Summertime Blues

I wish words could describe how happy I am going to be when I am done this summer job and go back to being an RA. Don't get me wrong, it's been a good experience and the money has been great for the summer. It's just not anything I expected.

When I went in for my interview, they read me off a seemingly never-ending list of tasks and responsibilities that I would be taking care of if I was offered the position, and, while some tasks were less than desirable, I accepted the fact that it all pays the same, I would have something to do for the summer.

I started on May 1 with high hopes and looking forward to getting a new kind of job experience under my belt (up to this point, really only working either a. in retail (in store, or over the phone through a call-centre) or b. as a RA.)

It is now July 28, and I have yet to be trained. The only thing I really know about my job, is this (and I was only able to come to this conclusion based on past film-school experiences): Being assistant in an office is kind of similar to be an assistant on a film set: you do whatever the important people ask you to do without asking questions - you just do it.

My bosses (or the people I answer) to are great. They're good people, and most of the time are fun to work around. But they should have taken the needs of the two Conference Assistants into account before hiring us.

Just today I got a call about someone wanting to book a room for a conference. I gave her all the information I knew (which, without training, isn't much), and took down all her contact info and informed her that someone would call within the next week or so.

When I passed off the message (which I thought was an adequate message), I was apparently missing a whole ton of information about what the woman wanted and was made to feel like an idiot for adding a whole ton of unneccessary work to the coordinators workload.

I'm quite frustrated right now, but part of me knows I shouldn't be, because my lack of knowledge isn't my fault. For weeks this one coordinator keeps saying "When I finish up with this work, I'll sit down with you guys (the Conference Assistants) and train you."

My question is this: when?

I go back to being an RA in less than 2 weeks now. When am I getting this so-called training?

I should not be made to feel like I'm doing my job inadequately because the people who hired me haven't taken the time to teach me everything I need to know to do my job to the best of my ability. I mean, right now (with the exception of quickly typing this blog while at work...I had to get it off my chest while I still felt something) I give 100%. Except, 100% is never good enough. I remember once I went to go check on a room. I unlocked the door, tidyed up, pushed in chairs, booted up the AV system. When I got back to the office, my coordinator came in a bit later, and I was apparently in trouble because I didn't empty the garbage. It makes me want to scream! I mean, if you had taught me at the beginning of the year what I should do every time I check a room, instead of just saying "Go check the room", I would know exactly what you're expectations are! I can't meet your expectations (or heaven forbid, exceed them) if I don't know where they are set!

ARGH!

And get this - I have been put in charge of putting together a training manual for whoever is the Conference Assistant for next year. Right...it's like the blind leading the blind with that one. I'm basically just documenting everything I know, and mentioning that they *should* be taught more about the conference services operations (or hopefully more than I had been taught) when time permits.

Have you seen The Devil Wears Prada yet? If not, I would recommend it. I can totally relate to Andy. While the people I answer to aren't she-devils like Miranda Priestly, I'm exactly like the assistant in that movie: expected to know not only what you're talking about, but also what you're thinking, made to feel small when things go wrong, but yet I am still the first one that gets turned to when things need done. In the movie, Andy steps up and makes a change in her life to fit in. I don't feel I should have to do that. I mean, I already can't wear my typical jeans and running shoes because I'm in an office environment and I need to look professional. Plus, there is only so much of this that a person can take:

Kyla: Is there anything you'd like me to do?
Boss A: Go ask Boss B.
Kyla: Is there anything you'd like me to do?
Boss B: Go ask Boss C.
Kyla: Is there anything you'd like me to do?
Boss C: Go ask Boss A.

At least I can take comfort in knowing that I have at least made a few people happy; a bunch of the thank you e-mails from clients have included my name and the name of the other conference assistant, or have made reference to me and the work I have done for them. But as I said, I can't wait to finish - right now I just feel like I'm basically serving my time until I go back to school, graduate, and work towards my hopefully super-awesome career as a filmmaker.

Anyway, thanks for listening to my rant. Maybe next time I'll rant about how some people in this office are so arrogant that they don't even notice me, and turn off the lights and lock the doors when they leave for the evening, even when I'm in for another 3 hours.

Or maybe not...