Advice for every employee.

Today I am leaving my agency family, my second home of four years, a place where I have learned many lessons and made many friends. I am leaving to pursue the wonderful world of working for myself, a place where I will undoubtedly enjoy many new freedoms and face many new challenges. But now that I am saying farewell, I would like to take the opportunity to share a few pieces of advice. Advice that I think applies to any employee, anywhere, doing anything, really. (And advice that I may not necessarily have taken for myself as often as I should have, but hey, hindsight is 20/20!) So here they are.

1. Be passionate. But be sure to understand the line between being passionate and having a bad temper.

2. Be on time. As often as possible. Even if they say it doesn't matter, it probably does. At least to someone.

3. Work harder. Yes, you probably already work hard. But when that moment comes along that you think, hey, I can just slack off for a minute. Or an hour. Or a day. You're wrong. You shouldn't. So don't.

4. When you think you have nothing to do, find something (of value) to do. And if you can't find something, ask around. And if asking around to every single person in every single nook and cranny of every single office of your company gets you nothing, start looking for new clients, become an expert in Excel, learn to create a website in WordPress. Whatever. Learn a skill or find a contact that will be beneficial to your team and to you, and I can guarantee you won't be sorry.

5. Be social with your coworkers. We're all busy, we all have other friends and family things going on, but those happy hours and lunches and wine nights and whatever other crazy things you get to do together outside the office will bring you closer. You will become friends. You will work better together, understand each other better, and care about each other more. It's worth it.

6. Suck up. I don't mean blatant, annoying, sucking up. I just mean go out of your way to talk to that one higher up that you don't click with. Do whatever you have to do to find common ground. Talk to them daily. Be sincerely interested in their feedback, their opinions, and/or their personal life.

7. When you want to freak out, don't. Take a walk. A long one if you have to. Breathe deep. Count to 183. Whatever. Just keep it together and freak out on your own time. I know it's hard. But practice makes perfect.

8. Last but not at all least, LOVE YOUR TEAM. Every member of it. (I like to think I was especially good at this.) Whoever you're working with, in whatever department, remember that you're in it together. Be good to each other. Offer to help each other, even if it means staying late to do things that aren't in your job description. Try to understand each other. Try not to kill each other. And if you argue, apologize, get over it, and be better to each other next time around. That is how good, strong relationships are built, and good, strong relationships are the foundation for a full and happy career.
I have made many of these, and I wouldn't exchange them for anything.