The Trouble With Trials I’m in the middle of my first week as a…uh…web designer (I think) at UCSD Med Center.

My hesitance in naming my actual position is the first thing that hit me on day one: it’s really just a general tech job where any skillset I may possess can and will (eventually) be used. There is much chaos around here, but it’s fairly organized. Initially, I’m on two projects: one web design-based, and the other server-based. In reality so far, I haven’t done much yet except set up my computer, get access to things, and try to soak in all the related documentation. Compared to my last job, everything here is much more complex, with multiple departments, multiple locations, and lots of policies and procedures.

In the end, I didn’t expect it to be this way, but I’m not surprised it is. The interview left me with lots of questions that didn’t get answered, but now that I’ve started things are falling into place. My first day left me crestfallen, but I’ve turned my frown upside down and am willing to accept the terms of the position, anyway. It’s too soon to really know what’s in store. You can read what came to mind on my first day after the cut, if interested.

Day One Thoughts Drive – 12min Plenty of parking Walk to building – 5-10 min Free coffee and cookie! Waiting at conf table Got in 12 min early No phone service (!!!) Met nice guy named Martin who helped me find my way from parking structure to building Need more slacks, ties No phone service!!! Secret Handshake – Venice, Italy Meeting 2 projects Got security badge Lisa is main trainer Alfredo does back-end, knows db and tons of programming I do front-end Going to see some install elsewhere Lunch in cafe with Rick and Kevin New building has med center offices for support I meet server support people Watching these guys try to login to a remote computer over RD is amusing

The Good Here’s a list of good things about my new job:

  • Full-time
  • Good wage
  • Medical benefits
  • People are laid-back
  • Commute is good
  • Lots of stuff going on
  • Stability
  • Cool place called “Letty’s Bean Shack” nearby that does lunch fast and yummily
  • Parking garage has spiral ramp in the middle for descending it (wheeeee!)
  • I learned I don’t have to dress so nicely (nixing the tie, button-up shirt, and slacks for polo and jeans if I really want to)
  • Dual monitors
  • Cool security card badge that says I’m a “Programmer Analyst”

The Bad Here’s a list of bad things about my new job:

  • No cell service in office (we’re in the basement)
  • Shared office
  • Some websites blocked (Twitter, AIM, Facebook)
  • Not strictly a programming job, let alone a challenging .NET one
  • No default admin access to everything (but access is slowly being granted to most things I’d need
  • General corporate atmosphere
  • Half-hour lunch
  • Paper timesheets

The Ugly Yo mama.

For the Road Overall, I’m a bit disappointed with the job, but once I adjusted my expectations as to what I’m comfortable with, it became better. It’s still too early to fully judge the whole thing, but it’s gonna be interesting to see if I want to continue working there past my initial assignment.