Sunday, March 04, 2007

Bumming, interrupted...

Um, something kinda happened while I was watching large swathes of M*A*S*H*, reading a book a day, working on my Christmas gifts for this year and trying to decide whether I wanted to make another orange almond cake. Or not.

I got a job.

It happened so quickly I spent the first two days in utter disbelief hardly eating or sleeping for stress.

I feel my ulcer coming along nicely.

Not that everyone isn't nice to me. They are. Wonderfully so.

It's just that I have never done this before and I don't have any internal systems in place to deal with it. It was OK to tread water when I had just turned 20 and was new in my old newspaper. Nobody expects anything spectacular from a new kid on the block and they send you for very easy assignments. Like product launches. Or a company setting up bus stops in the kampungs. That sort of thing.

But now, I'm responsible for... OK let's not go there.

Anyway, my friend Nits calls me on Monday to ask if she can pass my number along as a recommendation for a job. On Tuesday, I get a call from the CEO. On Wednesday, we meet in Starbucks for the "interview". I was reading Will in the World (Stephen Greenblatt) at the time, so the CEO and I chatted about Shakespeare and he asked me if this was the definitive biography and I said no, it was more of a "popular" one, sorta like Shakespare in Love. (Marc Norman, who wrote Shakespeare in Love conceived his project, roughly around the time Stephen Greenblatt conceived his). Then the COO comes along and the talk gets down to business.

Ho hum.

Five minutes after the interview is concluded, when they leave for another appointment and tell me they will "think about it" I get a text message. "Can you start tomorrow?"

It throws me into a flap.

I haven't calmed down yet.

I am still reading Will in the World. My perfect one-book-a-day record has been smashed.

12 comments:

Nessa said...

Oh, no, how horrible. I mean, congratulations, that is so great. I'm so confused; D

Anonymous said...

Congratudolances? Condolulations? Er, well whichever. Be brilliant Jenn!

Jenn said...

Thanks you guys. It's Monday morning and I wake up with butterflies in my stomach. The powerful churning has receded somewhat, but I'm still not entirely comfortable. I guess I won't be until I find my feet.

I finished Will in the World last night.

John Calica said...

What a bummer! ;p Kidding aside, congratulations!

lemontree said...

congratulations!
on finishing will in the world!
and ofcourse on the new beginning
hope u enjoy the ride

Susanna said...

WOW! Congratulations, Jenn!! That is awesome! I'm sure the butterflies and nervousness will calm down soon...you'll do a great job! Fantastic news!

Anonymous said...

What the hell?! We are now both starting respectable new jobs? That sucks. Ha ha.

It gave me an excuse to go shopping. I hope you will follow my lead.

Jenn said...

John: Thanks my dear. I know that finishing Will in the World is quite an achievement!

lemon: Hey! How are you! I haven't seen you around for the longest time. And thanks.

Susanna: Thanks. That is what I keep telling myself everyday. So far, it has calmed down some. I am supposed to hire people to work under me! Can you frigging believe that?

HCG: I noticed the coincidence. :) Good luck in yours. I get what you mean by too many new things to take in at once.

Unknown said...

congratulations!!!

Jenn said...

Thanks Ling. Update coming up. Ooooooohhhhh this is exciting, mundane details of my life again, just when I thought that doing this was way narcissistic.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations! That's wonderful, I'm sure....a new adventure. Keep us posted. It is NOT narcissistic, it is SHARING! I'm happy for you.

Nessa said...

Do you get to hire a male secretary?