It has been three days since my interview at the Field Museum and so far I have heard no response back yet, but I have not been lounging around for the past three days. Over the two days since the interview, I have been keeping up on some of my other applications and even did another phone interview for one place which I am still waiting for a response.
On that particular Friday afternoon, I was returning to my apartment after meeting up with an old friend downtown, and after I adding money on my ventra card at the Blue Line stop, I heard that my phone ring. I saw that it was an unidentified number with the same area code as the two earlier calls from the Field Museum, so I just sat on the nearest bench outside the stop and answered the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hello, is this Dr. Mariani speaking?"
"Yes, this is he?"
"Oh hi Edwin, this is Ma Tembo from the Field Museum Pritzker Laboratory, I would like to start off by saying Congratulations! We found your qualifications to be the best fit for a research position with us and welcome to our team!"
"Oh my! Thank you for this honor! I will do my best to provide and conduct reliable research for you guys!"
"I'm sure that you will, and to help you transition for your first day Monday, I was wondering if you are able to swing by our human resources department to fill out some entry forms and paperwork, along with taking your museum ID photo."
"Sure, what time would you recommend for me to swing by?"
"How does tomorrow at noon sound?"
"Sure, that sounds fine with me, I guess I'll see you then."
"Okay then. Bye."
"Bye" [Call Ended Appears on Phone Screen]
I placed my phone back in my pocket, and started the walk towards my apartment. I opened the door and jumped on my couch with relief in knowing that I'll have a job within the next few days. But along with relief, I also developed a sense of curiosity about what the job will be like. I just kept staring at the ceiling fan and listening to music all night, playing every possible scenario of how my new job will end up. Wondering if it will be as joyous as the time I got my PhD or embarrassing as the time when my undergrad organic chemistry professor roasted me in front of the entire class for accidentally wearing my lab goggles outside of the organic lab one time. What it will actually be? Well only the future can tell.
I got up the next morning, gathered my social security card, some of my tax forms and my pass to the museum's human resources department. Placed the paperwork in my bag and drove my car back to the museum. I got to the parking lot, paid 25 dollars to the attendant, got out of the car, go in through the lower floor entrance instead of the main floor entrance to see if I could avoid the Saturday crowd that's probably on the main floor.
I went inside and it was just a white marble entry room with two security desks in front and behind them was a hallway with some carpeting in the middle and the entrances to a few exhibits on the side, with a few display cases around the area. I approach a desk with this security guard who had short red hair and glasses with thin white frames. I went to the desk, placed my pass and driver's license on the desk.
"Excuse me sir, do you know where do I go to get to the human resources department?"
From the computer screen he was staring at, the guard just rose his pupils to about my level and blankly replied, "Just go upstairs to the main floor, and when you reach The Field Bistro, there is a hallway near the entrance and at the end of the hallway will be a door labeled 'Human Resources Department'."
"Oh okay..thank you" I replied in curiosity to why this guards eyes are glued to the screen.
I walked up the staircase and navigated through the crowd that was around me in the main floor. I forgot how crowded museums can get on weekends, especially in the late spring and summer. It took me about ten minutes to navigate through the crowd, but I finally reached the hallway near the bistro. I saw the Human Resources Department sign by the door. I entered to see a small waiting room with like two or three chairs lined up against the two walls of the room and a receptionist desk in the middle.
The receptionist was just a guy with short black hair wearing glasses, a white dress shirt, a black jacket and a name tag. I took a closer look at the name tag and it had the name Zazu H. on it. The name sounded familiar but I can't exactly put my finger on it.
"Excuse me sir, my name is Edwin Mariani, I believe that I have an appointment with the director of human resources at twelve a-clock."
He then took his eyes back to his computer screen
"Okay, let me just check the system...Oh yes, the new genetics research hire...I believed that we spoke on the phone approximately two weeks ago, I was the one who first notified about the phone interview with Dr. Palahala?"
"Oh yeah, when I walked in and saw your name tag, I was thinking that your name seemed familiar to me."
"Alright then, I will notify the Human Resources Director of your arrival."
"Oh no need for that Zazu, cause I'm already here." A mysterious third voice pops out, with a frightened Zazu turning back to this new guy who suddenly appeared. Even I was surprised because I did not see this guy enter.
"Rafiki, how many times have I told you not to sneak up on me like that", Zazu replied in frustration, before going back to the computer screen.
Even when he was wearing a dark gray button-down shirt and black pants, he looked like an old rocker in a way. Even when I also have long hair, his hair was longer than mine, which was complemented with a beard that nearly touched his chest and a cane that looks as if he just grabbed a fallen tree branch and pruned the smaller branches off.
"Hi, I'm sorry if I am interrupting something here, but are you by any chance the director of Human Resources?" I nervously chimed in.
"Oh no problem, and yes I am the Human Resources director, you can just call me Rafiki, the whole mister-last name thing just seems a bit stuffy in my opinion." He then presented his hand for a handshake.
I grabbed his hand for a shake and it was surprisingly firm from what I expected of someone that age. He seemed to have a more nonchalant manner than I would expect a person in human resources to be. I just relaxed my shoulders just followed him down the hallway.
