The other week, I wrote a blog post about how making friends at work can boost your career (click here to check it out).
And the truth is – yes – building such relationships will open up more opportunities for you in the future…
But there are plenty of other (less selfish) reasons why your work friends are the best type of friends. Some of those reasons are...
1. They know your tea and/or coffee order.
They even know your schedule if you have one (tea at 10am, coffee at 1pm, tea at 3pm etc.)
2. They bring you food.
From fruit in the kitchen to cakes from the shop, your work friend is unlikely to pick something up for themselves without thinking of you.
3. They can be your drinking buddy.
After a tough day (or morning) at the office, sometimes all you need is a trip to the pub and a good old rant with your work friend.
The same rule applies for Friday night celebrations.
And just anytime you fancy a pint down the local!
4. You’ll never lunch alone.
Unless they’re busy… at which point you’ll feel a little bit lost and wonder what on earth you should do for the hour.
5. They actually know what you do.
Come on, how many of your other friends actually know (and fully understand) your day job?
6. You can share “top secrets” with them.
Sworn to secrecy by your out-of-work friends? Gasping to tell someone?
If your work pal doesn’t know them, it doesn’t count, right?
7. They’ll pump you up.
When you’re feeling nervous about a meeting/ presentation/ sales pitch etc. your work friend will spur you on and tell you just how great you’re going to be!
8. They'll have your back.
It’s obviously always better to have someone to back up and support your ideas, opinions and sentiments.
But having this back-up will also deter potential office bullies from overruling, shouting you down and picking on you (something that unfortunately does occur in offices).
Click here if you’d like some advice on how to deal with office bullies.
9. They'll give less biased advice.
Of course, because they don’t know your out-of-work acquaintances they can offer you (and therefore them) sound, unbiased advice about anything, without worrying about offending anyone.
10. They’ll tell you everything’s going to be alright.
When you’re having a really crappy day and it feels like everything is going wrong, your work friend will put things into perspective.
Everything is NOT always as terrible as it seems (and if it is, they’ll comfort you anyway).
11. They can crack you up.
Ever been trying really, really hard not to laugh at something but failing miserably because you notice your friend’s shoulders shaking under the pressure?
This usually occurs in a stressful environment – which explains why it can often happen in the middle of a meeting at work or when you’re confronted with the boss etc.
Although probably not great for your professional image, it’s fun to have a laugh at work and cut through some of that tension.
12. They understand your rants.
They know exactly what you’re talking about when you go on a half an hour rant about the boss, your working hours and/or your job.
Put simply, this is something that no one outside of work will ever full understand.
13. They probably dislike the same people as you.
I’m not suggesting that you should actively dislike people at work – but if you do, then chances are your work friend will too – and it’s actually a comfort to know that you’re not alone.
14. They get you.
You’re around each other for the majority of the week, so you definitely get to know each other’s little quirks and traits; they’ll certainly know how to irritate you and how to calm you down.
Work together for long enough and you’ll pretty much be able to communicate via eye movements.
15. If anything, they know too much about you.
You have to stay friends, because they know some of your deepest, darkest secrets!
(Not to mention those bitchy messages you’ve sent about the boss).
16. They get to see the worst in you.
Upset, stressed, angry, tired, ill – you’ll go through all of this and more during your working life.
But for some reason, they’re still your friend! That’s got to be a good sign, right?
17. You need the “banter.”
You need something to break up the day and lighten the mood.
18. They help you laugh things off.
We all embarrass ourselves at work sometimes (click here for some hilarious examples).
But if you have a work friend, it becomes that little bit easier to laugh it off & pretend it doesn’t bother you.
(When really you're just dying inside...)
19. You can have deep conversations.
I don’t know why, I don’t know how, it just seems to happen at work.
You can start the day talking about how to format an excel spreadsheet and finish it discussing philosophical questions about whether human beings really exist or we’re just floating brains in vat.
20. They’ll be your wingman/woman.
At parties, your work friend will be your partner in crime, saving you from the weirdos, boring people and awkward situations and steering you towards your latest “crush.”
Also, you’ll always have someone to get a taxi home with, even if it’s miles out of the way.
21. You can be weird together.
Because you know each other pretty intimately, you both feel comfortable enough to reveal your inner weirdo at work.
Silly voices, strange jokes, shock confessions and impressions etc. all become appropriate for some reason.
(It's totally OK to be weird by the way; in fact apparently everyone does it!)
22. Boundaries tend to slip away.
It becomes perfectly acceptable to talk about anything, from toilet habits to current relationships.
The answers to all of those questions you were too embarrassed to ask before are at your very fingertips.
23. They’ll back you up when you’re ‘ill.’
“Oh yes, James was definitely looking a little peaky the other day…”
24. They’ll help you lose the hangover.
Armed with greasy food, deodorant and mints (and possibly even a hair-of-the-dog pint at lunch) your work friend will help you work through the pain.
25. They’re honest.
They’ll actually tell you if your idea is terrible or if they think you’re wrong – instead of letting you embarrass yourself.
26. They don't judge (not really, anyway).
They also won’t judge you when you ask the “silly” questions you didn’t feel comfortable asking anyone else in the office.
27. They'll boost your career!
Click here to find out how and why.
28. They make your job bearable.
You simply wouldn’t have half as much fun and be quite as happy without your work buddy.
Just Be Happy.
In my opinion, having friends at work is dead important – human beings are social creatures and even just a little friendly interaction each day could make your working life happier.
Recruiter Pro Tip If you currently don’t get on with your co-workers, consider…
- Is there something you could be doing differently? Click here if you’d like some tips on making friends at work.
- OR do you just not really fit in with everyone? If that’s the case, it really might be worth quitting and looking for a new job, especially if it’s making you unhappy.
Life’s too short to live for the weekends!
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Happy Friday!
