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robotech_masterWell, here I am, looking back on the first week of my MCI training. It's been interesting enough so far; I've been picking up quite a bit of specialized knowledge about MCI and the way it works--and, by association, the way the phone business works in general. Even if I didn't have to know it for my job, I think I'd find all this stuff interesting. Certainly, it'll help me get the best bargains when I want to sign up for phone service somewhere down the road. Plus, I'm getting to learn to use specialized tools that can only stand me in good stead for future employment gigs.
There are a few things about the class that mildly annoy me, of course--particularly the behavior of some of the students. The most loud and raucas are a trio of black girls who are constantly trying to bargain with the instructors to let us out of class early. (Such as trying to forego a 15 minute break to get out half an hour early. Never mind that such breaks are mandated by law, and that they themselves turned around a few minutes later and wanted a smoke break.) They really get on my nerves. Oh well, just three more weeks and maybe I won't have to deal with them again. The fellow who sits to my left, named Gene, has quite a few piercings, including his chin. I just keep thinking that he'd never have been allowed to wear those if he worked for somewhere he'd be meeting the customers face to face. Hmm, I wonder if the videophone will change a few things when and if it receives wider adoption?
The instructors are all nice people, even if I can't quite recall their names clearly. Each of them has a different style--I think one of them actually encourages those raucas girls by his loud and fast methods of presentation, but that's okay. They're all of them willing to help out and to encourage as necessary. Talking to them makes me feel like I actually do have a shot at making this job thing work out.
I think I'm getting more used to this whole six a.m. wakeup thing, too. Even if it means I have to go to bed earlier than I would like, well, I guess that's just something I have to give up in order to make money. All things considered, when I compare the benefits of having an income to the benefits of getting to stay up, I think I'd rather be paid. Just two more weeks 'til I see that first check, yay.
What I'm not quite looking forward to are the 11-hour workdays (well, with two twenty minute breaks and a one-hour lunch built in) that I'll have for my first two weeks of "real" work, the apprenticeship period. I'll have three days off, yeah, but counting transit time, I'll have about one hour of free waking time at home before I have to go to sleep. That doesn't thrill me. Oh well, maybe I'll feel differently about it once I've actually done the job. Maybe I'll feel differently once I've gotten further into the hands-on area of the training. We've still got three weeks to go, yet it feels like I know so much stuff already...
Anyway, I'm gonna kick back, relax, have a beer or two, and enjoy the evening. I got a pint of extra-strong barleywine that I'm looking forward to trying out, especially since I know I can sleep as long as I want tomorrow.
There are a few things about the class that mildly annoy me, of course--particularly the behavior of some of the students. The most loud and raucas are a trio of black girls who are constantly trying to bargain with the instructors to let us out of class early. (Such as trying to forego a 15 minute break to get out half an hour early. Never mind that such breaks are mandated by law, and that they themselves turned around a few minutes later and wanted a smoke break.) They really get on my nerves. Oh well, just three more weeks and maybe I won't have to deal with them again. The fellow who sits to my left, named Gene, has quite a few piercings, including his chin. I just keep thinking that he'd never have been allowed to wear those if he worked for somewhere he'd be meeting the customers face to face. Hmm, I wonder if the videophone will change a few things when and if it receives wider adoption?
The instructors are all nice people, even if I can't quite recall their names clearly. Each of them has a different style--I think one of them actually encourages those raucas girls by his loud and fast methods of presentation, but that's okay. They're all of them willing to help out and to encourage as necessary. Talking to them makes me feel like I actually do have a shot at making this job thing work out.
I think I'm getting more used to this whole six a.m. wakeup thing, too. Even if it means I have to go to bed earlier than I would like, well, I guess that's just something I have to give up in order to make money. All things considered, when I compare the benefits of having an income to the benefits of getting to stay up, I think I'd rather be paid. Just two more weeks 'til I see that first check, yay.
What I'm not quite looking forward to are the 11-hour workdays (well, with two twenty minute breaks and a one-hour lunch built in) that I'll have for my first two weeks of "real" work, the apprenticeship period. I'll have three days off, yeah, but counting transit time, I'll have about one hour of free waking time at home before I have to go to sleep. That doesn't thrill me. Oh well, maybe I'll feel differently about it once I've actually done the job. Maybe I'll feel differently once I've gotten further into the hands-on area of the training. We've still got three weeks to go, yet it feels like I know so much stuff already...
Anyway, I'm gonna kick back, relax, have a beer or two, and enjoy the evening. I got a pint of extra-strong barleywine that I'm looking forward to trying out, especially since I know I can sleep as long as I want tomorrow.
