Corporate Ratchet Part 4- A pot of gold

** Disclaimer: The time frame for these blog post is 2012 to2013. My blog series “Corporate ratchet” talks about a job experience I had shortly after I graduated with my MBA. This story series does not reflect my current state of affairs as I no longer work for this establishment. I apologize for any confusion**

 

I stared at the man who would be my trainer for the next six weeks for a second as I tried to process what he had just said. Now when think about your first day at a job, you are expecting bright smiles plastered on the faces of the people you will be working with, enthusiastic about showing you the ropes and how awesome it is to work for their company. Telling a new recruit that sobbing is part of the job description was hardly a heartfelt welcome.

As I signed in, I was asked to take a seat in a room filled with computer monitors. On the walls were posters with procedures to follow and rules to abide by. Kind of like when you are in elementary school and you have “drills” posted across the room. I took a seat close to the trainer’s table and waited for the remaining newbies to come in. Our trainer, Marcus * was a middle aged black man who looked more annoyed than anything. Hence the welcoming comments. I once caught him at his desk, checking his Facebook account while going over a lecture. I could tell he really wanted to be there.

The next six weeks consisted of long lectures on company policy and standard procedure on how to handle customer issues. Four of these weeks would be purely theory and two weeks will be in the lab where we will be working with actual customers. Everything was done down to the minute, from the moment we walked in the building till the moment we left.  We were allowed hour long lunches and 15 minute restroom breaks.  In between the breaks and mind numbing lectures, I got the chance to get to know my classmates.

In my class of new recruits there were 33 students. More than half of them were either in college or just graduated from high school. Some of them had college degrees like myself and were just doing this job to get by.  Seated next to me was a young lady, Jess *. Jess had just graduated with a degree in Social Work. We had bonded over our shared interest in bad reality television. She was petite and soft spoken. She had been applying for jobs for over three months and when the bills started coming, she figured this job would be a temporary fix for now. I could relate to her.  In between text heavy modules and chapter tests for each lesson and nibbling on gummy worms, we talked about college experiences, our career goals and our concerns about the job market.  My kinship with Jess made training with a room full of colorful individuals, bearable.

Three weeks in, I was starting to feel like I could do this job. I was doing well on all my quizzes and the trainer Marcus had great feedback to offer me. Meanwhile discussing our job prospects over coffee each day with Jess before training started, was what I looked forward to. That feeling was short lived. I walked into the training room one Thursday morning, coffee in one hand and a juicy story about how I found an awesome position online the night before that I applied for on the mind.  I walked over to my computer next to Jess’ desk and waited for her to arrive. Jess normally arrives before me but today she was late.  As training started, I kept one eye glued to the door. Surely at some point, she would breeze through the door and join me.  By break time, I was concerned.  Maybe she taking advantage of the two free absences we were allowed.  I couldn’t think of any reason she would not show up for work. She didn’t seem sick the day before, so it couldn’t be that. Or maybe she had emergency? Meanwhile, all these thoughts were going through my head and all I wanted to do was share my story about the pot of gold I found online.  I decided to go to lunch, alone. On my way to the lunch room, I bumped into one of our classmates, Vanessa*. Vanessa and Jess lived in the same apartment complex. I asked her if she had heard from her. What I heard next left my heart in my stomach.

“Girl, you didn’t hear? Jess got a call yesterday for a job interview for a position with the city. She was checking her voicemail and got a message for an interview for this morning. She went for the interview. She just texted me saying they decided to hire her on the spot. Great pay and full benefits.”

Well, color me surprised.  I was stunned. While I was thinking I had found a great job to apply for, my work friend was had found the pot of gold, the rainbow and even the leprechaun. I let out a huge sigh.

“So, she’s not coming back?” I said realizing immediately that was probably the dumbest question I had asked in a while.  It was followed by an equally dumb look from Vanessa.

“Girl, she accepted the position on the spot. She already dropped off her id at the front desk”.

I smiled and said I was happy for her and quietly walked to the lunch room. I had lost my appetite. I was happy for her. There is nothing like getting that call for the position you have been working so hard for. Like finally reaching the light at the end of a very long tunnel. But it was less about her success and more about me. I just felt left behind.  Of all my fellow trainees, I felt she was the one I felt I could relate to.  Admittedly, I wish it were me, getting the unexpected call, an interview and an offer.

All my thoughts of self-pity were quickly interrupted by Marcus, informing it was time to get back to the training room.  This was going to be a very long three weeks.

*- Names changed to protect identity