that!" On my third day he came down on his way out of the office to check up on me--and he had a motorcycle helmet in his hand. Yum. :)
- Today's Developments: After a short and friendly chat on the company email/instant messaging program in the early afternoon, he came downstairs to say Hello and ask how I was doing. He told me how busy he is (60 Tech Support calls today!), and I told him how bored I was and that if he had any clerical/busy work, I would gladly do it. But he didn't really have any of that, he said. His goatee was gone and he was wearing slacks and a button down, upping his attractiveness factor significantly (although detracting somewhat from his similarity to Jax Teller). I turned around and promoted conversation as long as possible.
Candidate Numero Dos...
- Nickname: "Victor", named in honor of the hot FedEx guy from my other job (although "Victor" has got nothing on Victor, looks-wise).
- Early Interactions: When he came in to pick up our outgoing packages on my first full day of work, we hit it off right away. He basically comes by to hang out with me for 10 to 15 minutes every afternoon. I crack him up the whole time.
- Reality Check: Ok, so maybe he's not a serious candidate for dating, but he seems pretty cool. Definitely Guy Friend material. I definitely look forward to his visits as a way to wrap up the end of the day.
Candidate Numero Tres...
- Nickname: "Gwen", after Gwen Stefani, which I called him after he told me that he was screening his calls. "Spiderwebs", anybody? Sorry, I'm a huge No Doubt fan. I may also refer to him simply as "Hot Accounting Guy".
- Early Interactions: I go through the mail, open, date-stamp, and sort all the incoming invoices. I then hand them off to "Gwen" because he is the supervisor of Accounts Payable. Thus, daily interaction and lots of chances to work my lady-like charms. ;V
- Today's Developments: One of the women in HR mentioned that she's never seen "Gwen" joke around with anyone ( you know accountants, always so serious and usually a little socially awkward :P). Part of it may also be his extremely dry, sarcastic sense of humor. I get the sense that he could probably keep a straight face through almost anything. I am gifted with an ability to appeal to many types of humor, so as soon as I made it obvious that I understood his humor, I was "in".
- Reality Check: He is older and as attractive as that is, it also distinctly raises the probability that he is in a relationship--or there is something fundamentally wrong with him, hahahaha.
"You get a gold star by your name today."
[Written on October 2]
When I get SO bored that I think I'm getting a headache, I finally get my afternoon 15-minute break. And the first real sign of fall is here--the humid drizzle that falls in San Diego during September/October--and I am pretty depressed. I love the sun, the heat, and the general almost-naked-ness that happens from March to September. So when I starting using my heater when I leave for work in the morning and worry in the back of my mind about rain-proof shoes, my general mood level takes a downturn.
The only things I like about Fall/Winter are:
- Christmas. Duh, especially since I realized what an even greater joy it is to give than to receive, as cliche as it sounds. But then it still might be vanity in that I pride myself on getting as personal and unique a gift I can think of (often my own artwork!)
- I don't have to wash my car as often. The only good thing about rain. Oh you know and it helps the "Erf".
- Grandma's birthday and the birthdays of my friends Lawyer Lady*, Princess*, and Pinky*. Similar to reasons given for Christmas.
*Names changed to protect the innocent.
Yeah. I'm pretty sure that's it. If I think of something else I'll let you know. But now it's a quarter 'til Quittin Time and I have things to do, dates to change.
Thursday, October 1
Already?
Right at the beginning of my second full day and I have one small thing to be annoyed with. Maybe it's just Mr. Upstairs reminding me that the human race he created is inherently flawed. And for those reading, remember that people new to your office are NEW, meaning they have no idea where anything is or what the different rooms are called, so please be as specific as possible, even if it borders on mundane.
One of my duties is to be in charge of the vending machines, call the snack/drink company when machines break, refund money that the machine eats, etc. Now let me tell you, going to the high school I did, if the Coke machine ate your money, you were S.O.L. and Coke was $1.25 richer. And when you get $5 for lunch, that a pretty big chunk to waste. So when grown adults with full-time jobs come to me for a 75-cent refund, I can't help but be a little annoyed. Then, of course, they want the machine(s) fixed. I have no problem calling the company to have a repairman come out, but I need the location of the machine and the type of machine it is. When I call the snack company, they have room numbers for the different machines, and my quarter-hungry co-workers have only given me the arbitrary room names. So I send an email to the two people that had problems with the machines. "The people doing the repairs need to know what kind of machine (snack or soda) is broken and where it is (Building A or B and room number)."
And what emails do I get back this morning? You guessed it, the same worthless information that they'd already told me. Room names and no specifics on what kind of machine was malfunctioning. Nothing even acknowledging that I asked for a room number (such as "the rooms aren't labeled with number, Stupid New Girl, we just know them how they're named" or "I'm not sure about the number, let me check and get back to you). And you can bet your sweet a$$ I am not using my 15 minute breaks to go hunt down this information. Maybe during lunch, but then I have no idea where the Production Dept. is, let alone it's break room.
