Feb. 9 marked my one-year work anniversary here at Hurrdat, and hooboy, what a year. Here are some things I learned.
I’d like to start with an apology: The title is the first and only “Rent” reference there will be in this blog. I’ve never seen it, but my fifth grade choir did go wild for “Seasons of Love.”
With that out of the way, I’ll get to telling you things I learned during year one, and maybe if you’re starting your first job you can take some of this with you, but I also don’t want to tell you what to do.
You Actually Keep Learning
When I started I was confident that I knew what I was doing and was ready to hit the ground running. After all, I did have a diploma and recently decided to part my hair. I was sooo wrong. There was much to understand about working in an office, using social media for brands, and knowing the difference between reach and impressions (I think I’ve got it down now). A lot of things. Luckily, everyone here was and has been great at helping me to develop into a better writer and marketer.
We have a fairly diverse roster of clients, so learning something new every day was and is unavoidable. In the morning, I’d have to research and write about proper ways to store antique furniture in storage units, (always go with climate control BTW) and by the afternoon I was dissecting the differences between 401(k)s and 403(b)s for a bank.
I also did a little bit of outside learning, which I encourage you to do, too. Contagious, Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This (a new edition with social, digital and emerging media additions was just released so I guess I need to catch up!), and my personal pocket inspirational, Damn Good Advice, are all books that I would recommend to anyone who’s just starting out in marketing and advertising. Please comment below with any other books you’ve found helpful.
You Gotta Be Organized
When I started I noticed that everyone here dropped serious coin on being organized. I’m talking Moleskine, Passion Planners, and whatever monstrosity Brandi had. But I always prided myself on having a good memory and thought that planners were for the birds. Wrong again.
Checklists quickly became my best friend. I don’t know how I made it through college without making lists. They’re great for staying organized but also for avoiding mental breakdowns. There is something very cathartic about checking things off of a list. Note-taking has also become an essential part of my workdays, not just for retaining information but to keep me engaged in meetings. I feel that if my pen stops moving, so does my thinking.
No two days are the same
I’m sure you experienced this in at least 30 percent of your classes:
Professor: “Tell us a little bit about your day-to-day.”
Industry professional guest speaker: “Well, no two days are the same.”
Then you scoff from your lecture hall seat and mouth, “I wanna see the receipts!” under your breath. I’m sorry to break it to you, but that guest speaker’s cliché is actually fairly correct. You’ll get to work with new ideas and problems every day and adapting to change is what makes this such a fun field to work in.
But changes also kind of suck. Contracts end, you don’t win every pitch, and people that you enjoy working with move on. But from the sh*tty, comes the pr*tty. You learn how to bounce back and think bigger the next time.
So that’s the skinny on what I’ve gathered during my first year on the job. Thanks for reading and feel free to leave a comment or email me (christian@hurrdat.com) with any questions, comments, or shade.
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