While researching “coping” techniques for the first week at my new job, I came across some clever tips. Now that my first week as Marketing Coordinator for UsedEverywhere has come and gone, I’ve been thinking back to that advice and realize just how irrelevant it turned out to be.

The Marketing Coordinator position is going through an evolution, as we are now actively reaching into new markets across the country every day. In that sense, I have come into a position that has entered a new chapter. I am able to mold and shape it into what I believe it should be. This is exciting. And terrifying.

Maybe it is because of this transition and the ad-hoc nature of my job, that many of these tips were not particularly helpful during my first week.

1. Schedule a one-on-one with your boss. My boss is in Squamish, which is a ferry ride and long drive away from our office headquarters in Victoria, where I work. He is what’s called the Director of Social Research and Development (whatever that means!) and manages 2 marketers, 3 programmers, 1 graphic designer and countless social media platforms from the comfort of his own home. He is a busy guy, to say the least. Thankfully, he scheduled time to give me an orientation at our offices on my first day.

Nick, Our Director of R&D, via Google Hangout

2. Get to know all of your co-workers. Now, something to point out here is that my co-workers mostly consist of programmers. These are people who spend approximately 8 hours a day staring at code. They are not known to be the most extraverted type of people. That being said, they have been very kind and generous with their time – when I’ve been able to un-glue them from their computer screens.

The development team… developing stuff.

3. Find a trusted mentor. Well, thank goodness for Jenn. Along with her amazing sense of humour, she has helped me overcome my insecurities – “Aaah! I have too much freedom!” – and understand the UsedEverywhere culture – “I can actually read my book in the chill zone?”. Jenn is our social media guru and expert blogger. She is also a great friend.

Me n’ Jenn. (not to be confused with “mean Jenn”)

4. Immerse yourself in the documentation. This was… interesting. Not only am I learning how to use a Mac for the first time (which, I must say, I am confidently typing on right now), but I’m also learning all Google programs and applications. For instance, UsedEverywhere holds all their documentation on a program called Jira. This is a complicated system of tickets and issues and wikis… Oh my. Let’s just say I’m still working on this one.

Document immersion…

5. Try to fit in. I think this comes easily if you love where you work. That’s the case here. As much as I am still noticeably new – as was apparent the other day when the voice over the PA system asked UsedEverywhere to phone reception and everyone in the office but me yelled a simultaneous “NOT IT!” – I feel comfortable and confident here. UsedEverywhere is a different species of online classifieds. We (as I am now proud to say) genuinely care about our users. The other day, a man came into the office asking if someone could help him post an ad, as the site didn’t seem to be working for him at home. Not only did one of our staff sit down and go through the process with him, but later, one of the programmers followed up to see if it had been posted successfully. This kind of sincere customer care doesn’t usually happen, but here it happens every day. UsedEverywhere is also an incredibly creative company. Our staff are chosen because they are innovative, imaginative and fun. These kinds of company values allow us to truly be ourselves, and we work harder because of it.

Best advice for new employees. Be. Chill.

Finally, UsedEverywhere is “hyper” local. In this first week, I have been inundated with requests to attend multiple community events, because that is our business model and how we are known. UsedEverywhere has a long history of supporting not-for-profit organizations, charities and community programs all across the country. This is something that we love to do and want to do more of!

Yes, my post took a turn for the cheesy there, but my point is this: You can read the business plan, suck up to your boss or even put candy in a dish on your desk, but if it’s the right job, it will embrace you for who you are and won’t make you work for its acceptance.