Strengthening your Foundation
Written by 5ivecanons Staff
At some point in your career at an advertising agency, there’s a good chance you’ll be working amongst the sounds of table saws, hammering, industrial vacuums and general rowdiness. Here are some tips for dealing with all the instabilities associated with construction, and finding the silver lining through all the sawdust.
The first tip is probably the most obvious… be prepared to move, a lot. At a larger advertising agency, you might be given a stationary-temporary desk. But chances are you’ll be moving your desk and all it’s items more than once while construction is underway. Use this time to check out cool new places in the office you might not have visited while you’ve been glued to your chair, diligently plucking away at the keyboard. Sit next to a new employee and get to know them better, score that seat by the window you’ve always wanted, or even snatch the opportunity to take up residence in the boss’s exposed brick corner office for the day because, you know, the noise and everything. When the new carpet is in and the baseboards are painted, you’ll have the best seat in the house.
Think of it as Goldilocks and the Three Office Desks.
Tip number 2 is crucial to your sanity — the quality of the tunes. Get in the groove and crank up your music… mostly to jam out and have fun, but also to drown out the noises of the incessant hammering happening above your head. Take a little extra time to check out a new CD release, or explore some different artists aside from your standard Fresh & Chill Spotify playlist. Listening to something you haven’t heard before can help take your mind off the noise and focus on something different. While you’re at it, this may be a good time to invest in those new headphones you’ve had your eye on, but haven’t been able to justify buying.
Last but certainly not least is office morale.
Little goodies like free bagels or lunch outings can go a long way when you have a small creative staff.
Lucky for us, working in Downtown Jacksonville offers a ton of delicious food options to enjoy. (I myself am partial to the Salmon Salad from Olio.) Doing ‘family’ activities outside of work is also a huge morale boost. At the 5ivecanons office, we are all ecstatic about the upcoming trip to Ginnie Springs we’ll be taking to float down the river and relax with some adult beverages. Speaking of which, this is a perfect time to mention one last point: celebrating the small victories. Our rooftop deck is finally finished, overlooking the St. Johns River with a beautiful sunset view of Downtown Jacksonville and we plan on celebrating that small victory with margaritas and BUBBA burgers. (Check out our Instagram post of the festivities here)
Construction is absolutely a challenge, especially at a local advertising agency where every hammer hit and saw swipe can be heard. But keep your chin up, stay away from the wet paint, and above all else… don’t lose track of your good pen. It’ll get lost faster than you can sneeze.
