1. I love our office.
I think that the quality of your work and mood are contingent on the environment you’re in. That being said, when I started working for SEOmoz, we worked in a tiny two room office that was rendered even tinier due to the copious amounts of dust and must. Turning my head to sneeze resulted in spraying Matt with spittle (which, by the way, makes for a very cranky web developer). Add in the fact that we were located in a building frequented by shady folks who would hole up in the bathrooms and the stairwell to get drunk or sleep off a hangover, and, well, it wasn’t an ideal work space.
Thankfully, we found a gorgeous office that is more attuned to the young, hip SEOmoz vibe. Now I have to stand up and walk five feet over to Matt in order to sneeze on him (which I do every once in a while in order to help build up his immune system). We have our own bathroom (complete with a shower, though we’ve currently re-dubbed it the Place Where CRT Monitors Go to Die). Rand has his own office (how snazzy CEO of him!), Gillian and Brandon have their own office, and the rest of us are comfortably sharing a large, spacious room in the middle. I love walking to work and immediately feeling at ease once I step through the door. There’s less tension among everyone because, well, there’s more space between us. If I need to mentally veg out for a minute, I can get up and walk around without disturbing anyone.
2. SEOmoz treats me like a capable human being.
As Jeff mentioned in an earlier blog post, Rand’s lenient with the work hours. He could give a crap if we come in at 7:00 or at 10:00, as long as we’re willing to make use of the time while we’re here. Most days I go to the gym in the morning and come to work at 9:30 or 10:00, then I stay until around 6:00, sometimes a little earlier, sometimes a little later. If I have a doctor’s appointment and have to come in late or have plans in the evening and need to leave early, it’s no problem because there’s a high level of trust within the company. Rand understands that we have lives to live outside of work, and as long as our work isn’t compromised, he’s okay with being lenient.
Why is this totally awesome? Well, I am largely in charge of my own schedule, and as long as I don’t exploit that freedom and start acting irresponsibly, I’ll continue to be in charge of my own schedule. Rand continually impresses me with how much faith and trust he regards his coworkers. Which leads me to my next point…
3. I’m appreciated at work.
Most people fear landing some corporate gig where they are rendered a nameless, faceless, unappreciated worker bee. When I was in college, I had the same fear. I was afraid of spending X amount of money on my college education, only to land some entry-level job where I’m treated like dirt.
I applied for a job at SEOmoz before my last quarter of school, and while I didn’t get the position, I did persuade Rand to give me an internship. Hiring an intern is like having a modern-day slave, only instead of getting paid with whip lashes they get paid with college credit. An intern’s Underground Railroad is getting a job offering once the internship is over. I very badly wanted SEOmoz to offer me a job, and I was prepared to swim through a half mile of sludge (much like Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption) in order to land one.
Did Rand exploit the opportunity of having a desperate-for-a-job college student work for free? No; he treated me like a colleague. In fact, everyone treated me like a coworker and like a friend. When I got hired on as a permanent, full-time employee, their faith in me continued to grow. Yes, I did my share of mundane tasks, and yes, I still do. However, no matter what task I do, be it something mind-numbingly tedious or frustrating but exciting and engaging, my coworkers don’t hesitate to encourage me to do the best possible job I can do.
I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I’m constantly told that I’m doing a great job and that I can quickly pump out consistent, high-quality work. The same goes for Matt, Jeff, and Brandon; we’re all made to feel welcome and appreciated here, whether we spend weeks building a new SEOmoz tool, build a new website for a client, research keywords and build links, or even check the mail and book airfare and hotel rooms. In Rand’s opinion, everyone contributes to the success of SEOmoz. The company is an embodiment of a collaborative effort, and he acknowledges this fact and appreciates us all for it.
4. I love what I do for a living.
I’ve always stood by the notion that I would rather do something I love, even if I don’t get paid much to do it, than make a ton of money but hate what I do for a living. I still stand by that rule today, and working at SEOmoz allows me to continue to hold onto those beliefs. I couldn’t have asked for a better job right out of college. I’m in an industry that’s constantly shifting and growing. New trends cause me to stay alert and on my toes, and I love working in an environment where I am learning something new every day. I love that Rand is aware of my abilities and constantly gives me new tasks that he knows I’m capable of learning how to do. I love how my job involves the mixture of working independently and collaborating in a group to brainstorm ideas. I have never dreaded coming into work; rather, I come in every day excited to tackle a new project, solve a new problem, and learn something new in the process.
5. I have the best boss and coworkers in the world.
Here’s where I act like a sap and rave about the people I work with. We’re a small company, so it’s crucial that we all at least tolerate each other enough to work with each other in close proximity five days a week. Luckily, not only do I get along with everyone at work, but they’ve all become my close friends.
Jeff and I have the same taste in movies and in television, so it’s nice to work with someone who shares my love for Freaks and Geeks. Brandon’s sunny disposition is contagious, and he always makes me smile. Gillian is a warm, caring person who always makes sure that everyone is being taken care of and is doing well. It’s nice when Si’s in town because he has a clever sense of humor and a laid-back personality, so it’s incredibly easy to get along with him despite the large age gap between him and the other SEOmozzers. I often refer to Matt as the Third Brother I Never Wanted, in that we take great pleasure in mock-torturing each other. (Case in point: he once put mustard packets on my keyboard because I think it’s the grossest condiment ever, and I drew pictures on his whiteboard of him getting devoured by a shark when he took a day off from work to go surfing.)
Which brings me to Rand. I guarantee you that Rand is the greatest guy you will ever meet. It’s like Rand is subconsciously perpetually campaigning for the Most Selfless Guy in the Universe award. He always puts the well being of the company and of his coworkers first. His generosity and commitment astound me. Rand is the first to grab the check when we’re at lunch, he’s pumping out blog entries at 2:00 am, then still shows up to work at 10:00, he’s willing to fly from city to city in order to meet with clients (often with as little as a few days between each trip), and even though his cell phone is practically welded to his ear because he’s on the phone all day long, he’ll still eagerly wave me into his office whenever I have a question. I couldn’t dream of a better boss and friend than Rand (and his girlfriend is no slouch, either, for being so understanding and supportive of his drive to succeed).
In conclusion, why do I love working for SEOmoz? We’re like a happy, dysfunctional family! Seriously though, I keep expecting to get hit by a car or mauled by a dog, because I can’t believe that at 23 years of age I can have the good fortune of loving my job, having a great group of friends, and actively contributing to an engaging and dynamic industry. That’s why I love working for SEOmoz. Jealous? Yeah, you are.
