Outside the Office

Most of this map has focused on ways to stand out within the context of your job and workplace. For the final section, I want to discuss things you can do outside of your work and the job itself. These are suggestions for what you can do to further your career that isn’t tied to your position or projects. But they are still immensely helpful because they will expand your outreach, the effectiveness of your work, and develop you as a person overall. In general, they are also suggestions for ways to find meaning and value not tied directly to your job. 

Volunteering, being active in your community, and getting involved in other ways

In my opinion, one of the easiest and most visible ways to start getting involved in your workplace - outside of your position’s responsibilities - is to participate in volunteering and community service events. Almost all workplaces have opportunities for volunteering that you can sign up for solo or together with coworkers. These will be good resume fillers, make you a more well-rounded person, introduce you to new connections in other fields, and provide you with fulfillment and activities outside the workplace (which will make your job more enjoyable). It’s also a great chance to get to know your coworkers outside of the formal workplace, away from the hierarchy and structure of the office. Besides all that, getting involved in your community through volunteering or such activities is just a good thing to do. If you’re unsure of how to start or what to do, check Jessica Yang’s article that is chock-full of suggestions. If you’re less interested in the community service aspect, then look into what clubs/organizations/social groups (or whatever they’re called at your company) are in place for employees. Large companies will usually have a variety of such “employee resource groups” you can join to play sports, go on trips, practice skills like public speaking, or read books together with coworkers. These are great “two birds one stone” opportunities - pursue a hobby or passion of yours while also getting to know your peers. 

image from Polskie Wiadomosci

Make friends with coworkers and be open to conversations

For many of us, a job is simply a job. You clock in, get your work done, clock out, and go home. And that’s perfectly okay! But taking the time to form relationships with coworkers can be both personally and professionally rewarding. Especially when you are at the start of your career, each coworker is a knowledgeable peer who has many goals that will align with your own. If you end up sticking to the same industry or field, these are also people that you will likely run into again in future jobs, conferences, and other opportunities. Older coworkers are particularly rewarding people to get to know. We might not be used to making friends with people decades older than us, but these coworkers can provide valuable perspectives and mentorship. I’m not saying you have to be everyone’s best friend and hang out with them outside of work. But doing the small things like stopping for quick hallway chats or going for the occasional coffee talk can pay off for your career in big ways. For some advice on how exactly to go about forming these relationships, check out these articles.

Build relationships - whether you’re working in-person or online

Since the COVID pandemic began in March 2020, work from home has become a much more common feature, particularly for those working in tech-related sectors. It’s easy to feel disconnected from coworkers when you can only interact with them through the filter of a computer screen, and even more difficult if you started your position as a remote worker. Joining office social events, or even arranging them yourself, like happy hours or online party games can be a way to bridge those connections. These are opportunities to spend time with coworkers without talking about work and actually get to know them as people rather than employees. Seasonal events can keep things interesting, like charity drives or Secret Santa exchanges around the holidays. When one of my friends’ coworkers had a baby, everyone at her office pitched in for a baby shower gift - this made her realize that these informal interactions really helped improve relationships with coworkers. This made her feel more connected to them and easier to hit them up, ask for help, ask questions, etc. So attending and planning social events with coworkers can establish bonds to allow you to feel more like a team working together, rather than someone there just to get their work done.

Find and develop hobbies and interests outside of work and your career

On one level, this is good advice for avoiding burnout and anxiety. If all you do every day is think about work, worry about work, or do work, you are going to burn out. No one expects you to devote your entire life to your job, and you shouldn’t allow your work to consume your life. I’ve written before about the essential personal care you should maintain for yourself, and Vanessa Wong has written specifically about self-care during the pandemic (advice that is relevant to post-pandemic life too, if that ever arrives, future readers!). Beyond personal care, however, it is also healthy to have hobbies and things you enjoy doing outside of work. Whether it’s joining a recreational league or watching Netflix, signing up for art classes or playing an instrument, reading books, or organizing meet-ups with friends - find ways to spend your time after work and on weekends doing things that rejuvenate you and make you happy. The key to long-term career success is balancing those “need to do but don’t like doing” tasks with “don’t need to do but like doing” activities. This keeps you mentally healthy and, in an indirect way, will actually make you a more productive and pleasant person to be around at work too. Sometimes the best thing you can do for your career is to take a break from working and go live your life in other ways. And remember, that PTO isn’t going to use itself!

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