I didn't have a chance this week to update the blog until now. The new job has consumed all my time and energy, and since I don't want to go into details about my workplace on here, I'm in a conundrum about what to write.
In general terms, the job is (probably) a great opportunity but also very challenging. The company is growing like gangbusters, and the majority of the employees have been there less than six months. A lot of the administrative employees arrived through placement agencies as the company is still building an HR department. The place has the atmosphere of a mid-nineties dot com startup-- lots of young people and lots of chaos.
Since I'm new to L.A. it seems like a good place for me to have landed. I will meet scores of people and learn quite a bit about the city, since the company is investing in and developing properties in key areas all over town, involving everyone from investors to tenants to community leaders to the Mayor and city council. As the front desk person I'm on the bottom rung of the ladder, and yet I need to know who everyone is in the company and what they do, so I'm on a very steep learning curve. I'm learning all about leasing, investment development and analysis, construction, property management, and so on, while at the same time learning how to run the office.
On the other hand, I feel like my life here is going to get smaller, as I won't have much energy left over for other adventures around the city. I have extremely mixed feelings about that but know it was time to plant myself somewhere to give my life in L.A. focus. My blog might get awfully boring though.
Although I'm interested in urban development, I'm also unsure if this is a good match careerwise for me and whether I have the motivation to work my way up into a better position.
I had several bouts of insomnia this week and a third round of a stomach virus I contracted in December, which I'm beginning to think is stress related after all. It's been disorienting to start over in an entirely new city and an entirely new industry as "the girl who answers the phone." I'm being trained by someone right out of college. I feel as if all my former work and life experience never happened. To heighten matters, by the time I get home from working and the gym, it's too late to call friends in Austin, so I haven't been able to talk over any of this with old friends.
Instead, I drive past posters for Entourage on my way to and from the office in Hollywood, and then I come home and watch Entourage on HBO. Or E! News.
2 comments:
Wow---glad you finally had a sec to put down your experiences at the new job...reading this is soo cool--like I'm in the middle of a novel, but it's unfolding in real time, and it's my real friend. It's neat to watch what happens when someone gives up everything about their life, and starts totally over. So far, it seems hard, and chaotic, and filled with doubts, and stress, but at the same time seems exciting and new and eventful. Basically, no matter what happens, whether you decide it's a disaster or wonderful, you will certainly have had an adventure, and will certainly have informed and entertained others with your blog. It's like I can try out LA through you, and yet not have to risk anything--thanks, Elizabeth!!;)
I feel as if all my former work and life experience never happened.
HA HA HA This is the story of all our lives . . .
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