Working life

After more than six months not working, it’s quite interesting to be back to working. I started on a Wednesday, so it’s the end of the second week.

I wear a uniform. Everyday. I’m not really used to that, yet. (My previous long term employment did come with a uniform, but I wore it on average once a week). Much less, that I have to wear pantyhose. I have options between a dress, a skirt and trousers, but the wool of the trousers mean I always wear something underneath to minimise itchiness. I thankfully got home early enough on Friday to be able to drop the trousers to a tailor to line.

My start times have been a little variable, as I move around different sites to meet people and see how they do things. But I also start some ‘classroom’ style training in the coming week too. I’m appreciative that they don’t last a complete eight hour day!

Unfortunately this second week of work has also coincided with my fifth cold this season. I must be doing something wrong! Most of the week, I just poured whatever energy I had into work, and then retreated to bed for a few hours the minute I got home. I slept a few hours, then was awake for a few hours of prime time TV and some food, and then back for a full night’s sleep. My lethargy was so complete that I didn’t actually get to a chemist until Friday. I can only wonder how helpful some cold and flue medication might have been earlier in the week! It’s been a game changer!

Otherwise, how’s the work? Well, I’m not actively managing just yet, but slowly being introduced to my branch’s business, and also the parents companies brands. There’s lots of similar sorts of thing: managing a fleet of vehicles, working with the crew who will attend funerals. There’ll be a large component of running the office/depot that I’m based at, and the three satellite locations. I imagine property management will be a slow process, given corporate always has an overlay of what is possible and affordable. There’ll be a level of tidying and arranging all the inventory into sensible locations – rather than scattered across the one main location I work at. There’ll also been a bucketload of ‘this happened, now what?’ style questions – problems that arise during day to day work, and them being refereed to me, their manager, when I’m currently ill equipped to even know all the options! Honestly, it’s daunting but also good to think of your feet!

I feel this weird sense that now I should be striving. Reaching. It’s a perverse feeling, but also oh so common. Climb, grow, stretch. However, I’m in the ‘learn’ phase. Look around. Think. Ask questions. And make lists… always lists!