The new job

Well, I am well and truly started at the new job. For starting such a big new job I am pretty impressed with myself. Usually the bigger and more critical the job, the more I tend to freak out. Yes, I did feel stressed my first day coming in, and certainly on my first day actually interpreting - but it was manageable stress - the type that normal people feel. (I think. Never having been what you might call normal, I don't know for sure.)

All I can say is that these people are GOOD. They have this whole orientation thing down to an art. They put someone in charge of the four of us newbies and left her with us to babysit for three days of introduction, paperwork, procedural nonsense and exploration. Plus, she was awesome at explaining all sorts of ins and outs related to the place. (The part where she treated us to Ben & Jerry's the last day just added to the awesomeness.)

Honestly, the way interpreters are taken care of here is astounding. We are treated like actual people! My first day here I had an email address set up, a mail box with my name spelled correctly, an office (with supplies that I didn't have to provide), vacation days and sick days I can actually USE, a reasonable and healthy schedule... I am still in a state of happy-shock. As much as I LOVED my last job (not being sarcastic here), they really have some work to do. It took me 2-3 months to get an email address. A year to get a mailbox. Five years to get an office. And while I technically had sick days and vacation days, most of my vacation days got cashed out, and in six years I only used one sick day. Not because I didn't get sick, but because I had no emergency subs. Training was never provided, there was no orientation - they basically didn't know what to do with me.

When I applied to RIT, I wasn't entirely sure what I was getting into, or what to expect. I suppose being flown out and given a place to stay for the interview should have given me a heads up. And interviewing here I learned about a lot of the benefits, but it wasn't till I started working that things actually became real - not just some nice abstract idea. It's so nice. I have been so blessed in coming here - I can't help but feel that this must truly be where I was meant to come. I am sure I will enjoy my time here.

Other things I am not so sure about - orange and brown for my school colors? Not such a fan. But I suppose it could be worse... purple and teal perhaps.