First impressions are important; they go a long way towards determining whether you land the job. But last impressions are almost as important; they determine whether you get the next job.
People are busy. They’re not going to remember every little thing you did or didn’t do over the course of a season. Your boss will have a vague impression about whether you were generally helpful or useless, but that’s about all.
They will remember, however, the last thing you do.
Whether it’s picking up lunch one last time, moving the desks out, or cleaning the dildos, your boss (and anyone else who is still hanging around) will remember how well you did that final task.
If you’re the last PA, the best advice is also the most obvious– keep working until the work is done. Don’t stop to take a break, don’t shuffle around the office, don’t whine about doing all the heavy lifting yourself (even though you totally are).
Less straightforward are the times when you’re the second or third PA. The office will likely remain open a week or two after you go. You’ll often run into this weird stretch of time between the stage wrapping out (which tends to take about a week) and the office shutting down for good.
There’s often not a lot of things to do in this Twilight Zone
Don’t leave work behind for the other PA to take care of after you’re gone. Take everything as far as possible to completion. Check the asset inventory, clean every office, pack up anything that won’t be needed until next season (God willing). Your job is to make the last PA’s job boring as hell.
If the coordinator or UPM sees the wrap PA doing all kinds of work on the final week, they’re going to wonder why more wasn’t done in the previous week. They’re going to wonder why you didn’t do it.
Then they’re going to wonder why they need you at all next season.
One Response
As a line producer and PM, not only is this good advice but I will take it one step further. I’ve had office assistants who followed up with info AFTER their job was over – emails days and weeks later,. That sort of thing makes me think they are a part of my team – this one and the next one.