Great First Day

Day number one at the studio was extraordinary!  The studio culture is just as I imagined it, friendly and welcoming.  Electronic Arts as a whole has been the same, so I wasn't shocked by any means.  I arrived to find a work station already set up and waiting for me.  There was even a new laptop all ready to go!  I also learned why my other EA laptop wasn't working.  They are so efficient that they already migrated my info to their servers, or whatever it is that they do.  The point is that my laptop wasn't broken after all!  That was a relief.

The day began with a tour of the studio.  It is much bigger than I had imagined.  I was amazed to learn that breakfast and lunch is provided daily!  We are talking fresh fruits and the whole nine yards. It is pretty impressive.  There are also commercial grade cappuccino/expresso/coffee machines for those of us needing a constant jolt.  I mean I can keep going on and on just about the kitchen!

Denise, the COO of the studio, took me out for lunch when she arrived at the studio.  It was great to finally meet her in person after communicating via email and the occasional conference call over the past several months.  We spent time getting to know one another further and naturally we discussed my role at the studio.  After lunch it was back onsite and into a series of meetings with various studio leads to discuss their short-term and long-term hiring needs.  Listen (that's an Australian thing btw), I was impressed with the group prior to being onsite, but now I am doubly impressed.  It is truly amazing how much I was able to learn in just a few short meetings.  If I was good at my job before, then I am going to knock this out of the park now.  The amount of information I soaked in was enough to keep me running for a few weeks, but I know there is a lot more coming.  Tomorrow I finally get to meet up with Gabby.  I am super stoked about meeting her and working with her over the months.

Overall, the day really flew by quickly.  I am back in the hotel and debating whether or not to start running tonight or to wait until the morning.  My thought is that I am going to wait until tomorrow morning and make it a part of my regular routine.

Day number one at the studio is filed under the "success" column.  I have no doubt that it will only continue to get better and that they will impress me further as time continues.  Other than missing my BBB, this was a great day.