"Well, it's nice to meet you Rafiki, I'm Edwin, if you haven't already figured it out."
He then lead me to a room in which appeared to be a small conference room that had a rectangular table with a few chairs around it, but to the side there is a smaller rectangular desk with two computers that appear to be maybe four or five years old. He pulled out a chair and gestured his hand towards it with some of the paperwork he was holding.
"Here, have a seat, to help us officially enter you into the genetic research team, Ma Tembo sent me these online forms for you to fill out to help you transition your tax and financial forms from your previous employer, along with some orientation items for all researchers who decide to join one of our labs. Oh..and these papers are just some lab disclaimers for people specifically in the genetics labs. After you finish these forms, meet me in the room across the hall for some remaining paperwork and for you ID photo."
"Okay, no problem." I replied, with that, he just walked out of the room and I began to fill out the surveys and paperwork, which was practically the same stuff I filled out when I first joined Genico. It was just filling out a W-2 form, some additional background information and lab safety disclosures. This survey also included instructions to some of the equipment present in the lab, many of which I have already learned to use through previous experiences.
After I finished, I went across the hall to find Rafiki setting up some kind of screen on an easel and a camera five feet to the right. I gave him the documents that I just signed and he just placed them in a folder.
"Thank you Edwin, you can just sit on that stool in front of the screen for your ID photo. Just sit there, straighten your back and neck. Oh and relax your shoulders a bit, you look kind of tense."
He pressed a button on the digital camera and he suddenly realized something "Oops! My bad I forgot to turn the camera on." He then pressed the button and checked something on his laptop. After what was like three or four minutes of trying to organize himself and figure out what he is doing.
"Okay, I finally figured out this camera-laptop-program thing, just sit there and stand still and okay in one..two..three...and" He said while pressing the button, while in my mind I was starting to grow impatient when the camera flash finally appeared.
"Okay, all set Edwin, I'm sorry for the delay, I sometimes get flustered with these devices, if you couldn't tell, I'm more of a portrait/painting person." Rafiki said as he closed his laptop.
"It's okay, it can happen sometimes." I replied, even though I was still a little intrigued because I know people who have retro preferences but don't portraits take hours to complete? I guess this guy has a strong sense of patience.
He then turned a copier that was in the room and then his eyes directed towards me, "Alright Edwin, let me just borrow a valid ID and social security card so that I finish your file."
Since this was routine in many of the jobs or paid research experiences I was involved him, I gave him the social security card and driver's license without hesitation.
He then placed them into the copier, which he then pressed the button for two sheets of paper to come out. After placing those two sheets in a beige folder he turned to me. "Okay Edwin, your file is now set, you will receive your museum ID at some point next week, and Ma Tembo requests that you to start heading upstairs to her lab and she'll just show you around her lab so that you can get familiar with the lab and where the equipment is."
Then I heard this ringing all of the sudden, Rafiki then takes his phone from his pocket and looks at the screen. "Oh it now time for me to meditate for today, have a good afternoon Edwin." He said before he starts walking into a closet that was in the room.
I began to tell him "Oh sir, I think that room might actually be a.." then he closed the door without hearing me. "...Supply closet." He then gently opened the door back open by a crack.
"Oh I know this is a closet, but where else am I supposed to get peace and quiet." Rafiki said, while closing the door.
Okaaay?, I thought, and spend my trip upstairs wondering if what I saw was just real. I wondered how this guy ended up working for Human Resources.
When I reached upstairs, I arrived back at the Pritzker Lab entrance, but instead of that guy Beshte, this was a different security guard with long red hair and a little bit of a beard, thinking that perhaps this guy works Beshte's shifts during the weekends. Before I could say anything to the security guard, Ma Tembo opens the door, we exchanged some pleasantries and she just showed me around the lab and told me where all the equipment, supplies and computers are located. She then asked me to follow her to her office again, she then opened a folder on her desk and took out a slip of paper.
"Here is your temporary ID pass, which you will use until your official ID is issued." She stated
"Okay, thank you Professor Ndefu." I said sticking with formalities just to seem professional.
"Actually, I just prefer Ma Tembo; I'm not the biggest fan of those professor-doctor titles, they're a bit stuffy in my opinion." She replied with a slightly more stern tone.
"Okay, no problem Ma Tembo." I replied in a casual yet surprised tone.
"Well, I'll see you at your first day Monday to introduce you to our team." She said while reaching her hand towards me and I grabbed it in return for a gentle handshake
"I can't wait to meet the rest of you guys." I replied, waving her goodbye in the process. I eventually left the laboratory, thinking of all the ways my first day will end up. This was a neat preview of what I'm going to get myself into, and there were several surprises during this visit. For example, I understand some people's desire to be casual in the workplace, but in my experience I have never really seen anyone that strongly against the professor or doctor titles as I have seen today, though I honestly didn't mind it. I also wonder why that human resources guy thought a supply closet would be an appropriate place for workplace meditation. Despite these surprises, I'm still excited to work there and I guess every place has its quirks.