Coming out of college, many believe they have to abandon their wild past and join the workforce as responsible employees. They’re often surprised to find that there are just as many crazy young professionals, but with one important difference – they have the disposable income to do it right. For those of you working in sales or P.R., a little reckless socializing might come with the job. But for the rest of us, it can be a challenge to find the right balance between having a good time and keeping your job. Anyone can go crazy on the weekend, but it takes some skill to stay out until 4 am on a random Wednesday and do anything useful the next morning. There’s nothing worse than having every other person ask, “Late one last night?” So how can you truly work and play hard?
Stay Past Five
A few companies have introduced flex time as a way of adjusting the work day to their employee’s lifestyles. But even if you’re not technically allowed to come in later in the morning, getting work done at night may let you veg the next day until your head clears. You might, of course, have the kind of job where you’re already expected to stay late every night; you have our sympathy.
In this situation, the only thing to watch out for is that feeling that your life has been reduced to enjoying your countless vices and making the money you need to finance your countless vices.
Watch the Fighting
If you know you’re that kind of drunk, keep your ego in-check on the weeknights. Nothing gives you away like a nice black-eye or a two inch scratch on your face. If your coworkers know you at all, they’re not going to believe whatever colourful excuse you come up with, either. Other trophies to watch out for are semi-permanent hand stamps and anything your friends can do to you with a hair trimmer while you’re passed out.
In the Cup, Please
You might want to find out if your company is going to surprise you with a drug test before you head off for two weeks in Amsterdam. If this is a problem for you, you can either find a new job, a new hobby, or trust your future to the hundreds of techniques and products pitched online that claim to fool these tests.*
Happy Hour
Consider the opportunity that is happy hour. If you’re in the bag by seven, you still have time to get home (don’t drive, smart one) and get a full night’s sleep before your important meeting the next day. Unfortunately, this one doesn’t work so well if you’ve got anyone waiting for you at home – you’ve been warned! So get your friends together and find a local yuppy hangout for a little networking at the end of the day.
* Use at your own risk (both the drugs and the test-busting gear)
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