By: Malarie Barineau
During the last 5 years I have had the opportunity to work in a variety of different roles and with a variety of great individuals. Throughout these years I have had the ability to grow within Partners. Below are a few tips that have helped me along the way.
Learn the Ins and Outs
Learn the ins and outs of your organization as well as your day-to-day functions. For example, my first job with Partners after my internship was in the Member Services Department, which is the front end of the business. Member Services handles and touches everything that comes into the office; mail, processing deposits, data entry, return mail, phone calls and the list goes on. This was a huge learning curve for me. We have funeral directors, water well contractors, dental technician’s, fire equipment dealers and more. Knowing the ins and outs for all clients was quite challenging.
Communication Styles
Learn how your executive director, program manager, member services coordinators, membership and board communicate. It is very hard to 
communicate clearly and effectively if you do not know what communication style works best with your group. For example, if you are giving a project to someone and their particular way of communicating/learning is hands-on you should take 5 minutes to communicate the project to them in a way that they will better understand. If I was teaching someone to do data entry that is a hands on learner; I would show them a couple times then have them switch places with me and teach me as if I have never seen it before. This technique gives them visual and hands-on learning.
Questions and Ideas
Don’t be afraid to ask questions even if you think 
they are a little out in left field. It will show initiative and that you are thinking of new ideas and strategies to make a part of your work day better. You can also think of new ways to enhance your job functions or to make a task you do easier to navigate. The individual you are asking may say no but that’s ok.
I have learned a lot of pertinent information while being at Partners, but I feel these tips have helped me reach new goals and opportunities that may have not been there if I hadn’t shown initiative or drive to excel in my current position. Everyone has their own ways or tips for being successful at their job, but these have worked for me. I would love to hear or read about what tips you used to make your last or current job successful. Remember only you can make or break you!
