Trepidation

I started a new job this morning. After about two and a half years in the old one it’s time to move on. In case you’re not aware, I have been working as a Senior Monitoring Officer for the London Borough of Newham since 2007. Newham is an East London borough situated just North of Thames as it winds its way past the Millenium Dome, the Surrey Docks, now Canary Wharf, and out to sea. SMO is a little bit of a misnomer; in many ways I served to provide performance information and related data so those of you in the public sector will know all about that.

But what am I doing now?

The short answer is ‘I’m not sure’. That’s the thing about first days, you are full of expectations and ideas, even if they are pretty dull and inane expectations. You still have them. I arrived knowing that I would be very busy, would be expected to be very organised and would be working around a team of really very senior staff. This last point really serves to add pressure to the mix. After all, it’s a bit harder to crack jokes when colleagues aren’t really colleagues, they’re your boss.

My job title is pretty straightforward, and judging by the events of the day reasonably accurate too. I am an Executive Assistant. Apparently the executive part is there to imply the ability to make decisions independently and ‘get it done’. Things I can do in spades. That’s what I said in the interview anyhow.

Moving jobs, divisions and teams has also brought on a change in location. My previous office is in the thick of things in downtown Stratford. While Stratford (Defiantly not Upon-Avon) may not be the best known place in the world it is destined for considerable advancement and largesse as it will soon play host to the 2012 Olympics and from next year will be the home of one of the largest shopping malls in Europe, not to mention a new international train station.

So if you here anything about the Westfield site or the Westfield Shopping Centre, the Olympic Park or the Athletes’ Village then you should think “Stratford”. Avoid thinking about Shakespeare, he live miles away in Stratford-Upon-Avon. Trust me, the Olympics won’t be there in 2012!

My new team is really quite amiable. I have a healthy list of things to do and I am starting to receive email and work in good doses and that’s after five hours. I could mention the absence of a building induction, or indeed, any form of induction but that would be unfair. I’m quite happy working things out for myself. Indeed after I had picked up my ID card I was quite alright.

The day ended pleasantly with my counterpart giving me a brief whistle-stop tour of the facilities. If you’ve watched Spooks, you’ve seen where I work! What about that eh?

Word of the Day: Palingenesis
- noun

1 – exact reporoduction of ancestral characteristics