Day 2

The Financial Analyst

I am excited. We report earnings in two weeks, so from until then I will have to work until at least midnight every night to get everything done. Maybe over the weekend, too.

We have to eat dinner out of vending machines because the cafeteria closes at 2 p.m. I especially like Lay’s Potato Chips and Fritos for dinner. I take a multi-vitamin to be healthy. I have a bottled water too, since soda is bad for you.

It is a special time. Too bad we only report earnings four times a year.

The Inductee

It is my second day and Miss HR, whose name I have learned is Miss Barry, leads me to my cubicle. (I assume that Miss Barry doesn’t go by her first name because she is a highly skilled HR professional.)

Miss Barry introduces me to the people on either side of my cubicle.

“John and Lisa, this is Matthew. It is Matthew’s first day. Please make him feel welcome.” And with that Miss Barry scoots off. I am sure it is because as a highly skilled HR professional, she has critical business to attend to.

John and Lisa each shake my hand, show me where my coat hook is, and depart. I notice John’s cubicle later when asking him a question about changing my voicemail password, which had a computerized voice, to my own (to which he looked at me funny and asked why on Earth I would want to do that.) John had a baseball cap on his desk with the company’s name and logo on it. At first I thought this showed tremendous company spirit. But then I noticed a coffee mug with the same branding treatment on it. A computer bag. The pen he was holding. The calendar on his wall. A multitude of office accoutrements, in fact, carry the company name and logo.

I am frightened.

Miss Barry

“Oh, how annoying,” I think. I have an e-mail from my boss informing me of a restructure. This is going to be big, because of the stupid economy. This will mean more of those stupid layoff workshops and more stupid crying.

Mr. Kane

Mary hands me my messages. Today I have 131. Not nearly as good as yesterday when I had 227. I count. The more messages I get, the more important it means I am. It is validating when people call you.