Everybody's workin' for the weekend! Okay, hopefully not everybody. I was though. I had to work 12 hour night shifts Saturday and Sunday in Los Angeles. It wasn't so bad. I literally didn't think I was going to make it. I haven't pulled an all-nighter in a while. But I survived.
You will never guess what happened on my way.. Since there were some crazy rain storms happening in Cali this past week, my 8AM connecting flight from Oakland to LA was canceled. Along with almost all of the morning flights.
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| View of San Francisco right before I landed for my 12 hour day at the Oakland airport. |
The Southwest agents got me on an afternoon flight. I spent the day working from the terminal. As boarding approached, I heard a very important announcement: "Ladies and Gentleman, we have oversold the flight and are looking for a volunteer to take a later flight."
That was my cue. I ran up to the service desk as quickly as I could. Why? 1. I was already going to miss the meetings that day. 2. I knew that Southwest compensates very well for those 'volunteers'.
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| The perfect weather for sleeping after a long 6PM-6AM shift. |
I don't get lucky very often, but when I was the first person up at the ticket counter - I felt like I won the lottery! So I made it to rainy-Los Angeles a little later than expected.. BUT I got a $300 voucher + the cost of my first flight.. a little over $500 for a future Southwest ticket. Woohoo! :)
So ideally, no one really wants to work over the weekend. But sometimes it's inevitable. My good fortune reminded me there are always positives to undesirable situations!
So today's Professional Tip Tuesday - Lessons learned from a working weekend.
1. Have time on your side.
- Even if it doesn't end in a nice voucher, travel is made a lot less stressful when you have plenty of time to spare. My situation wasn't so bad thanks to a flexible schedule!
2. Take a number.
- Put the important contact info in your phone just in case your travel plans go awry. This makes it much easier to coordinate schedules.
3. Bond with coworkers.
- A weekend work trip is a great way to get to know your colleagues. Learn more about what they do in the company. It is a good learning opportunity and helps the time pass quickly!
4. Be thankful.
- Thank the clients, coworkers, and whoever else you interact with during your trip. Not only is it a nice gesture, but you never know when those contacts come in handy!
5. Ask for a comp day.
- Most importantly, I am all about work-life balance! I traveled back-to-back from one client to another and will be gone for 3 weeks. It won't hurt to ask for a little time to relax :)
How do you make the most of a working weekend? Comment below!
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