Wait? Isn't that common sense?

Good afternoon, readers! In a few days it will be my one month anniversary working as Administrative Apprentice for Opera Roanoke. Exciting, right?! During this month I can definitely say that I've learned a great deal. Now I bet you're wondering what exactly it is that I've learned since I've spent a great deal of my time in the closet, filing documents, organizing, and blogging. That's just it, I've learned (and still learning) how to operate in an office environment. That seems like common sense, right? Everyone knows how to work in the office, duh. Well, yes, a lot is common knowledge, but some things are left out of the classroom and must be learned first hand.

So I organize a lot of documents. I sort through them, put them in a separate order, transfer them, any thing you can think of really. Did I do this kind of work in class? Not really. I had to find the best system that works for me, which is basically starting with large categories within a task and then narrow them down until they're in the right order and place.

Working in an office also requires using your brain. That seems like a no-brainer (hehe), but you can be surprised. I've taken a few tasks and made them into something more difficult than they actually are. For instance, yesterday I took all deposits and disbursements from the 2014 fiscal year that were in binders and filed them away into a box for storage. Instead of putting each set of documents into new, separate manila folders, I took the page dividers from the binders to use in the box, labeled them, and put new dividers in the binders for the 2015 fiscal year. It would have made much more sense for me to have left the dividers and put each set into a new folder. This created more work for me in the end.

Other times, you forget or are not aware of how a process works. The other day I took a deposit to the bank. That day I had been filing deposits and disbursements for May and June. When I brought the deposit back, without thinking I added it to the appropriate binder. What I had let slip my mind is that the reason I bring deposit slips to Liz in the first place is so that she can get them to our accountant. I just needed a reminder that accounting has to be recorded for essential business practice.

What I'm getting at is that if you haven't worked an office job before, don't be surprised if it's harder than it looks. I've had to ask many questions and figure things out as I go. For those of you who are doing what I'm doing, don't be afraid to ask those questions and to use the old trial and error tactic. It's the only way you get good, hands on experience. That's what I'm doing at Opera Roanoke. I'm working for the arts, but also learning how to function in an office environment, which I think is crucial for any musician who wants to thrive in the career world. Now I will be able to apply the "common sense" skills I learn here later on as a teacher and performer.

Until next time,

-Matt