Day Two

I'm all done with my two days of Mayo Clinic New Employee Orientation and I think have hit capacity for new information processing.

The first 90 minutes of the morning was all about benefits - health insurance, life insurance, dental & vision plan, long term care insurance and even identity theft insurance. Mayo Clinic has three different health plans and I've been studying all the information since my third interview for the position. I was ready to check off box #2 until I got the in-person explanation today and ended up being unsure about which one. Granted, I have 31 days to make the decision, but figuring out my benefits is something I would like to check off my "to do" list.

At the end of the formal new employee orientation is the employee-manager connection time. That's where your supervisor comes over to the orientation location to bring you to your new office. It's a nice touch, but I kept flashing back to having your parent pick you up from your first day of kindergarten.

You have about 75 minutes before the end of the work day after they meet you and take you to the office. In 60 minutes, I was shown my cube  - nice corner unit with a window- then I was walked around the floor and introduced to about 20 different people whose names I doubt I will remember tomorrow, and finally given my computer log-in information.

I had taken the commuter bus from Kasson and the last bus was leaving downtown at 5:15 and I wasn't 100% sure where I was picking it up, so as the clock started edging past 4:45 p.m., I was starting to getting nervous. It was one of the support staff members who was helping with my computer and Outlook set-up and I told her at 4:55 that maybe we could finish the set-up tomorrow. She was very understanding and said she would finish the process for me. As it turned out, I needed the extra time since I ended up being a block off where I was supposed to be.

I had two fashion malfunctions today. The pair of shoes I wore were too loose around my heel (and I had worn these shoes several times) and they were slipping as I walked the five blocks from where the bus dropped me off to Charter House (the orientation site). I tried not to look like a four-year old wearing her mom's high heels, but I'm not sure I was very successful.

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The second fashion mistake was not brought to my attention until nearly the end of the day. I was wearing a new suit and didn't realize that the tag was still on it. It was in an unlikely spot for a tag - the left underarm.  I don't know if the people in the orientation session were too shy to point it out or it was out-of-view for most of the day. My pride hopes for the latter choice. But I doubt it.

My real job starts tomorrow.