I started a new job this week at a company where I didn't go in knowing anyone.
Monday was tough. Tons of information thrown at me from all directions, pulled a 14-hour day, etc. On top of that, I was introduced to about 20 different people, of whom I actually only remembered maybe half of their names.
Tuesday was a little easier. Taking in all I was given the day before, doing some more knowledge assimilation, and of course, still meeting people.
One of the guys in my department introduced himself, welcomed me, and then said: "So I gotta ask the question that's on everyone's mind.......what's up with the Chapstick video?"
Surprised, I couldn't help but smile and laugh as several others that overhead him also turned around to hear my reply - indicating that several people knew what he was talking about.
I told him it was for a video contest. He asked if I had won, and I told him no, I wasn't even a finalist.
I noticed a few others nearby smiling, as I wondered out loud how all these people had aparrently Googled my name before I even started there.
Fast forward a few hours.............
The clusterfuck that is NJ Transit had all trains on my line delayed due to signal problems.
Instead of waiting around 2 hours for my train to Metropark, I decided to take a train leaving sooner to New Brunswick, and then I'd just cab it to Metropark to get my car.
Thanks to the hundreds of other people who swarmed that train, (and the fat, sweaty guy making love to a slice of pizza in front of my face) it wasn't a pleasant ride. But, I did get to New Brunswick.
Exiting the track to the street, I walked over to the first taxi, which already had a guy waiting in the back seat.
The driver asked me where I was going and I told him Metropark. He told me to get in.
I sit in the back, and as I'm closing the door, the guy already there says, "IPsoft, right?"
"Yeah!" I say, thinking the binder I was holding with the IPsoft logo gave me away.
The guy procedes to introduce himself, and by crazy coincidence, works at IPsoft also!!
He's in a totally different department, but had recognized me from my photo that was sent out to staff in a welcome email.
We introduced ourselves and chit-chatted...........and then he says, "and oh yeah, I saw the Chapstick video too."
So apparently, I'm just so awesome that everyone there Googled me and passed around the link to the video.
Even more amusing, if you go to the Chapstick video on Vimeo and look at the view statistics on the bottom right, you can clearly see what days everyone there was checking it out!
Initially I thought it was kind of stalkerish...............but now, I'm kind of flattered.
