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Today is my eight-year work anniversary (workiversary) at my job. The equivalent of high school and college combined. It’s kind of wild. So here are eight lessons from those years.

  1. Ask questions. I spent my first month there not knowing what an “ATS” was because I was too shy to ask about jargon. (It’s an Applicant Tracking System, literally the type of software the company makes.)
  2. If you can, write your own job description. It’s what got me into HR in the first place and opened up a lot of growth opportunities for me.
  3. Be the example of the company culture you want to create.
  4. Speak up even when your voice shakes. It’ll get steadier over time.
  5. You’ll be surprised at how fast you can become a subject matter expert at something with the right focus and learning.
  6. Impactful work isn’t performative. It doesn’t matter if you stay late every night just for the appearance of staying late. Work smart and then log off and enjoy your life.
  7. Saying yes to grilling on a Sunday or spending a Saturday redecorating the office with a coworker are good ways to make lifelong friends.
  8. When you can, add a picture of a unicorn on growth plans and make demo accounts with superhero names. Find little things to make you smile and make the world more interesting.

With Love,

Natalie