I worked at the Legal Services Office today. I don't know if it was just that department or if all of the university runs this way but it was fantastic. I think Laragh, Eskom, and a host of companies could take a leaf out of their book.
I was temping - for FIVE hours - and I got the person who's post I was filling take me on a tour of the building and give me a detailed booklet on exactly what I was supposed to do. It was a handover document that had been compiled by previous temps in the position. It was about 12 pages long and separated into headings like "Communication", "Ordering Office Supplies" and "Filing". It told me exactly what to do. Like answering the phone, it said "Press this button, then punch in this extension, then press this button." It told you where to save your documents and exactly how to navigate there. It was so useful and I know it would be indispensable to anyone filling a post for short periods of time.
Then the Health and Safety Officer for the building came to introduce herself and she took me around the building to show me the main exits, the emergency exits, the muster point in case of a fire, the best route to it, and the locations of the First Aid kits. Then she gave me a sheet with a list of emergency numbers, including hers, the numbers of the Safety Officers in the surrounding buildings, and the details of each of the First Aid providers in the building. (Sharon, Ethne, you're probably both shaking your heads and making tsk-tsk sounds at this point, I know!) They were so organized!
Anyway, then I signed a confidentiality form and the IT Help desk sent me my username and password. Sorted! Sharon, the woman I was filling in for, even showed me how to use the fancy coffee machine. Let me reiterate people - five hours!
For those five hours my main responsibility was answering the phones and taking messages, which I did. I kept having this panicky moment because everyone's phone sounds the same but not everyone was in, and not all the workstations where in line of site, so I kept having to think "Who's phone is it? Should I pick up the call?" and then I just felt silly for letting it ring while I was thinking this. Six phone calls later, my supervisor signed my timesheet and I left.
I cannot stress enough how great everyone was. They all smiled, said hello, and made me feel welcome. (five hours) They set me up with a computer, access to the network, and detailed instructions on what to do. (five hours) They gave me a full tour concerning the safety procedures for the building. (five hours) Did I mention that they did all this for someone who came in to fill in for only five hours? It was phenomenally professional.
Also, can I just say that it was the least work for the most work I ever did? Okay, I was slightly bored and would have liked to have done more but I figure that the lawyers who worked there wouldn't have wanted someone who just came in to file their important documents and such. They mainly wanted to ensure that they didn't have phones ringing on end or miss any important calls.
Anyway, so yes. I hope I get more work soon. And that's about it for me. Now I must have food. Oh, I have a few pictures.
These pictures were taken Wolfson College. The first is taken from a path that leads to the Lee Library and the second is just standing at the beginning of that path looking out towards the garden, where there are a number of benches in shady spots. It's very pretty, even in the winter! I can only imagine what it must look like in spring, when the flowers start to come up. (The groundsmen have been busy planting and pruning and doing all sorts of creative things.)
Then a picture of the Round Church, actually the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which was really pretty. I didn't go in coz I was supposed to be meeting Sameer soonish but I was wandering around the town and came across it so I took this picture. I'm hoping to go back for a closer look.
And then I went further down that road and the street looks like this, which was quite pretty. I think it's the bottom end of Sidney Street, though I'm not sure. Anyway, I hadn't been there before and it had a couple of interesting looking food places that I'd like to visit again. You know, try to escape the monotony of college food. :P Speaking of college food, I must have some asap! Laterz people!
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