Avis chapter closed, Verizon chapter open
QOTD: "There's a big difference between American Pie and Frozen."
Turned in my Avis uniforms Friday. First day at Verizon today. Went pretty well. I think the entire class is bilingual except me. My job offer says bilingual, despite me being very much monolingual, so we'll see how that pans out. I think I'm the only white guy in there. I'd like to think that doesn't impact how well I make friends, but it does. There's definitely some cultural barriers, though language seems to be the big one. Also the fact I don't follow football. Was hoping to make acquaintances well enough that I'd have someone to eat lunch with, but I wasn't that successful. I tried to be outgoing and friendly. Lukewarm results. I've never been very strong off the blocks, so I should cut myself some slack; it's just hard, that's all.
Verizon trainer said there are usually around 300 applicants per class, so we were the best of the best. My class has 22 people.
The good news is, Verizon seems to offer badass benefits compared to Avis. Compared to anywhere else I've worked, really. So, that's good. Maybe everything will turn out to be super shitty in the end, but for now I'm holding out hope for the best. We had a full hour for lunch and since the cafeteria was closed, I went to Taco Bell, which was very nearby. I got a steak Cantina Power Bowl, since it was the only gluten free entrée they offer. Wasn't terrible. Got me through the day. At the end of the day, I checked my email as I was leaving the building. The YPP had emailed me and informed me they were unable to accommodate my request for an early interview time and wanted to know if 2:30PM EST would be acceptable. Well, no, it really isn't. That's why I requested 0800-1000. It's exactly in the worst time possible for my 10-7 shift. Fortunately I've been in contact with Verizon about this for some time and I have three hours to burn on this exam. I just really don't want to miss training. Oh well. Remarkably, the UN doesn't negotiate. So much for diplomacy. So here we are.
On my test call Friday, my microphone gave out. I was able to get through the call, but I had to replace my headset. No one in the city sold behind-the-neck headphones with mics, so I was looking at an $80 Logitech model that could be likened to Leia's hair buns. Fortunately, Sherry thought about home phone accessories, and we found a slimline model at OfficeMax that turned out to work well after EXHAUSTIVE testing calls. Sherry for the win, no joke. The good news about the lousy interview time is that I'll have MUCH better light for the video feed. Fingers crossed, right?
Also I ended my strength program at the gym. I did a new round of one-rep maxes to compare to the maxes I recorded shortly after starting:
Dead lift: 135 ➪ 170
Bench press: 60 ➪ 105
Back Squat: 105 ➪ 195
It's no wonder my ass is getting in good shape, no? haha I'm reluctant to say that I'm proud of this (Grant's back squat is 265) but an 85.7% gain on back squats is nothing to be ashamed of. If the new Verizon work wouldn't be ready to wreck my workouts, I'd have gone three more weeks and I think I could've hit 200 with that. I also discovered that bench presses, push-ups, and pull-ups make me feel the best after a workout, so I think that will probably color my non-guided exercise from here going forward. Special kudos to my coach, Jordon, for being an epic badass. I pay literally 10 times what I'd pay to go to Planet Fitness, but I totally get 10 times the payout with him.
Turned in my Avis uniforms Friday. First day at Verizon today. Went pretty well. I think the entire class is bilingual except me. My job offer says bilingual, despite me being very much monolingual, so we'll see how that pans out. I think I'm the only white guy in there. I'd like to think that doesn't impact how well I make friends, but it does. There's definitely some cultural barriers, though language seems to be the big one. Also the fact I don't follow football. Was hoping to make acquaintances well enough that I'd have someone to eat lunch with, but I wasn't that successful. I tried to be outgoing and friendly. Lukewarm results. I've never been very strong off the blocks, so I should cut myself some slack; it's just hard, that's all.
Verizon trainer said there are usually around 300 applicants per class, so we were the best of the best. My class has 22 people.
The good news is, Verizon seems to offer badass benefits compared to Avis. Compared to anywhere else I've worked, really. So, that's good. Maybe everything will turn out to be super shitty in the end, but for now I'm holding out hope for the best. We had a full hour for lunch and since the cafeteria was closed, I went to Taco Bell, which was very nearby. I got a steak Cantina Power Bowl, since it was the only gluten free entrée they offer. Wasn't terrible. Got me through the day. At the end of the day, I checked my email as I was leaving the building. The YPP had emailed me and informed me they were unable to accommodate my request for an early interview time and wanted to know if 2:30PM EST would be acceptable. Well, no, it really isn't. That's why I requested 0800-1000. It's exactly in the worst time possible for my 10-7 shift. Fortunately I've been in contact with Verizon about this for some time and I have three hours to burn on this exam. I just really don't want to miss training. Oh well. Remarkably, the UN doesn't negotiate. So much for diplomacy. So here we are.
On my test call Friday, my microphone gave out. I was able to get through the call, but I had to replace my headset. No one in the city sold behind-the-neck headphones with mics, so I was looking at an $80 Logitech model that could be likened to Leia's hair buns. Fortunately, Sherry thought about home phone accessories, and we found a slimline model at OfficeMax that turned out to work well after EXHAUSTIVE testing calls. Sherry for the win, no joke. The good news about the lousy interview time is that I'll have MUCH better light for the video feed. Fingers crossed, right?
Also I ended my strength program at the gym. I did a new round of one-rep maxes to compare to the maxes I recorded shortly after starting:
Dead lift: 135 ➪ 170
Bench press: 60 ➪ 105
Back Squat: 105 ➪ 195
It's no wonder my ass is getting in good shape, no? haha I'm reluctant to say that I'm proud of this (Grant's back squat is 265) but an 85.7% gain on back squats is nothing to be ashamed of. If the new Verizon work wouldn't be ready to wreck my workouts, I'd have gone three more weeks and I think I could've hit 200 with that. I also discovered that bench presses, push-ups, and pull-ups make me feel the best after a workout, so I think that will probably color my non-guided exercise from here going forward. Special kudos to my coach, Jordon, for being an epic badass. I pay literally 10 times what I'd pay to go to Planet Fitness, but I totally get 10 times the payout with him.