first day at the new job

[rivendellrose]

I survived my first day working at the bookstore! I'm tired, and my feet hurt from the whole "I don't know the dress code yet so I have to wear my nice pants and if I wear those I have to wear heels" thing... but I survived!

And these people actually believe in a funny thing called training, it seems. Like... they tell me what to say when I answer the phone and everything. And there's an employee handbook, and people who do the same job as me so I can ask what to do, and... Wow. Clearly worlds ahead of my last job. :P

So far the main drawbacks are a) big rolling tubs of books are really hard to push around tiny corridors and such, b) I'm having a little trouble with the computer system for looking up books and classes and such, and c) I anticipate a lot of being really really harried and exhausted and frustrated during the big rush time at the beginning of the quarter. Also, my back hurts from shelving loads of heavy textbooks. But it's possible I might actually build upper body muscle! So perhaps this is not a bad thing after all...

Comments

[zinjadu.livejournal.com]

YAY! I'm glad you've got training, at the very least. :D

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Yeah, what a notion! I'm still surprised I didn't just blurt "how the hell should I know?" in response to a lot of the questions I used to get at the old company... from the other employees.

[lacrimaeveneris.livejournal.com]

Ah, training is fabulous, isn't it? It makes you feel competent (well, once you figure out everything!). I hope things work out for you.

Also, I like your layout very much.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's a marvelous thing when the company you're working for actually tells you the things that they want you to know. As opposed to assuming that you'll learn it through some kind of magical osmosis via sitting on the same chair as your predecessor. :P

...I'm being mean. They really weren't that bad. But still! Real training!!!

Thanks! It's one of the "style contest" options - I suck at layouting myself, so I'm always on the lookout for new pre-fabs!

[windrose.livejournal.com]

Go you!!!!

I worked at the Book Mine in Atlantic Beach for seven years, and I loved every minute of it. In fact, the only job I've had that I like more than working in a bookshop is my current one.

The one thing you have to be careful of is that pesky employee discount. My old boss used to say he always hired people with excellent taste in books because their paycheck went right back into the store. *g*

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

This is a good sign to me, as I completely lust after a job like yours. XD

Yeah... fortunately I have years of practice at being too cheap to buy books. I tend to just write down titles and hunt them down at the library later unless they're by an author I know I love or something. So with any luck I won't get slammed by that too badly!

[pauldf.livejournal.com]

Yay! Glad to hear this one's off to a good start!

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Me too! Of course, the schedule means I'm even less likely than before to make it to contra, but maybe when the weather stops getting me quite so down in the evenings, I'll try for the Thursday night session.

How've you been?

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the new job! I've always wanted to work at a bookstore. I'm glad you're getting good training too.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I have, too, so even though it's tiring and all, this, is kind of exciting for me. XD

And your icon is so cute!

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

Thanks - the maker is queen_lothiriel.

[moonvoyager.livejournal.com]

Yeah, jobs like that can be tiring, but they're also really great for keeping in shape. Once I stopped working at AMC & B&N, I slowly gained 60 pounds while working a desk job. Plus, to be honest, the theater & the bookstore were a lot more fun than sitting in a cubicle all day :)

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Oh god yeah. I swear, if I'd stayed in my past job long enough for my metabolism to adapt, I'm sure I would've started losing what little muscle I have and putting on extra cushioning. And it's worlds more interesting, as you said!

[coralia13.livejournal.com]

Yay, I'm so glad it went well and shows promise for the future! Yesterday, I went into a bookshop that was absolutely lovely (I wanted to work there), and asked the guy behind the desk if they had Paradise Lost. He stared at me for a moment and then said, "By Toni Morrison?" And I said, "No... John Milton." This made me smile, because I realize I am now an Intellectual Elitist.
This was my very round-about way of telling you I am excited about your new job. Congratulations!

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

"Paradise Lost"... by Toni Morrison. Gods, I can't even figure out what Morrison book he might've been confusing it with! Kind of hard to believe a guy like that would be working at a bookstore. o_O

And thanks! I'm crossing my fingers that the shiny keeps up for a while - it's always nice to be kind of excited about work. ;)

[fragglebo.livejournal.com]

It sounds like a great new job. There's something about books that draw me so I think I'd love it. I hope it all goes well for you.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I'm really liking it so far. It's tiring work, but I love being surrounded by books... and by other people who like books, which is so important. Thanks!

[penmage.livejournal.com]

Ah, another bookstore worker. How big is your store? Mine didn't have training; more of the "Oh, did the other manager show you how to use the cash register yet? No? Let me show you." It took me about two weeks to really feel like I knew what I was doing, but experiance is a great educator!

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Well, the store itself is pretty big (I don't know how to express size in terms of stores - our website is here (http://www.bookstore.washington.edu/default.taf?)), but I work exclusively in one department of the main location, so that narrows it down a lot. And I am getting a lot of the "has anybody showed you ___? Oh, let's go over that, then" kind of thing. But any kind of system in which people know what I'm supposed to know is cool by me. And there's nothing like putting out the textbooks for the new quarter to teach me where the different departments are!

I recommend sneakers with arch supports!

[razycrandomgirl.livejournal.com]

Also it's a little tiring the first time around. But your body gets use to it. your walking around all day, lifting heavy thing over your head, all of a sudden you have this awesome pair of legs and your arms are amazing!
Well, I don't know about the arm thing from experience (cause I'm not so big on the heavy lifting at my job) but ... All that running around sure does a body good. ;-)

I think I wanna work at a book store. Congratulations