Going to hell, but I like my new job

So the new job is great! I get to learn so much before I actually start "my real job," I'll get into that in a minute. First off, I had absolutely no clue how many people and things there are working and going on at this bank. It is extremely impressive, all the machines and people doing different things - it seems so costly to me. I know that sounds silly, but I guess just haven't thought about EVERY operation of a bank. Which leads me to what I've been doing.

This first week I have been going to the proofing department - that is where they enter in the amount of your checks and deposits. I made a little game out of it - you have to make the balance end up at $0.00 so you know it all totals out. I see how many tries it takes me. It's a numbers game, but reminds me a lot of OCR at FNC. You read the scanned item (check or deposit slip) enter the amount, account number and/or routing number (of the ones that didn't scan) and then if it's all good - it lets you move on. It's a lot of numbers and buttons, and I like pushing buttons!

Next week I get to go to the computer room. I've been in there a couple of times already, but never got to touch anything. It's a nifty, fast, expensive piece of machinery that scans the checks and slips and the ones that don't read go to proof to manually enter in. It's all computerized and precise - should be interesting too.

After that I think my journey leads me into a few more months of shadowing other departments like deposits, tellers, CSRs, loan operations, and most any other department you can think of. It's really a neat concept - learn the process as a whole and their main goal is for me to become familiar with everyone in each department....so if I needed something in the future, I'd already have established that rapport with people in that area.

I've made some fun new acquaintances and have run into a lot of people I know as well. So far so good. It's still a small town though, so when someone says - Where are you from? Because they don't know me or I have a "different accent", so obviously I am from somewhere else......then it's the whole 6 degrees of separation type deal - where we HAVE a connection somehow, but we must figure it out now. They all have known my husband since he was in the womb and need to tell me his parents names in case I didn't know. It's amusing. Really amusing. I feel like a foreigner, kind of. It's a good feeling though because people want to know about me - - - and everyone loves to talk about themselves....right, ok maybe I just love to talk about me.

Anyway, it's been fun so far. The other 2 analysts are nice and helpful and a year or two younger than me because they started this right out of college. When they explain things to me they always preface it with, "you probably already know this" because they know I have some experience. They are sweet and I always tell them to explain it to me because I may not know how things are done here. I look forward to hanging out with them more. They are both getting married, not to each other, within the next year.

Today was an introduction to my typical Wednesday. 8am Pricing Committee Meeting where we go over what to set the rates to, how to promote them, keep them in line with competition, etc. Interesting process. Then I went to the Loan Committee Meeting at 9am that lasted until 12:30. It was neat to see what one day I will be doing and know the "lingo" to....but in the mean time - it made me feel really poor. I guess I've never dealt with Joe Schmo who has a net worth in the high millions. It was a long and rigorous meeting and everyone was motioning and seconding right along - or we'd have been there until 3:00 pm. Afterwards, I met with my boss - who by the way I haven't talked about, but absolutely love to death! I had made notes about questions I had throughout the meeting and she sat down with me to answer them. I was surprised with all the things I caught onto and I think she was too. LOOK AT ME KNOWING STUFF! I got to ask question on why they approved specific loans and learn a little terminology all at the same time. This will help me better understand Friday when I sit in on the Board of Directors meeting. In this meeting they go over all the loans over $600,000 or a million (I can't remember because I am poor and it's all a lot of money to me). Should be interesting.

That is my past couple of days in a nutshell. I have really enjoyed it so far. I think once I get the swing of things and more involved instead of observing it will be great!

PS - The highlight of my day ----- I got my supplies in today! I have all colors of highlighters, all sizes of note pads (literally like 5) and sticky notes, a ruler, pens, pencils, tape, binder clips, paper clips, thumb tacks to hang my Grey's Anatomy calendar up, my own printer and computer and phone line and trays and oh it's so exciting! I love supplies! They gave me enough stuff to last me until my AARP card comes in the mail.

PSS - A friend asked me the difference in atmosphere from FNC to M&F and the best way I know how to explain it is that here in this small town where everyone talks about their kids or how they've been there 45 years this fall it's the total opposite end of the spectrum because noone has worked at FNC for 20 years and everyone there is younger and seemingly a little more open minded in a diverse manner. But the one thing I noted is the "jib-jab" gossip is totally different....it's all personal stuff where FNC it was more professional - like (FNC) so and so sent an email to so and so and now we have to come up here this weekend and do a push (M&F) so and so told so and so that Aunt Jane's neighbor had 5 lb squash.

Also, yesterday I said "hell-bent" and I felt like I was going to go to hell afterwards.