In the spirit of busy season, we figured this would be a good opportunity to bring back a few role models you shouldn't be molding yourself after if you want to get along with your team and have a job next busy season. Take it or leave it, these are just suggestions.
5. The guy who always has stuff more important than work to do
Listen, we're all busy. Everyone is busy. All the time. Everyone has trips to the DMV and date nights with the spouse and diapers to change and cats to feed. As adults, we all deal with balancing work and personal lives and sometimes things don't work out like we wish they would. Short of figuring out a way to squeeze more than 24 hours into one day, you need to suck it up and prioritize. That said, we're sure if you're a halfway decent colleague who carries your own weight, no one on your team is going to care if you disappear for an hour or two to get your tires rotated.
If your favorite memory of busy season is the 20 minute break you were given to eat a free cupcake, you have a problem. It's one thing to be motivated, pleasant to work with and in love with your job but if you're chugging the Kool-Aid by the gallon, it's time to seek help. The line between eager beaver and obnoxious, brain-washed drone is a fine one so tread carefully.
3. The new girl with very, very important life events planned in advance right around your start date
Oh, your sister is getting married? Please tell your team how that impacts the job everyone is paid to do. We get it, you have a life. But when everyone else is slaving away for 80 hours a week, how exactly are they supposed to sympathize and support you in your attempt to fulfill your duties as the all-important maid of honor? Disclose these matters as soon as possible and put off your start date if you have to, or just be a jerk and say nothing until you start, whatever. It's your career.
2. The victim
We've seen this a few times. A good example: the guy who complained the hot chick in his office was getting away with doing very little while he was stuck doing grunt work. Or how about the one guy from Wake Forest who didn't pass BEC and cried about me calling him out? Don't play the victim, it's just not attractive. You could have a 4.0 GPA from a top school but if you're a douche no one wants to work with, the 3.2 slacker you think is below you will get the job and you'll be the one crying about how unfair life is. Accept that life is unfair and often you will be on the receiving end of it and everyone will be happier.
1. The guy who has time to tweet about how much work he has to do but can't get his work done
You know who you are. You're the guy who was friends with me on Facebook when I still worked in CPA review and would constantly put up pictures of yourself in Mexico and your pleas for a specialized watering can on FarmVille or whatever it is you FarmVille people need but then would call me a month before your course expired to cry about how you had no time to study and needed an extension. Excuse me? Everyone saw you screwing around on social media and now suddenly your mom died and your cat got cancer and your home was destroyed in a fire? Try again. Act as if everyone is watching. And that goes for those of you messing around in our comment section all day too; don't complain about how hard your work life is when you somehow manage at least 2.5 hours a day trolling GC.
Did I miss anyone? Feel free to add them in the comments.