*Woooo-saaaaaah*
One of my duties is to be in charge of the vending machines, call the snack/drink company when machines break, refund money that the machine eats, etc. Now let me tell you, going to the high school I did, if the Coke machine ate your money, you were S.O.L. and Coke was $1.25 richer. And when you get $5 for lunch, that a pretty big chunk to waste. So when grown adults with full-time jobs come to me for a 75-cent refund, I can't help but be a little annoyed. Then, of course, they want the machine(s) fixed. I have no problem calling the company to have a repairman come out, but I need the location of the machine and the type of machine it is. When I call the snack company, they have room numbers for the different machines, and my quarter-hungry co-workers have only given me the arbitrary room names. So I send an email to the two people that had problems with the machines. "The people doing the repairs need to know what kind of machine (snack or soda) is broken and where it is (Building A or B and room number)."
And what emails do I get back this morning? You guessed it, the same worthless information that they'd already told me. Room names and no specifics on what kind of machine was malfunctioning. Nothing even acknowledging that I asked for a room number (such as "the rooms aren't labeled with number, Stupid New Girl, we just know them how they're named" or "I'm not sure about the number, let me check and get back to you). And you can bet your sweet a$$ I am not using my 15 minute breaks to go hunt down this information. Maybe during lunch, but then I have no idea where the Production Dept. is, let alone it's break room.
*Woooo-saaaaaah*
Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It's Back To Work I Go!!
[Written September 30 on Google Docs]
Hooray! I got me a new job! And it's as a receptionist still, so I don't have to change the name of this blog. Without getting too specific, I can tell you a little bit about the new company I work for.
First of all, it's FRIGGIN HUGE! Well, technically the office I work at is only about 150 people, but they are spread out across 2 ginormous buildings and I am all alone in the front lobby. The last two places I was a receptionist at had no more than 50 people in the office, and especially at the last place, I had a ton of interaction with my coworkers. My tasks so far include very little interpersonal relations. I think once I get an email account things will pick up.
The company has at least one more office in California and presumably offices on the east coast as well. My next task is to read up on the company in the little booklet they gave me. They sell their products and services to companies across the country, so it's a pretty big deal. Between the two buildings there is product assembly, sales, accounts, tech support, accounts, and all the other business necessities: president/CEO, HR, etc. And there are break rooms with vending machines everywhere. I'm pretty excited to see what lunch is like, and meet some people.
I'm pretty stoked because it seems like they are not that dependent on their phone system. I'm allowed to leave the desk to use the restroom at my leisure, I don't have to get someone to cover or worry about the calls not getting picked up. My boss even told me that I could wander around today and meet people. Weird. Cool, but weird. I'm used to being the hub of activity. In the hour-and-a-half that I was answering the phones on my own yesterday, I got three calls, and one of them was from my boss checking on me.
I should probably tell you how I got the job in the first place, huh? Well I was just getting into my usual routine yesterday afternoon (wake up at 10:30, maybe eat something by noon, watch a few episodes of Mad Men...) and I got a phone call around 1pm. It was one of my staffing agencies (my favorite of the three I'm signed up with, actually) letting me know that they had a position I might be interested in, a receptionist, where it was, good pay, etc. Then she said, "But they need you this afternoon. What time do you think you can be there?" First of all, I wasn't super familiar with the part of the county she mentioned, and I still had to shower and put myself together. "Uh...2:00 or a little after?"
"Ok I'll call and check with them and then I'll call you right back." As soon as I hung up the phone, I scrambled into my room, hunting for an outfit. I haven't been to work in almost two months and I had completely forgotten what I used to wear. Not to mention I have no idea how "professional" I'd need to look. Having watched Mad Men obsessively for the past couple weeks, I settled on a dress and pumps. (I also made a mental note to buy a few more dresses because Peggy and Joan are so adorable!) Within minutes I got another call, confirming that 2:00/2:30 would be just fine. Staffing Agency Lady would send me an email with the company address and the name of the woman in HR that I would be asking for. I ran into the bathroom, bouncing off the walls as much as possible to relieve my nervous energy. I know how I can get, and I don't need to showing up to this place acting like a total spaz.
I was out the door by twenty til and the lack of traffic at 2pm meant I could do a little bit of speeding, another stress-reliever. Once I got here, I was relieved to see the dress was a little more relaxed like my last company. I came into a pretty unsettled situation, not awkward-unsettled, but it seemed they just needed to stop, breathe, and get their heads on straight. I don't think my predecessor left the company in a positive way. *Irregardless*, I got a good vibe from the woman training me (she was the receptionist a few years back, and has since advanced through the company) and it seems to be a positive working environment. I also noticed lots of diversity in ethnicities, always a positive thing to see in a company. I later read in their Welcome booklet that diversity is an important value of the company culture. Always a good thing to hear!
So now I am learning more of the ropes. And I got my sweet little name badge that also allows access to the building 24/7...so I can actually get here a few minutes early tomorrow and get myself situated.
Hooray! I got me a new job! And it's as a receptionist still, so I don't have to change the name of this blog. Without getting too specific, I can tell you a little bit about the new company I work for.
