The Chronicles of a New Joiner

I had joined just 2 days back in this new Organization. It was after a yearlong maternity break from work, that I joined this new MNC, I had mixed feelings; nervous since I was back to work after so long, excited for the same reason, sad that I left my daughter at home, happy that I will be the same old busy corporate woman.

My first day in office was spent in induction and exploring the surroundings, getting a laptop etc., so time simply flew. The second day however, was as if time stood still, literally, I see the time after what seems like an hour, but it’s just been 10 minutes. Fortunately or unfortunately, I have been given a seat at a place where all big shots are seated. Everyone around me looks busy, at least to me. All attending calls, giving instructions, discussing huge transition plans, and there’s me, sitting amidst them all feeling like the only jobless employee in the organization. Hoping when each one discusses a project, that I might be a part of their team. I look over at the other side of the partition through a small gap on my desk, which is supposed to be modern design, to find all my team mates staring at their systems. The thing with being on bench ( a term used in IT sector for people who are have no work assigned) is like being married, initially its very good, since you get paid for doing nothing, but as time passes by, you feel like banging your head on the same bench.

So I am here, waiting for somebody to say let’s go for a tea break or give me some document to read. As a new joiner, I’m afraid to use the internet or my desk phone for personal purposes. So I just stare at my blank screen. Lo and behold, there is a new email notification, I have never been so happy to see a new mail. I suddenly remember Meg Ryan in You’ve Got mail. Well, this is completely different kind of excitement. I hurriedly open my mailbox to check if I have been assigned to a project. Now the time acts differently, what was actually a split second, seems like 5 minutes. In the few seconds that the system took to open my mailbox, I have already started imagining how it will be to work again, get accolades and performance awards. The mailbox opens, and it’s just an organizational announcement, for which generally people have created rules to directly be re-directed to their junk inbox. But I go through the whole mail, since that’s the best work so far I have received in the entire day. Not only do I read the mail, I go to the link which says click here for more information. It’s about an event organized by the organization in Chennai. Doesn’t really relate to me, but this mail reminds me that I am working again and no one outside the organization will have the highlights of this event. So, yay!!

I look at the clock one more time, this time it’s more than 20 minutes since my last time check. That should be a good sign. As I am stretching a bit, my manager walks in. Again a ray of hope. My mind starts racing towards the new projects that he might discuss with me to know my interests. I mentally prepare a note of my Plus points, while he is busy exchanging greeting with the big shots who have surrounded me the whole day.  He finally turns to me, I smile to look comfortable and he tells me you can leave if you have completed your formalities.  We will see what we have in store for you, tomorrow.

Again mixed feelings, happy that I am going home to meet my angel after a very, very long day, at least for me in my mind, and also sad that what if his ‘tomorrow never comes’. I pack my bags and leave hoping that when I log in tomorrow, I would be too busy to even write about it.