The first couple of weeks at a new job

The first couple weeks of a job are pretty boring.  That’s not a bad thing!  If you’re nervous about a new job or internship, it’s okay, it probably won’t be too much too soon.  Your managers and coworkers know that you aren’t going to jump on board and know everything.  They don’t expect you to be an expert on your first day.  These first couple of weeks give you the time to complete all of the learning and adjustments that you need before you get busy with project work.  Don’t take this time for granted, no matter how much you want to get started.

 Chances are, you’ll have an orientation and a ton of trainings.  The trainings may be in person or online, independent learning.  You might be eager to get going with real work, but this training is actually pretty important.  Take as much as you can, because it will help you understand the company and product before you get really involved with it.  Besides, the day will go by faster if you have things to do!

During your first week, meet other people.  If you’re invited to join the group for lunch, do it!  These first impressions can establish good relationships…and you might even get friendships out of it.  If your company has an org chart, get to know this.  If you get an email from someone or hear others talking about someone who you have not met or do not remember meeting, check the org chart. 

You should also get to know your company’s website and intranet.  The more you learn on your own, the smoother the process of locating information when you’re working on actual projects.   While you have the time, decorate your cube or office and adjust your monitors, keyboard, mouse, and chair to best fit you. 

At-work exercises?

Okay, so if you are like a ton of office workers, you spend about 8 hours a day in your chair. I don't care how ergonomic your set-up is, you're immobile and settling into a groove. Weight gain happens just from the lack of daily non-strenuous exercise (walking at UMass). I've looked at a bunch of different at-work exercise tips (this meaning at my desk and not in the at-work gyms).

I disagree with some of these and I truly believe that the people who write these have never worked in an office. Unless you have an office with no windows and a closed door, you can't run in place or jump rope or do constant sit-stand-sit-stand while on a phone call without looking like a total nut case.

• Exercise ball (yoga ball) - this would be great! I brought one to work which I thought would help with back pain from sitting in a chair and help tighten up some muscles. Unfortunately, this was a hand-me-down so I didn't have the air pump. It had let out a little air over the years and caused more pain than the chair. It disappeared into an empty cube, only to appear at the new building when a coworker "saved" it for me. Now it sits in my home office taking up space.
• As cool as it would be, it's highly impractical to have a treadmill at work. You've probably seen pictures of it on stumbleupon, and some sites will tell you it's the best! but let's be real. How do you get the treadmill to your desk? I don't know about you, but my cube isn't big enough for one. I would also be standing higher than the cubes. It would be so loud that no one could work. Uhm, eventually you'll get sweaty or tired. I'd feel gross or like I was being judged based on how long I was on it. Also, why wouldn't I just do that when I got home instead?
• Stretching - YES. This I totally agree with. It won't cause weight loss, but it will keep you from walking like an old man at age 22. I frequently crack my back (sometimes without trying) and stretch regularly (and subtly).

Stretch your neck by rolling it in a circle and then moving side to side.

When you yawn, stretch your arms out in front of you (and above your head if you're feeling risky).

Lift your feet off the floor and rotate your ankles.

Move your torso so it's facing the back of your chair as if you're cracking your back.

Push one shoulder forward and then switch.

Upon standing, arch your back and put your arms out at your sides.

You can even do some stretching in the bathroom stall.

• Walk at lunch. A lot of offices have walking trails or at least nice sidewalks around the property. Admittedly, I don't do this often at all. I usually do what nearly everyone else does, walk to the very close kitchen, heat up my lunch, and sit back at my cube surfing the web.
• Drink tons of water. Bring a nalgene or similar water bottle and fill it often. It'll help flush your system and will force you to get up more often to walk to the bathroom. If possible, take a roundabout way to and from the bathroom.
• Bring healthy snacks. Sitting in the same spot will make you tired so your body will tell you you're hungry so you can gain more energy from food even though you're sitting idly. Bring fruits and veggies or graham crackers, trail mix, etc to much on instead of pop tarts, cookies, etc.

That's it for now!

