Tiny Self Review

I was asked to answer a few questions at work. This is my reply.

My time in the industry has two answers. Working specifically with insurance billing is new to me. I did spend a year working in the mail room of an insurance company about six years ago. I learned to classify the myriad documents that insurance companies handle although I didn't actually apply them; I just made sure they got to the right place. That is the scope of my experience with billing.

I have been with this company for .15 years, or about 8 weeks. I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

Two of my favorite books are "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint Exupery and "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville. When the Little Prince had a question, "he never let go of it" until he found the answer. I have a similar tenacity that I apply to problems. Every question has an answer. It may not be an answer I like, but at least I'll know it and be better prepared when I encounter similar problems in the future.

In "Moby Dick", Ishmael pays attention to everything. As he observes the details of new places, people, and situations, he comes to larger conclusions about the world and his place in it. I share the same obsession with attention to detail; a kind of a "take care of the little things and the big things will take care of themselves" approach that lends itself very well to a line of work where being off by a single digit or letter can mean the difference between a paid claim and a denial.

With these traits together, I am in danger of losing sight of the most urgent tasks. For that I rely on a highly organized workspace and regular "snapshots" of groups of tasks. I've come to accept that I'll probably never be completely caught up, (which is good because where's the excitement in that?) but I can make sure I'm bailing enough water out of each boat so that none of them sink. So to speak.

As for what I bring to the team, I have to pull out a less literary example: The cartoon show "Eek The Cat". His catchphrase is "It never hurts to help." And then, of course, while doing his good deed, Eek would inevitably get run over or blown up or something. Therein lies the comedy. I'm like that too. I am here to help to the best of my abilities. I am also here to do no harm, which means recognizing when something is beyond my capabilities. In the event I cannot help directly, I will still help by finding someone who can.

And, like Eek the Cat, I am hilarious. Not so much at this time because my all my brain power is devoted to processing and applying all the new things I'm learning every day. But trust me, we'll get there.