Locations
Have you ever felt like you needed a new challenge at work? What did you do to make sure you felt like you were growing in your career and continually improving? For me, challenging myself and taking my career to the next level is one of the most important things.
Projectline works with customers like Microsoft, Dell, Intel, and SAP. These companies have large customer bases and need a savvy marketing agency to help tell their customer stories and bring in more sales. If you were to brainstorm the best place to build your business in the technology and software industry, where would you go? That’s right: San Francisco and the Silicon Valley. That’s why I moved to San Francisco from Seattle several weeks ago.
My goal in the Bay Area is to increase the visibility of Projectline’s services and connect more with our current clients in the area. It’s so important to have face time with your clients, to develop a relationship and really understand their business. Even with all of the conference-calling technology, in-person, human interaction cannot be replaced. So, I took this on as my new challenge: move to San Francisco and build a strong business in the area while deepening Projectline’s relationships with current clients in the area.
I’ve been in San Francisco for about a month and have had a great time, full of adventures. I’ve also learned a few things:
- Like Seattle, this city has about two or three degrees of separation. People form tight circles, and it’s easy to meet lots of people in a short period of time. Rule of thumb: Never burn bridges, no matter where you are!
- Vitamin D is way underrated. Yes, it gets cloudy in San Francisco, but it burns off and the sun shines through by the afternoon. Those few hours of sunlight can really change the optimism in a city.
- People don’t often wear jeans to work in San Francisco. You need to dress like you’re going to work, not to a soccer game (and a North Face jacket doesn’t count).
- If you want to go out to a nice restaurant for dinner on the weekend, you need reservations! Check out Open Table or Yelp for quick search and reservation options.
- It’s extremely popular to ride your bike or jog over the Golden Gate Bridge—for locals and tourists. If you want to do this on the weekend, make sure to do it early in the morning. By noon, the bridge is packed and it’s hard to get speed on a bike.
- Instead of carrying an umbrella with me everywhere, I now carry sunglasses.
- When it rains really hard in San Francisco, the nightlife shuts down. People don’t often sport a raincoat or go out when the weather is horrible. Seattleites have to tough it out!
- Yes, it costs more, but you can definitely find some great cost-effective restaurants and activities if you look for the deals (like on Groupon or on LivingSocial).
- Don’t call it “Frisco.”
So far, it has been a blast, and I look forward to many, many more weeks of fun like this. If you have any suggestions of events, networking, or ways to get involved in the San Francisco Community, let me know! Also, I’d love to meet other professionals in the area (in any industry)! If you have any recommendations, send an introduction to karinz@projectlineinc.com.
If you would like to follow my journey, check out my blog. Or follow me on Twitter.