Could you work for a friend?

After you have been job hunting for some time it’s easy to fall into the “any job will do” mentality and a lot of jobs that come along will do at least for the mean time. But there are some opportunities that, if accepted could cost more than a few miserable months at minimum wage.

At first it might seem like the optimum opportunity if a friend offers you a position working for them. You get along so well in the real world it should stand to reason that working together would be more than ideal it would be awesome. Right?

Maybe, but don’t dive in without considering some of the things that come with working for a friend.

Even married couples will admit they can only stand so much of each other and need some time apart. Plan on seeing your buddy less in the social sphere the more you mingle at the workplace. Some companies have a zero tolerance policy about fraternization between managers and staff so it could mean sneaking around or the need to stop hanging out all together.

Hopefully that’s not the case and your friendship can maintain the same stamina if not grow because of the increase in experiences you share. Lots of “remember when…” and “you had to be there…” moments happen at work. It can be even more fun if more of your friends work with you. Sometimes these are the most successful sales teams because of the dynamic already in place.

Other times however, things go horribly wrong. It’s easy to get trapped in, and resent workplace roles that carry over into off time. You may notice your friend has begun to boss you around or nitpick about your performance even when you’re off duty and you may feel it would be disadvantageous to stand up for your feelings.

Many employees feel they are equals as friends so as colleagues it should be the same despite the job title. Friction can arise when friends neglect to establish the rules of respect in the workplace.  If you decide to work for your friend start with some simple guidelines to make sure you’re both on the same page. If you’re not careful you could lose your job and your friendship.