Trying to bring in the 20th Century
So, I knew the joy of my new job wouldn’t last forever, I didn’t however expect the ‘new car smell’ to disappear so quickly. The people I work with are really lovely, (we work with disadvantaged kids, placing them with volunteers to let them get out and about with adults who are supportive and listen to them) as I said everyone’s heart is in the right place in respect to the kids and helping them out.
However when it comes to a working knowledge and understanding of a) office procedures, 
computers in general, c) accounts & money handling no-one knows anything.
•Everything is way behind (the office is still on win 98), nobody is willing to let technology help them out, so even though we enter data into a (VERY) basic access database (Needs some work…) we have about 6 filing cabinets full of new, old and useless paperwork.
•‘Real’ filing is so bad I wouldn’t know where to find anything if my life depended on it. My boss has been saying for the last 6 weeks that we’ll (i.e. me) will devise a new system…time will only tell.
•I spent an hour yesterday trying to explain the computer concepts of folders in my documents to my boss. He had until then been saving everything to the desktop, (for 3 years!) you can imagine what it looked like.
•Team-meetings should be efficient and to the point, but we have on average 2-3 hour meetings once a week, I suppose I don’t care to much though, I mean if they are willing to pay me while I sit around for no real reason then who am I to argue…?
•The accounting system they are using is so far out of date, but they don’t want to get a new one. It’s funny though as my boss likes to think he is running some kind of high profile international company the way he goes on. When in reality we are a relatively small organization within a larger one.
•The payroll journal system is again completely up the creek without a paddle. Again though mentioning a new entry system is a really bad idea, my boss replies along the lines of ‘we’ve had this entry way for the last 6 years, why change’.
* While being on dial-up internet at work isn’t really a big issue, it becomes one when every-time one person dials up and is online and then a second person dials up they knock the first person off, it becomes irritating! Broadband is a new concept to them though…and may or may not happen
•Petty Cash is never up to date as other people seem to think its fine to just come in take money out without leaving a petty cash slip…
•I start at 8:30 while others seem to think wandering in at around 10 is fine, so is leaving at 4pm…I can’t say anything though as the boss is the biggest culprit
* I don't mind explaining and trying to teach people things about computers etc that they don't get (even though my knowledge is not that great) but when you have to explain to someone 6 times what forwarding an email is and how to do it, it gets a little draining.
I apologise for the lack of sense in this rant, I am frustrated and needed to vent my feelings. I do enjoy the job, it’s just the little things that build up and get to me. It seems like the office is scared to come into the 20th Century, but unfortunately if they don't they'll get left behind!
Okay venting done, blood pressure down!! Back to work!