I finally got into my first real assignment at work. The funny thing is that it is a totally unconventional engagement. I was hired to be an auditor. That means that I go out and check the financial statements and supporting info for a given company. Well, this new assignment in the north suburbs is not an audit at all. We are doing consulting work for this company.

A couple people from the "business consulting" division of the firm are out with a bunch of auditors. Three of us are new-hires with no clue how to audit, let alone give advice to some company about how to process their papers. It is pretty wacky. When I first arrived (late) yesterday morning, I barged in on some meeting with a top-level executive and just introduced myself. Since none of my co-workers had met me before and the executive didn't know me, I seemed to confuse everyone. Soon we figured out that I was supposed to be in the next office over where Ken was giving a debriefing about the new phase of the consulting deal.

I spent most of the day looking over the background info about the company. I also started reading up on the process that we are supposed to be fixing. It is taking the company way to long to process certain discounts that their own people are granting to customers. We are supposed to interview key personnel, make some cute flowcharts, and come up with a solution to save the day. I am still not sure why the company thinks we will understand its processes better than they do, but as long as they are paying us...

Went out to lunch with the group yesterday and today. It is nice to have someone around for dinner conversation, but that means that I spend a good ten to eleven hours straight with these people. I was hoping that somehow I could put in my time at work and then enjoy my life and newfound prosperity. However, after leaving for work at 7am and getting back after seven at night, there is not much time for my life.

Tonight I am sitting at a Borders Cafe and watching the other motivated professionals mill in and out. I got a message from a friend from Waseda today; a guy who is also in some professional career and spending more than half of his day at work. He seems resigned to the fact that this is the price one must pay early on. However, when I get on that expressway at night and think about how little time I will have tonight, I wonder if I am also willing to make that sacrifice for some feeling of success.