First of all, it's FRIGGIN HUGE! Well, technically the office I work at is only about 150 people, but they are spread out across 2 ginormous buildings and I am all alone in the front lobby. The last two places I was a receptionist at had no more than 50 people in the office, and especially at the last place, I had a ton of interaction with my coworkers. My tasks so far include very little interpersonal relations. I think once I get an email account things will pick up.
The company has at least one more office in California and presumably offices on the east coast as well. My next task is to read up on the company in the little booklet they gave me. They sell their products and services to companies across the country, so it's a pretty big deal. Between the two buildings there is product assembly, sales, accounts, tech support, accounts, and all the other business necessities: president/CEO, HR, etc. And there are break rooms with vending machines everywhere. I'm pretty excited to see what lunch is like, and meet some people.
I'm pretty stoked because it seems like they are not that dependent on their phone system. I'm allowed to leave the desk to use the restroom at my leisure, I don't have to get someone to cover or worry about the calls not getting picked up. My boss even told me that I could wander around today and meet people. Weird. Cool, but weird. I'm used to being the hub of activity. In the hour-and-a-half that I was answering the phones on my own yesterday, I got three calls, and one of them was from my boss checking on me.
I should probably tell you how I got the job in the first place, huh? Well I was just getting into my usual routine yesterday afternoon (wake up at 10:30, maybe eat something by noon, watch a few episodes of Mad Men...) and I got a phone call around 1pm. It was one of my staffing agencies (my favorite of the three I'm signed up with, actually) letting me know that they had a position I might be interested in, a receptionist, where it was, good pay, etc. Then she said, "But they need you this afternoon. What time do you think you can be there?" First of all, I wasn't super familiar with the part of the county she mentioned, and I still had to shower and put myself together. "Uh...2:00 or a little after?"
"Ok I'll call and check with them and then I'll call you right back." As soon as I hung up the phone, I scrambled into my room, hunting for an outfit. I haven't been to work in almost two months and I had completely forgotten what I used to wear. Not to mention I have no idea how "professional" I'd need to look. Having watched Mad Men obsessively for the past couple weeks, I settled on a dress and pumps. (I also made a mental note to buy a few more dresses because Peggy and Joan are so adorable!) Within minutes I got another call, confirming that 2:00/2:30 would be just fine. Staffing Agency Lady would send me an email with the company address and the name of the woman in HR that I would be asking for. I ran into the bathroom, bouncing off the walls as much as possible to relieve my nervous energy. I know how I can get, and I don't need to showing up to this place acting like a total spaz.
I was out the door by twenty til and the lack of traffic at 2pm meant I could do a little bit of speeding, another stress-reliever. Once I got here, I was relieved to see the dress was a little more relaxed like my last company. I came into a pretty unsettled situation, not awkward-unsettled, but it seemed they just needed to stop, breathe, and get their heads on straight. I don't think my predecessor left the company in a positive way. *Irregardless*, I got a good vibe from the woman training me (she was the receptionist a few years back, and has since advanced through the company) and it seems to be a positive working environment. I also noticed lots of diversity in ethnicities, always a positive thing to see in a company. I later read in their Welcome booklet that diversity is an important value of the company culture. Always a good thing to hear!
So now I am learning more of the ropes. And I got my sweet little name badge that also allows access to the building 24/7...so I can actually get here a few minutes early tomorrow and get myself situated.
Tuesday, September 15
Long Time, No Work.
Uggggggghhhhhh...
So I am out of a job. My temporary position ended over a month ago, and still no luck in the job market. I've had a few interviews at staffing agencies, but that still only gets me halfway there. So in the meantime, I am essentially my mom's overpaid, live-in maid and personal assistant, with a part-time maid position with my aunt and uncle. And if I could make any money at painting t-shirts, I would be self-employed. As much as I raged about being a receptionist, I am sending my resume to every open receptionist position within a 35-minute commute range and missing my old job like crazy. The rapidly dissapating savings account may have a great deal to do with that! I suppose it would not be disappearing so quickly if not for that wonderful thing we call alcohol...
Which reminds me, I am also missing school. Where the hell did August go?!?! All of a sudden it's Labor Day and my Facebook page is all a-buzz with my younger counterparts' planning the usual reunion binge-drinking back-to-school celebrations. Three months ago you probably could have BARELY bribed me with $1 million to go right into grad school, but now I am actually excited just to APPLY. It might also have a lot to do with my friend being in law school--she is so happy and excited about the material, I am totally jealous. Grad school sounds great right now.
But for now, I am staying up and sleeping in. Emailing my resume to every want-ad on Craig's List for "Receptionist. Cleaning house and grocery shopping for my mom. Nephew-sitting on Friday mornings and going swimming when I am feeling exceptionally lazy.
All in all, its a decent life. I need to remind myself that although I am unemployed, I need to be grateful for a supportive family who provides the roof over my head and the food on my plate. Unlike many of those who are unemployed across the country, I have been blessed with the opportunity to earn my bachelor's degree and to continue beyond that.
Good luck to everyone looking for a job right now!! (Including ME!)
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