Frozen Friday

It's Friday again. Yay! There's an off phenomenon that occurs every Friday at work...it's what I like to call "Frozen Friday." Time seems to freeze, as do the conversations in the office. Everyone is chugging away in their own private worlds to get home as soon as possible. Fridays also have a skeleton crew. Many people either work at home or they simply don't work on Fridays. The commute, however, suggests the opposite. Yet another frozen aspect of Friday...the roads. Everyone is jetting out early (my normal leaving time) to start the weekend and we all meet on the road. For long stretches of going 5mph.

Here are my tips for making it through a Frozen Friday.

• Work at home, if possible. Avoid the commute woes and not have that time-slowing feeling that you want to be home...because you will be home.
• Similarly, if you can leave early and/or finish the day at home, do so.
• Take breaks at work. Work consistently for awhile to get things done, but if you're running low on work, take it slow. There's nothing worse than sitting at your cube with 5 hours left without work. You feel like you've seen all of the internet already and time has stopped. Break up your work so it fills the day at a steady pace.
• Talk with your coworkers. Get some face-time in and pass particularly slow parts of the day (for everyone--don't interrupt someone if he or she is busy) with conversation.
• Do NOT take your lunch early. Try to eat a little later than usual, too, so that the time you have left after lunch until leaving is shorter.
• Sort through your email. Delete messages that you don't need, organize your inbox, and tidy up your folders. This is the stuff you are too busy to do during the week.
• If you use a time-tracking system, update your hours, etc. It's a tedious task, but it can really pass the time.
• Clean your cube. Dust, reorganize, rearrange (quietly), and anything else to improve your work space.
• Email old professors or friends to catch up with them.
• Try not to check the time frequently. I know it's hard since the clock is on your toolbar, but use some self-restraint!

Communication skills are vital

Outlook is open from the moment I sign into my computer until the moment I sign out. It is always on the right, smaller monitor. Gmail is always minimized. The majority of my communication with coworkers, family, and friends is done via email. As for coworkers, yes, it is possible and easy to simply walk to the other cube or talk across the cubes, but email gives the ever-important paper trail. Instead of saying to your boss "well I talked to so and so and they said this..." you have the actual email thread with all of the links and time stamps. This is especially important when you are waiting for feedback from a review and your reviewers haven't responded. Usually, you CC your boss so that he or she is aware of the time and content you sent your review. He or she can get the ball rolling if reviewers aren't responding.

Sometimes email is the only way to contact people. Sure, everyone has a phone, but the timing can be very off. On two products, I work with a team in India. Their night is our morning. When I come in on Thursday, their Thursday is just ending. It's vital to send emails that need responses on your tomorrow before you leave at night, otherwise, while you're sleeping, they will not be able to work on whatever it is you need.

Another major communication skill is one-on-one meetings. If you're lucky, you'll have regular check-ins with your boss about your progress, assignments, and updates. Even if you don't, you'll likely have in-person interactions. Unlike emails, you can't go and delete something you've said. You need to prepare for these interactions by listing out your assignments and progress, preparing questions, and having metrics ready.

Being a technical communicator, you shouldn't have any problems with this!

Cough med cubicle comedy

I'm that person everyone in the office hates today. Yup, I'm sick and I came to work. I called out yesterday, but today I'm here and packed with germs. Well, not really as this is day 4 of the cold virus thing. Thank goodness for free ginger ale in the game room! Even that won't silence the beast coming out of my cube.. that hacking cough that sounds like a donkey baying (the cold meds I'm on are clearly making things foggy...or more interesting) is echoing through this mini cube farm. Oy, the cough meds that I had to show my license for... as if this coughing, sniffly, clearly exhausted body had the strength to turn CVS brand Advil Cold and Sinus into meth. And of course the scanner wouldn't work so all 3 people behind me at CVS think I've already bought a warehouse full and am now being caught. All I wanted was to get back in bed! Alas.

Yes, so I think the cold meds are definitely messing with my thinking! Well, time to go re-review some stuff from Friday! This will be interesting.