<$BlogRSDUrl$>
Aouie's Journal

Friday, December 15, 2006

The Post-Trend Experience

I started my new job last December 5 and though everything's been pleasant enough for me, I must admit that there are things that I miss. As I told one of my ex-officemates, I am Trend-sick.

Before I actually left Trend, I knew I'd miss the network shares, but what I wasn't able to anticipate was how much I'd actually miss it. There are no network shares to speak of in EMCI. We also don't get to have administrator access to our own PCs, the sounds have been disabled, and our PCs do not recognize external drives. We cannot install anything without the IT knowing about it simply because they are the only ones who have install capabilities on all PCs in the office. I can't listen to MP3s on my PC because the sounds have been disabled, not that we'd even get to put MP3 files in our hard drives because, unless you send your MP3s to your yahoo email address, there's no way any external drive can be opened on the PC.

On a positive note though, no flash drives mean we're not expected to bring any work home. I have AIM installed on my PC, and recently our Project Manager requested for YM and Skype, and I can still play [at least briefly] neopets and blog my heart out, so I'm pretty much okay. As an additional perk, I get to have my own cubicle and my own set of drawers this time.

I miss my old work schedule. I miss being able to go to the mall, to Ateneo, to Quiapo, to Divisoria, to basically wherever I please, during weekdays without worrying over any traffic or weekend crowds. I also used to be able to stay up all night and not worry about work the following day. But I love flexi-time. I love arriving at work early in the morning and leaving the office before rush hour begins. I've also learned to sleep during the long FX ride to and from the office. My transportation expenses have more than doubled since I started working in Makati [from 800 a month to 2,000 a month] but I've stopped eating out and started bringing lunch to the office and oddly, my overall expenses have decreased.

I enjoy having my weekends and holidays back, not to mention being able to schedule gimmicks with friends because I finally have a normal work schedule. This December is the first time in two years that I wouldn't be spending part of Christmas or New Year anywhere near the office. I will sort of miss it though because Christmas and New Year in Trend is a lot of fun. But then again, it's okay. I'm perfectly fine where I am.

This will sound weird, but I miss the noisy work environment in Trend. I miss the sudden bursts of laughter, the noisy chatter, and the work, chat, talk, and eat at the same time habits of everyone in the office. EMCI is so freaking quiet that I sometimes hate walking around because the clip clop sounds of my boots echo in the hallway. I also find it hard to adjust to the fact that barely anything is communal. I have my own mug, my own stash of toilet paper, and my own sponge and bottle of dishwashing liquid inside my drawer. And as far as officemates are concerned, I really miss the people in Trend - with the little tiffs and YM status wars, the little practical jokes, and the surprise emails you get in your mailbox that liven up an otherwise boring shift. Every time I see an unlocked PC in EMCI, I smile to myself because I know that had that happened in Trend, especially in my old shift, that unfortunate and forgetful being would have already been the butt of a joke known as the "I've always loved you pare" email, with everyone else in the BCC field.

Trend wasn't my first job and I always knew Trend wasn't the status quo as far as companies go, but I did stay for almost three years and I know I have a lot of adjusting to do. It's just kind of ironic that a security company like Trend Micro is a whole lot more lax as far as PC rights and work environment is concerned.

Right now, I barely know anyone in EMCI and even after two weeks in the office, I still do not consider myself settled, especially since I have yet to do anything productive [unless you count the 39 pages worth of movie and TV show quotes that I was able to compile as I pretended to be busy and occupied]. But I know I will settle in eventually, make new friends, and get used to a new environment and a new routine. I am still in the process of getting over my Trend-sickness and I am not ashamed to say so. One of my ex-officemates, who resigned before I did, said that getting out of Trend is like having a breath of fresh air. I never said I hated Trend, I just said I was tired. My almost three years in the company, though not smooth-sailing, wasn't all that bad. I have a lot of good memories that I wouldn't exchange even for the highest-paying job in the world.

I miss Trend, I miss the people, and I miss my old routine. But though I wouldn't change anything that happened even if I could rewrite history, I know in my heart that I am not willing to go back. I may not yet be adjusted, but I'm okay. Trend Micro will always be a part of who I am but I have moved on and there's no turning back.

XOXOXOXOXOXO
today is the effectivity date of my resignation. i am officially no longer an employee of Trend Micro...

Labels: ,

a.o.u.i.e. scribbled this @ 10:14 PM

4 Comments

About Me
Calendar
Recent Posts
Archive
Labels
Scribblings
Born Stalker
Obsessed Blogger
Kid at Heart
Couch Potato
Certified Bookworm
Closet Shopaholic
Computer Geek