Survival Guide: Office Job Edition

this is a list of many things I didn't know or understand before I started my job as a Summer Student in the Marketing Department of a major law firm in Toronto. I can't say what one, as they have crazy blog searching tools and by saying the name of the firm my entire department would 100% be reading this post by tomorrow morning. (and as much as i would love the publicity, this blog isn't the kind of thing I want my boss to read)

I have broken this post down into segments. This one being...

THE FIRST DAY

1. Go to the office before your first day. Learning where it is using mapquest is helpful, but at 8:30 Monday morning in the middle of rush hour knowing exactly where you are going is key. Plus this gives you time to scope the area out, see where you might be able to go for lunch ect.

2. Bring your own pens and paper. Unfortunately the first day is when every person decides to unload all of the info you will need for the duration of the job on you. and as great (or not great, in my case) as your memory is, you will be thankful you wrote as much down as possible.

3. Write down names. Just write them down. It will help you remember them.

4. Names are a key part of business. I don't care what business school says about getting an education, remembering someone's name right away will impress the hell out of them.

5. Wear a black/dark shirt. Your sweaty armpits will be less noticable.

6. Wear your most comfortable appropriate heels/shoes, your going to do a lot of walking around and meeting people. you don't want to be slouchy and limpy.

7. Don't EVER ever ever take that smile off your face. they have accepted you into thier office kingdom and you better bloody well be exstatic to be working there. After the first day this rule can slowly be less and less applicable.

8. Don't complain about anything. Just don't. No one cares that your desk isn't by a window, that you didn't get a lot of sleep last night, that the coffee isn't very good. In an office everyone has the shit end of the stick and they don't need the new person reminding them of it. Plus when they have been working there for 8 years and you walk in with a hundred things that suck about the job it doesn't make them feel very good about themselves. Do you really want to work with sad, depressed, unfufilled people? Keep your mouth shut. (bitch to your friends and family they love hearing about that kind of stuff)

Look forward to the Meetings edition, Kitchen/Common Room/Lunch Time Edition, as well as General Random Things that you should know Edition.