As a professional in financial modeling, you may feel that it is impossible to leave the office for any length of time. However, as the holiday season approaches, you may be thinking about an upcoming vacation. If you plan your vacation, and prepare your office for your vacation, you may find that taking a vacation is not as scary as it may seem. Here are some tips for preparing your office for your impending vacation.
Let your subordinates and superiors know as far in advance as possible – This means that you should ask for the vacation as far in advanced as you can, if you know the dates already. This way your boss knows that you have a vacation and can plan trips and projects around your schedule. In addition, letting your team and subordinates know that you are planning a vacation gives them a chance to be able to step up to handle some of your responsibilities.
Clean up your workspaces – Leaving your desk looking like you ran to lunch is not the best way to leave for vacation. Therefore, prior to leaving for vacation, it is best to clean up and organize your desk. Make a space that is clearly for the collection of your mail and message – this way people will know who to do with things as they filter in during your vacation. Making sure things are designated allows things to run more smoothly while you are gone.
Set up with a colleague to handle any questions and turn on an auto-responder – In financial modeling, just because you are on vacation, does not mean that there will not be questions about your work, your projects, or for you in general. It is good to pre-arrange with a teammate or colleague to handle any questions or issues. You need to arrange this; you do not want to direct clients to someone that has not agreed to take on the added responsibility. Once you have determined who will handle things for you, you will want to ensure you provide their name and contact information on your email auto-responder and your voicemail. This will be beneficial in limiting anything important being forgotten or missed.
Clear your calendar – Financial modeling can have appointments set up many months in advanced. It is important to ensure that you have taken the necessary precautions to make certain that clients or projects are not forgotten. It is good to ensure that you have totally cleared your calendar and delegated anything that is imperative. It can take some work but making sure there are no surprises while you are gone is a good move.
Make your emergency contact information available – Lastly, it is a good idea to pass along your emergency contact information to your boss and your colleague that has agreed to handle any issues for you so they can reach you in the event of an emergency. Though it would be nice to disappear, and you do have the right to a vacation that is work-free, providing your contact information can help prevent issues that may be more difficult to diffuse later.