Moving Day
For most of my professional career, I've worked for small companies. At my first dot-com, where I spent nearly four years, I was hire #15. When everyone started getting rich off of IPOs, and Mary Meeker was considered the voice of God (Who I heard made a killing investing in Pets.com, incidentally. God, that is, not Mary Meeker. The joke is way less funny when I have to explain it.), we grew to 200+, but that included all of our remote sales offices, so it was still pretty small.
My second dot-com, which is where I spent two years hating my life with the fire of a thousand suns, was also a small company. They'd bought some other companies, but we didn't bother them and they didn't bother us.
I am, at this very moment, working for my first big-ass gorilla of a company, and tomorrow I move into nicer digs in a nicer office. I never moved at my second dot-com, but I did at the first when we expanded and I got to relocate into the tiny office with all of the boys, where we had a jolly good time. Here's the difference between then and now:
Then: I piled my shit on top of my desk chair and pushed it down to the new office, losing CDs, notebooks and Post-Its along the way. It took about four trips, mostly on account of all my toys. I also carried the components of my own desktop computer down, and set it back up by myself.
Now: Printed labels with my name and new desk location, crates, a six-page PowerPoint presentation explaining all aspects of the move. All computer equipment must be labeled individually and numbered. All crates must be labeled individually and numbered. Forms must be filled out explaining where on our new desks our phone and computer is to be placed. A checkout checklist must be completed. We are to work from home for the remainder of the day while our desks are set up. Upon arrival, we are to fill out a move survey form and unpack. Should anything be missing, we are to fill out a post-move assistance form.
This whole big company thing is going to take some getting used to, I'm thinking. Still.
