new office life
I generally don't want to say too much about work-like to keep it professional and separate. But I've started in a new job and have all those first day observations.
My first thought is that I am quite a senior role. I am one of only 5 people who have an office to themselves (and the only non-manager to get this privilege!). I also have a manager who expects me to look afer my time, and doesn't want to monitor my out of office time-it's about getting work done, not watching the clock.
I am on the 6th floor-I've never made it past ground level before and now I work on a floor with great views across the city and hills-though the perks of my office mean that I lose the view. But compared to people who don't have a view or an office, I am very lucky. (And many of these people are much older than me...have also had them tell me how to use the scanner in very respectful tones, which is kind but amusing-have to remember to be patient with people especially when they are being helpful. )
Computer literacy really impacts on the quality of work you can do-some people's work is great, they have prepared high level submissions that I couldn't imagine achieving yet. Other people are great to talk to, but they are still trying to navigate powerpoint and word, losing that professional gloss.
The dress code is a bit hard. On my first day I looked professional but boring... navy suit, pale blue striped shirt. Today I had a more fashionable/more me top, but my black trousers make me look wide as and thus shorter. If only I could wear skinny black jeans to work!
It's dominated by females, which shamefully means that the only colleagues names I can remember and use are the males. Since my small talk and humour is as lame as the next persons, I am trying to remember to ask people about themselves, and ask them what their professional history is, this seems to work. My adjacent office mate is a good example of projecting confidence and humour and the gravitas to justify an office to herself. Must work on that.
The last thing to do is decorate my office. I need to do this soon, before I give up and accept the blank walls and stacks of folders, however decorating is really an organic process I think. I can't even recall where my flotsam and jetsam of stuff that I used to have on pinupboards or the fridge is these days. I am thinking that I want a vibrant poster, preferably something like the artwork made by Better World Artists, but that of course will scream "left minded liberal health worker" (not that there is anything wrong with that), but I don't want to be so glib. There is great art work in the foyer, photographic quality paining of very old wilderness gums, something like that would be good. Something that I can look at and draw from.
My first thought is that I am quite a senior role. I am one of only 5 people who have an office to themselves (and the only non-manager to get this privilege!). I also have a manager who expects me to look afer my time, and doesn't want to monitor my out of office time-it's about getting work done, not watching the clock.
I am on the 6th floor-I've never made it past ground level before and now I work on a floor with great views across the city and hills-though the perks of my office mean that I lose the view. But compared to people who don't have a view or an office, I am very lucky. (And many of these people are much older than me...have also had them tell me how to use the scanner in very respectful tones, which is kind but amusing-have to remember to be patient with people especially when they are being helpful. )
Computer literacy really impacts on the quality of work you can do-some people's work is great, they have prepared high level submissions that I couldn't imagine achieving yet. Other people are great to talk to, but they are still trying to navigate powerpoint and word, losing that professional gloss.
The dress code is a bit hard. On my first day I looked professional but boring... navy suit, pale blue striped shirt. Today I had a more fashionable/more me top, but my black trousers make me look wide as and thus shorter. If only I could wear skinny black jeans to work!
It's dominated by females, which shamefully means that the only colleagues names I can remember and use are the males. Since my small talk and humour is as lame as the next persons, I am trying to remember to ask people about themselves, and ask them what their professional history is, this seems to work. My adjacent office mate is a good example of projecting confidence and humour and the gravitas to justify an office to herself. Must work on that.
The last thing to do is decorate my office. I need to do this soon, before I give up and accept the blank walls and stacks of folders, however decorating is really an organic process I think. I can't even recall where my flotsam and jetsam of stuff that I used to have on pinupboards or the fridge is these days. I am thinking that I want a vibrant poster, preferably something like the artwork made by Better World Artists, but that of course will scream "left minded liberal health worker" (not that there is anything wrong with that), but I don't want to be so glib. There is great art work in the foyer, photographic quality paining of very old wilderness gums, something like that would be good. Something that I can look at and draw from.
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