3 Days on the Job

I finally started my first real job as a master of public administration. After a 6-hour orientation learning about all of the perks of federal employment including representation in a union, although I am still not sure which one I am in or why I would want to pay the money to join when I can be a freerider, I filled out enough forms for them to let me go. And still, after six hours, I hadn't even chosen a health plan, decided what life insurance policy, or savings plan I was going to participate in. But that is for another day. Hopefully I can wade through the info before the enrollment period is up.

Anyhow, the office is nice. I have my own cube! No window view unless I stand up. Glad I am tall. Nice people in a nice building with free concerts at lunch and in the evenings in the courtyard (Go Hammer, Go Hammer Go, more on that later).

One of the nice things is the compressed schedule (one day off every other week) but for that I have to work 9 and half hour days. Ugghhh. Once I have more to do than just read, I might be able to get through them. Today it felt like an eternity.

My impression is that the program is very organized. They truly have a process for everything.. and a meeting for everything and at every level: division, team, project, etc. They also have a contractor to do almost everything. In fact, I am not sure what g-people do besides administer contracts, check on their employee benefits, and have conference calls. I am sure I will soon learn.

My first assignment was to write a response to a reporter. After I wrote it, I had to have it approved by my boss, then the division communications person, then the agency communications person. Wow.

Generally feeling ok about things even though during the team meeting today they started talking about budget cuts and RIFs (reduction in force aka downsizing). This is all part of the experience, right?

We'll see what Day 4 has in store for me. Email perhaps? I got phone service and voice mail today.