First day of work (as an Account Representative)

Today was my first day of work at this staffing agency located in downtown San Francisco and it was so tiring. I couldn't believe what I had to go through today. It was just unbelievable.

I woke up later than planned. Originally, I wanted to wake up at 6:30 AM but instead, I got up at 6:45 AM. As a result, I didn't have enough time for breakfast; I went to the shower instead. By the time I finished, it was time for me to leave so I could catch the BART train to the Powell Station in downtown San Francisco. Everything was photofinish and almost perfect, had some delays happened because something went wrong with the train. Apparently, smoke was seen coming out of the train so the BART people had everyone disembark and catch another train instead. So that delayed my arrival to work by 15 minutes. What's worse, the next train was jampacked. We were cramped up like sardines so it was so uncomfortable. I didn't even get to sit down. Argh.

Anyway, so I arrived 15 minutes late. I'm glad my boss didn't take it against me; she heard of the delay because another employee called her about it. Whew. It almost became a bad first impression being late for work.

The day went on in rapid pace, accelerated by my being late. I was asked to read more handbooks and guidelines and then I got introduced to the different software, contracts, and methods of selling the company. It was hectic really. There was so much to learn and I had to learn it on the fly. Fact is, I was rushed. Everything was taught in a rush so I'm not really that confident in executing what I learned. I kinda feel raw for the job so I guess tomorrow will be an uneasy time for me. I just keep thinking that in time, I will improve. I guess for about a week, I'll be suffering from what I call "first week jitters" as I grope for form. Hopefully, I'll get over this soon enough and be comfortable as the new Account Representative of my company.

In this company, the people (my boss and co-workers) are nice and they're all women. For those who think that this is an ideal situation for a guy, think again. Though there's a cute chinita in my office (a total eye candy, if you ask me), everyone else can make life a total hell because I'm working with tough women. They're nice but they're tough. And they mean business. My boss is one such case. Though she can be an eye candy with her German-American features, she can totally make life difficult. Despite her patience and being nice, I can sense that she may have a tendency to be somewhat hawkish and that's something I better watch out for. Though her welcome was warm, I have a feeling she can really be cold-hearted too. She's the kind of boss that can and will push you to work and make you bleed. Oh well...

Anyway, I spent nearly 12 hours in the office today because I was learning everything on the fly. I had to cram so much, so much that my head was spinning at the end of the day. It didn't help that I got a late lunch too (3 PM), which I had at the bakeshop next door. Boy, was I sure glad I brought along some brownies, which I ate when I couldn't take it anymore.

At 8:30 PM, I finally left the office and headed home. It was so cold outside (39 F). Good thing I brought my overcoat so I was able to keep myself warm despite the chilly San Francisco breeze. Because it was quite late, I didn't get a BART ride direct to my home station and that was kind of a hassle. Instead, I had to make a transfer so that I could catch a train to my home station. But the nice thing about riding home late is that there are seats on the trains and I gladly took one.

So that was my first day of work. I am just so tired right now, I sure could use some sleep.

Goodnight, everyone!