In highschool I worked for a pizza place and upon graduation I was in the Army for 4 years. After getting out I worked in bars as security / bartender until I finally graduated this December with my degree in accounting at the tender age of 31. So basically I have never had a "big boy" job until now and would appreciate any help / advice that you office space mother fuckers have for me.
I am now a seasonal tax accountant with a decent sized firm which will be up in April. Although it hasn't been outright said, my chance of being offered a full time position rests on how well I do until April 15th. Now that you have a basic background, here are some questions I have.
Do you say hi / try to talk to admin/reception every day when you walk in the door?
What about when you pass people in the halls moving about your business?
We have weekly meetings and the person who "runs" them always asks if their are any questions / suggestions at the end? Since I am the new guy and basically don't know shit (thanks college), should I be seen and not heard?
We are allowed an hour lunch. Is it ok to actually take the full hour or does it look bad?
The dress code here is business casual with only one guy who wears a suit every day. Most wear a collared shirt, no tie, and slacks. I like dressing up when I go to work. Should I tone it down so I don't appear to be too much of a suck up? Mostly it is just a tie, but I have pulled out the vest, suspenders, jacket when I feel like it.
What is the proper protocol when approaching someone in their cube / office? Knock on the door/wall and wait? Is it ok to look over the cube to ask someone a question or get my fat ass up and walk around?
How important is it to go to drinks after hours? It is usually just us pions and not the partners and should I drink at all?
Case in point - Each customer has a customer number. When we work on shit that relates to them we input it into the software and "bill" them. The partners keep track of "billable hours" so the more you can actually bill, with reason, the better. I helped another accounting with some data entry work recently and he told me not to worry about billing them under my number because he would take care of it on his end. I new exactly what he was doing but as the new guy, they don't really bother to harp you about billable hours but at the same time I want to make a good impression to increase my chances of being hired on come April. If I was back in the military or at the bar I would just tell him to fuck off and bill them myself but in the office I have no idea. Is passive aggression really the best go-to when dealing with co-worker issues? I have no issue with conflict but the last thing I want to do is stir some shit as the new guy.
I am sure there is other things but I will leave it at that for now. Any help is appreciated.
Edit: Oh and what about coffee. When I use the last of one of the pots, I turn off the hot place, rinse it out, and put it back. Admin makes it but should I make a fresh one if I use it up or am I doing enough already by turning it off / rinsing it?
I am now a seasonal tax accountant with a decent sized firm which will be up in April. Although it hasn't been outright said, my chance of being offered a full time position rests on how well I do until April 15th. Now that you have a basic background, here are some questions I have.
Do you say hi / try to talk to admin/reception every day when you walk in the door?
What about when you pass people in the halls moving about your business?
We have weekly meetings and the person who "runs" them always asks if their are any questions / suggestions at the end? Since I am the new guy and basically don't know shit (thanks college), should I be seen and not heard?
We are allowed an hour lunch. Is it ok to actually take the full hour or does it look bad?
The dress code here is business casual with only one guy who wears a suit every day. Most wear a collared shirt, no tie, and slacks. I like dressing up when I go to work. Should I tone it down so I don't appear to be too much of a suck up? Mostly it is just a tie, but I have pulled out the vest, suspenders, jacket when I feel like it.
What is the proper protocol when approaching someone in their cube / office? Knock on the door/wall and wait? Is it ok to look over the cube to ask someone a question or get my fat ass up and walk around?
How important is it to go to drinks after hours? It is usually just us pions and not the partners and should I drink at all?
Case in point - Each customer has a customer number. When we work on shit that relates to them we input it into the software and "bill" them. The partners keep track of "billable hours" so the more you can actually bill, with reason, the better. I helped another accounting with some data entry work recently and he told me not to worry about billing them under my number because he would take care of it on his end. I new exactly what he was doing but as the new guy, they don't really bother to harp you about billable hours but at the same time I want to make a good impression to increase my chances of being hired on come April. If I was back in the military or at the bar I would just tell him to fuck off and bill them myself but in the office I have no idea. Is passive aggression really the best go-to when dealing with co-worker issues? I have no issue with conflict but the last thing I want to do is stir some shit as the new guy.
I am sure there is other things but I will leave it at that for now. Any help is appreciated.
Edit: Oh and what about coffee. When I use the last of one of the pots, I turn off the hot place, rinse it out, and put it back. Admin makes it but should I make a fresh one if I use it up or am I doing enough already by turning it off / rinsing it?