The 'suit'

Wednesday, 3 December 2008 @ 3.40pm

I moved my desk today. I no longer sit in the middle of the way where everybody walks by, sees what's on my screen, what I'm eating, what I'm drinking, who I'm talking to, etc. I also won't be interrupted by people wanting to use the scanner anymore. Nor will I have to sit and wonder who's going to collect the print out that's coming out of the printer next to me.

I now sit at a corner at the very end of the AE world, apart and away from the rest. It's better this way. I don't need to be so cautious of who's behind me and whether I'm in the way if I push my chair back. I now have a place to put my umbrella, store my files, my annual report samples, my brochures, etc.

I'm still adapting to being just an AE (I say just because I've always considered myself to be just half an AE at Trix). There's not much difference really being an AE between here and there. No actually, yes there is. I now have to drive myself around where once upon a time I didn't have to worry about that. I now have to handle the quotations and invoices and all that rubbish (I admit...I still don't know which comes first, DO, PO, I dunno...) And I now have to deal with the monetary side of things. I have to make sure that whatever we do is within budget. And I now have to justify why we're charging this or that amount.

Recently, I had a very important meeting with our very big boss, L, who also turns out to be the Head Art Director. I used to be terrified of him because he's the epitome of what women usually swoon over - tall, dark and handsome. I'm terrified because he's also very stern and very blunt. He's been in advertising for around or over 20 years. I don't remember. He doesn't like it, he'll say so. But he's actually alright. I just get terrified when I have to present work to him or discuss with him a meeting with our major client.

By the way, although I've only been at work here for about three or four or something weeks, I've already been placed to handle their BIGGEST corporate account. Their reasoning? "You know how to handle these people.", "You're detailed.", "You're corporate." Argghhhh!!! I've been trying so hard to avoid being a 'corporate' person, but yet have been moulded into one.

Ok, getting off track here... anyway, the big meeting. We were in L's room with all the other ADs doing a review of the work done so far. I actually called for the meeting because that was the only time we could catch L. He was brutal. But not to me. I, he called, 'the suit'. That was the first time that I've been called the suit and ever since then, I am now known as the suit. Granted, it refers to all the AEs. But it just seems to be directed more to me than the other two.

When I was in Trix, on days where I knew I had to go out, everyone would know because of the way I was dressed. Here, it's become my job to be 'that'. I still need to transform my mindset. Being an AE is no longer a part-time job where I have to meet clients once or twice a week, fortnight, month. It has become a part of my daily routine because I have become... the suit.