The first day

I started at Columbia today! I arrived at 9 AM and the office was amazingly quiet...there were only a few people there, although there were supposed to be more. Punctuality is lax in the summer, or so I'm told. The day was rather slow and disjointed, as my main contact and boss wasn't there. I met with the HR woman and completed the necessary forms and got some in return, including the 36-page benefits guide (now THAT'S what I'm talking about!). I was telling Irene last night that I was almost more excited about the benefits than I was about the job! Then I started moving things on my desk around and cleaning it off, getting my computer situated and wiping down the crusty surfaces. How do offices with no windows get so dusty? That's a weird phenomenon.

I spent some time with a colleague, looking at the databases and getting an overview of the position. It struck me this morning as I was getting ready that I don't have much in-depth information about the position I accepted, as all the interviews were focused on a different position! I got my Columbia Card (ID) and access to the buildings I need, including the special section of the cafeteria's outdoor terrace accesible only to MBAs and the officers that work in the Business School. Apparently the MBAs were complaining about the undergrads coming to "their" cafeteria, so the University set aside this special seating area that you have to swipe your card to get to. Oh, gee, they're spoiled!

I also got to spend time in the Career Resource Center, helping accept resumes from the second year students. There was a resume submission deadline for the fall's resume books at noon today, so I got to watch the students in action. A lot of white males in their late twenties, a lot of heavy accents and a lot of people named Chan, Chang, Chen, Cho, Choi; a valuable tidbit I picked up while alphabetizing the resumes in the "C" folder.

So that was the first day. I'm not sure what tomorrow holds, but I saw something about my meeting with an Assistant Director candidate. Umm...that's the job I applied for. Are they sure they want me to meet with another candidate? That's kinda weird, but whatever. I'll be sure to check out his resume before I meet him, unlike some of my colleagues when they met me!