Work

Three months at TNP

May 8, 2012

April 23rd marked my three month anniversary at TNP. And I’m still there!

So much of this blog contains accounts of abandoning diets & fitness routines, quitting hobbies and subtle accounts of self-inflicted social hermitude that I have to brag. Not to you, but to me, because I use this blog as my own historical reference. (I certainly don’t use it to make money, although I did get divorced before the popular bloggers started divorcing so I should be rolling in cash from another ‘niche’ market. Hey! I’m a hipster divorcee!) Trust me; someday I’ll search this site for how I felt when I started at TNP.

I’ve gone from an 8 minute drive to a 40-55 minute public transit commute. (The drive is only 15 minutes with normal traffic but would cost 9 bucks a day with a monthly parking pass and $15 without.) I get myself outside my building in time to catch the shuttle to the train station. Then I catch the train into Philly. I either ride the train to the end and catch a shuttle to my building or get off earlier and catch the subway to the stop a block away from my building. I usually base this decision on what time I get to the train. I haven’t lost my train pass (yet) and 99% of the time I pop up from the underground stations at the correct corner.

I’m learning an entirely new industry. I’m using modern software, and having to learn that as I go. We actually have project planning software! At the old place projects were planned by huffing out of the ink barrels until the project due date appeared in a hazy vision. Naturally I’m fibbing here but that really would explain A LOT. In my old job I was an Excel expert. Now I’m looking for inexpensive classes to get me to the level I need to be at. The old job was based on the good days I feel like my brain’s been put through a juicer. On the bad ones I feel like Don Music.

Three weeks ago I had to give a 10 minute PowerPoint presentation to the Operating Committee about data. Public speaking is still not my thing. I freaked and fretted. I self-doubted and wanted to hide. But when the time came, I NAILED IT.

And I’m finally making friends. Not just friendly coworkers, but people around whom I can let my guard down a bit and let them see a little bit of the loopy real me.

I am almost 40 years old and I completely changed my career, which is how I spend almost 50% of my life 5 days a week. I’m proud of me.

Once I get my pension disbursement settled and roll over my 401(k) maybe, MAYBE I’ll tell a few stories about the old job. I have some doozies.

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  • Ani May 8, 2012 at 10:10 am

    I hope to be able to do what you did someday and do it well also:)

  • Liz May 10, 2012 at 11:10 am

    I’m proud of you too! Way to go!