11 signs which show that you’re an Office Manager at a startup

Ohhh life at a startup! An entrepreneurial mind, solid little teams, repeated office parties: a whole world! An Office Manager’s life at a startup, isn’t always like those who work in big companies. Here are 11 signs which undoubtedly show that you’re an Office Manager at a startup. 

Your colleagues expect you to answer just any question

You are an Office Manager, but colleagues treat you to be a walking encyclopedia: you have the answer to JUST ANY QUESTION. At times, you lie to make others believe that you have the response, simply not to lose your aura and reputation of I-know-absolutely-everything. One day, your boss even asked you his wife’s birthday date.  

To help them, you answer “let me Google this”

If you have an answer to absolutely everything, it’s because you possess a well-kept secret: you use Google. Your colleagues don’t seem to know, that the search engine exists, many of them are born after 1992, with a smartphone in their hands. When you’re too lazy to answer a question, you say with an indifferent look, “ask Google”. 

You can multi-task better than anyone, even with a beer in your hand

You know what multi-tasking is all about. One asks an Office Manager, thousands of things and certainly even more in startups. You pay bills to suppliers, while talking to your boss on the phone, who is complaining about his plane’s delay, and you’re playing Mario with your colleagues, at the same time. 

You can’t use other products, except Apple

Startup compels so, all computers are Macs and work cellphones are I phones. If someone uses a laptop or an Android telephone, he’d better watch out as he may get fired, immediately. Even though your startup’s treasury is completely empty, your boss still asks you to buy a MacBook which costs 3500 dollars by the unit, for new comers. 

You’re not surprised by the blunders of developers

Developers are very strange beings. When one works in a startup, there are several developer colleagues around, and one needs to learn and adapt to them. The last time, one of them tried cooking bacon on his CPU and nobody seemed to pay attention.

At times, you have the impression of being an events planner rather than an Office Manager

Of course, when it comes to planning teambuilding or conferences, it’s only natural one addresses the Office Manager. But your colleagues now know, that you’re good at planning events so one comes to you for planning out karaoke evenings after work or a foosball tournament. The last time your colleague Vicky, even asked you to plan out her 8 year old kid’s birthday. 

When you came to your company for your very first job interview, you thought that the CEO was an intern

You were only in touch through mail with the CEO, before the latter asked you to come in for an interview. When you were in front of the company’s door, a pimply teenager with some fuzz instead of a moustache and a Calvin and Hobbs t-shirt welcomed you. You thought you were dealing with an intern, you told this person “can you tell Mr. Richardson that I am here please? And make me a coffee while you’re at it”. The latter answered, “Well, I am Mr. Richardson”. Oh yes, when it comes to startups, people are often young, very young and the CEO is no exception. 

You know the price of a pint by heart, of all the bars in your neighborhood

After work, you’re thirsty and so are your colleagues. You don’t want to be broke, so you’ve carefully studied the prices of pints in every bar of your neighborhood and you’re notified on your phone, when the happy hour begins. 

You have an application to do almost everything, on your phone

Finding a cleaner at the last minute as the person who usually comes, has broken his or her leg. You have an application for this. Sending clients who haven’t paid, reminders? You have an application for this. Getting balls for your foosball delivered at the last minute? You have an application for this too. 

You’ve already thought of opening your own therapy practice?

Life at a startup isn’t all rosy and your colleagues at times have a lot on their plate. And they usually come to you to talk about their griefs and while they’re at it, they talk behind their manager’s back. By dint of hearing them complain and cheering them up, you’ve already thought of opening your own therapy practice. 

You don’t see anything wrong when your colleagues play table tennis on the desk, right in front of you

A little net is set up on the table in front of you and your colleagues play a frenzied match of table tennis. You don’t see anything wrong with this, even if the noise level is higher than an airport’s runway.