2 posts tagged “nerds”

This came to mind in a recent comment exchange and I thought I'd post again for everyone's viewing enjoyment. Cheers!

day 2 at new job is over and all is well so far. i'm learning the ropes and feeling out the characters in this little 'office space' universe i am joining. (seriously office space like--it's hilarious to me! more on this later.) unfortunately, i still lack both a notebook and login (there's a backlog in security) so i can only shadow the two women from whom i'll be taking over a number of responsibilities. (one is leaving the company, the other is moving into another position.) this means that nothing is expected of me for the moment except to act like a sponge and suck it all up.

not a bad gig, but i've been a little off since nashville and i've only had a couple of hours sleep the last couple of nights. hence, my embarrasingly glassy-eyed, dazed look when the last meeting came to an end at 5:30. i gladly begged out when my shadow-ee said i could take off. training may not be a very active process, but it is like drinking from a firehose of corporate jargon and systems and culture, oh my!

but so it goes. on the upside, i have been busily making mental notes about the environment, the people, etc. for writing references, and i have a number of observations i'd like to share.

1) the nerd spectrum is broader and more diverse than i previously realized. i'm somewhere in the middle. for now.

2) social skills appear to be more of an issue for boy nerds than for girl nerds. again, i'm somewhere in the middle.

3) cubicles, er, 'cubes' are surprisingly like dorm rooms. a dreary blank slate that people then clutter up with photos and all kinds of kitschy crap to advertise their history, personality, values, etc. i'm aware that cube snooping is considered very poor manners, but i sure am tempted. nerdy or otherwise, even the mundane in people's lives can be fascinating...or appalling...or friggin' hilarious.

4) in a post-lunch powerpoint driven meeting of 30 people, at least half a dozen will shamelessly and helplessly nod off. several others will fight it with all their might, jerking with a start when their chin drops to their chest. one will fake a coughing fit to leave the room and get some tea and peppermint oil to wake the hell up so as not to be fired on her second day. (hey, at least i didn't completely fall asleep.)

5) though i'm sorry to say it (and though some of my new co-workers would likely disagree), the seeming productivity level of the employees i've observed in the last 2 days is well above what i experienced in the non-profit world. from EDs to Presidents to yours truly, i've never seen a day so packed with actual work and so little non-work bs'ing.

i expect to post numerous bits about "innerchode" in future, so stay tuned.