Go have a drink with your coworkers.
Go on. Do it.
(Yes I'm blog bullying you. Deal with it.)
Every now and then, you have to socialize with the people you work with/for.
It's not in your job description, but it's part of your job. Better yet, it helps your job.
Ad folk love to send a mass email, set up a meeting on the calendar and come by your desk and demand you join them for lunch/dinner/drinks.
If your schedule, workload and liver permit, you should go.
I realized how important this was in portfolio school. I worked thru school and had my own family and friends in Atlanta so I didn't spend much time outside of school with my classmates. But then I realized in school, they'd pick their buddies to work with on projects and give them more/better feedback.People like to work with people they like. People want to be comfortable with people they work with. People want to enjoy working with the people around them.
At school, at the office, wherever.
This social interaction is important to your career.
It has nothing to do with drinking really. It's more about being able to relate, to engage people, to let your hair down a bit and laugh off the madness of the day. It just makes people feel good and let’s them see you as a person more than just a pixel pusher or word jockey.
A convo about west coast living over Stella and scotch with an old CD got me on two great projects the next week. I didn’t do anything much. (I am pretty charming.) But I think it was just being able to chat with me and see that I am not a complete idiot that made the difference. I’d been working my butt off and I think this interaction just tipped the scales in my favor.
So if they ask you to go out, go.
If they don't, ask if you can go.
If they're not going, organize somewhere to go.
And when you get there, ask questions, use this as your chance to show your personality, share you outside of work self (wow you hunt meerkats?) and general awesomeness.
Even if you don't drink, go. You have no idea how many steak dinners my veg face has smiled through with my lovely side salad. All that matters is that they saw my veg face that night and would think of me tomorrow when that cool project comes up.
And if you do drink, don't forget my earlier advice about being drama-free at work. Your coworkers are not your college buddies. Control your drinking, stories and antics.
Stay classy San Diego.
warning: I was just being cute in my title. Drinking on the job and being an alcoholic is not cool. Don't be that guy.
