Some of you know a little about my new job, but I'll fill you all in anyways. I got a job as a copy writer/editor at a local publishing house through a temp agency. It's an 8-5 kind of job that pays barely above minimum wage, but hey, it's a job! Not everyone can say that these days so I'm thankful. It's apparently supposed to be a 6-month gig until they can hire me on full time with their company -- right now I'm technically an employee of the temp agency. We'll see how it all goes down in the next few months.
I've worked for four days now and am still not really sure what to think about all of it. The company is fairly large (around 300 employees), but for me coming from a two person office where I had a huge office with a door (!) all to myself, that many other people sharing my space is overwhelming. It's awkward because I sit in a larger cubicle with two other women, but you can hear everything that goes on around you in the other cubicles. Other people's conversations, their sneezes, their ringing phones -- all of it. Zero privacy basically.
The first day I showed up they sat me at a table (not even a desk with drawers) with a computer and said, here you go, edit this. Seriously, it's a good thing I brought my own pen because they weren't supplying those! I'm still using my co-workers trash can and doubt I will ever have one of my own. Oh the glorious days of working at the Growth Council....if I only I would have recognized the small luxuries like trash cans!
So yea, it's been a very humbling experience overall because I'm basically lower than a paid intern and am definitely under-utilized in my skill set. To go from the place I was at the Growth Council, and all that I got to see and do there to this is very humbling indeed. I pray every morning the Lord would give me a good attitude about working and that this season would be a good lesson in being faithful in the small things, the lowest tasks, in order that I might be given more responsibility in the future.
Not that I want to overspiritualize this experience, but I do think the Lord probably has some good lessons for me here.
Anyways, I really got on here to blog about my adventures in corporate Halloween today, but apparently I digressed because there's so much to say in just setting up the context!
Probably on my second day there I noticed flyers talking about the Halloween party the company was hosting this afternoon. I panicked thinking that perhaps it was mandatory and frankly the thought of picking out a costume, pumpkin bowling and a mummy wrapping contest made me want to throw up. I've never really liked Halloween and all the hype around today's events only confirmed that dislike even more.
I showed up this morning sans costume (although I was tempted to write "book" on my face in tribute to Jim on the Office last night, but chickened out -- he was being "facebook" for those of you who missed the episode -- quite clever really) but not to worry, plenty of people made up for my lack of costume. Some of my favorites throughout the day included the woman who dressed up like a male co-worker complete with an eye-liner created beard, the man who dressed up in the costume from the kid on Where the Wild Things Are, and everyone's favorite - the woman who literally dressed like the pond and fountain in front of our office. Don't ask me how she sat all day long - she had an enormous piece of cardboard around her waist (the pond) and then her upper body was the fountain, complete with, I kid you not, a pointed silver cone on her head with tinsel coming out for the "fountain" part. She also put reflective material on her cardboard so she literally reflected off the ceiling when the lights hit her. Creative I do say.
The crowning moment of the day though was the parade. Yes, a costume parade. Imagine this - about 50 adults in full costume weaving their way in and out of the rows of cubicles throwing candy at their co-workers. Absurd was really the only word I could think of. It was so unbelievably absurd to me that not only are these people throwing candy at us, they are willingly dressed in costume and doing this while getting paid on their work time. Frankly the fact that Halloween is so popular in the first place, not just with children, but with adults too is rather scary to me. (Ha - no pun intended!) I think it really is a time for people to let loose a little and be absurd (and wear things they would never wear in real life) and I'm sure that my company thinks people need some lightheartedness every once in awhile. Personally, that's not really my thing and I think Halloween should just go the way of the dinosaur. Of course it never would, but really it should.
I will be very interested to know how they handle Christmas (most likely a "holiday" party, hopefully without the parade). I'm sure I'll give you the full scoop when that rolls around......
1 comment:
oh - my whole house is dying of laughter from you comment, "It really should just go the way of the dinasaur" Oh!
Post a Comment