Well, I survived my first day on the new job. I was nervous all night and extremely nervous this morning while I was getting ready. Poor Jay was being his usual, playful self and I wasn't playing along. I was just so focused on getting ready and getting there on time that I couldn't interact very well with my family. Once I arrived at the office, my nerves calmed down a little. I started my day by meeting with 2 of the Partners. We had an open discussion, just sharing about ourselves and they told me about the firm and gave me some information about the staff and their corporate culture. I was extremely impressed with the level of professionalism as well as their appreciation for the things in life that matter the most. They value their staff and they are like a big family there. They work hard and play hard and they strive for excellence in all that they do. After the meeting with the Partners, I met with the current Office Manager and she gave me a huge stack of paperwork (which I'm still reading through) and went over the timeline for the next few months so that I will know what to expect. Then, we went to the front desk to being my training. I will be working at the front desk through April 15th and then moving on to the next position. Over the next few months I will be floating from one position to another so that I can get familiar with each position which will help me understand the work flow, as well as enabling me to better manage the staff in the future. I'm happy with the way that they have designed the training program. They are giving me ample time to get trained at each desk before I move onto the next one and Jean (the current OM) will be in the office every other week until I'm sufficiently trained.
We're just starting to hit the really insane workload in the office as we approach tax season, so I will get a real taste for how everyone handles stress and what the work flow is like when things are extremely busy. I will be working every other Saturday starting mid-February and working longer hours during the week, but it's only for a couple of months and it will be good experience.
Today I learned the phone system, got my email and calendar all set up, went over what to do with the 1099 forms that the Partners deliver to the front desk, how to order office supplies, how to sort the mail, and got an introduction to the software where the client base is stored. There was a lot of information to retain, but I know that after a couple of weeks it will all fit together and will start making more sense. Fortunately, everyone is very patient and very friendly so I know that I am in good hands.
That's all to report today! I'll keep you all (ya'll) updated as things progress. Thank you for the prayers and support and encouragement!
I am so glad your first day went well! What an awesome training plan. I wish my previous manager positions had started training me from begining to end. That is the only way to truely grasp the flow. After one year of managing my last department, I still had no idea how the receptionist tested the applicants! lol Sad.
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