Inattention to Detail

When FalStaff advertised for the position that I currently hold, it read like most ads do. They wanted you to have this skill and that. As it turned out, I had the exact skills that they required. I was the perfect candidate (for a job that doesn't exist, but that's another story). I only lacked one bullet:

• Must be detail-oriented.

It seems that every employer - particularly in the IT sector - wants someone detail-oriented.

But the great thing about a soft skill like that is that you can fake your way through it. As long as you don't walk in saying "Sorry I'm late for the interview, I couldn't remember whether you said it was on 23rd street or 19th" or somesuch.

My detail-oriented facade lasted less than half a day.

I was down in the breakroom trying to get some food from the vending machine. There was a sign that said "Press button thoroughly."

I wanted item #11 and so I pressed 1 and 1. Nothing. I pressed it again and got nothing again.

Both trying to figure out how exactly to get the machine to work and also make conversation with one of my new coworkers, I asked mousy coworker how this "durned" machine worked.

I guess I can have a bombastic demeanor cause when I mumbled and grumbled about it, she thought I was genuinely upset and I scared her. Mouse scurried her way as far away from me as possible.

I slinked off to a chair and tried to figure out how to improve my interpersonal skills and, while I was at it, dealing-with-coin-operated-machinery ones.

When she could see that I wasn't going to bother her anymore, she went to the machine, put her money in, and hit the #11 button.

My first day on the job and somehow I had missed the fact that the buttons went from 1-20.

How's that for detail-oriented?