Starting Out

So, today's the first day of work! I arrived at 8am sharp, but HR is only supposed to come at 8.30am so I sat around reading a Buddhist book I brought along. Which was a wise move on my part because the other new hires just sat around looking dreamily ahead.

Ms. W, from HR, then attended to us individually to go through all the documents we were supposed to fill up. This took a painstaking 80 minutes. Having exhausted my book, I had no choice but to sit around and look dreamily ahead too.

She then went through some of the finer points of being an employee. We then proceeded to take a photo for our ID badge. My picture, as always, made me look like a refugee. Or so Dad says.

I guess the funniest part of the day was when we were herded back to the conference room. We were then supposed to wait for our managers to pick us up. Yes, just like kindergarten! We all waited patiently in the room. Whenever a head pops in through the door, we all looked up to see if it was our parents manager coming to collect us. Just like children!

I was the second last person to leave, out of 18. My manager was busy, so his secretary came instead. The entire software team was in a Status Report meeting, and I was suddenly shoved into the room unceremoniously. Suddenly, all my new colleagues had fixed their eyes on me. I had SO not anticipated that.

I smiled nervously, did a brief introduction, and took the only seat available - the one right in front of the room. Surely nothing to get shaken up about?

The rest of the day was quite a blur. And I can't reveal some parts because they are very much confidential. No, it doesn't involve any company scandals.

I'll have my own desktop computer tomorrow, so my learning and real work starts soon.