Though you probably had your fair share of arguments and fights when you were kids, as you grow older you start to realize your siblings are the ones who will always be there for you through all of life’s ups and downs. Older siblings will be the role models for their younger brothers and sisters, and will help see them through any difficult situation they face. For this reason, it’s extremely beneficial to spend time working alongside your older sibling when you’re both fairly young. When your older sibling is your colleague:
1. They’ll be your guide.
Training for a new job is intimidating. It definitely helps to have someone you know and trust helping you along the way. Your older sibling was once in your shoes, so they understand your confusion. They’ll also understand how to navigate you through this confusion on your path to success. Since you have a family member on your team, you’ll be more apt to focus on the task at hand, rather than waste time and energy being intimidated by other colleagues.
2. They’ll work with you until you get it right.
No colleague wants their teammates to fail. However, most coworkers won’t be enthusiastic enough to keep dropping everything they’re doing to come to the aid of a newbie. On the other hand, your older sibling will almost certainly stay with you until they’re sure you’ve gotten the hang of things. And you probably won’t feel as bad asking your older brother for help; you’ve most likely been doing it your whole life.
3. They’ll catch you when you fall.
Then there will be times when you fall flat on your face while doing something new. This would be incredibly embarrassing working with a group of people you barely know. But, like I said, your older sibling has literally seen you fall on your face before, so whatever you did to currently mess up at work most likely isn’t that big of a deal. They’ll help you put things into perspective, pull you back up and dust you off. They’ll give you the boost you need to try again and again until you succeed.
4. They’ll take extra time outside of work to help you.
Again, most colleagues wouldn’t spend their personal time helping a new worker figure something out or get through a task. But your older brother or sister definitely will (especially if they have to drive you home, anyway). When they see you’re struggling, or you just need to finish something up, they’ll gladly lend a helping hand if it means you won’t be stuck working extra hours for no extra pay.
5. They’ll push you to do better.
While you certainly will be driven to want to succeed at any job you take on, having an older brother or sister there will make you want to go the extra mile. Once you get the hang of your new position, you’ll want to show your older sibling that you can do everything on your own. They’ll most likely always see you as the younger one, and treat you like a kid in some ways, but you can do your best to show them you’re fully capable of pulling your own weight by putting your all into everything you do.
6. They’ll connect with you.
Your sibling probably knows you better than anyone else on the planet. They’ll be able to relate the job to other aspects of your lives growing up, recalling times you struggled and got through it, and times you succeeded and felt amazing. No other colleague you’ll ever work with has such in-depth knowledge about you. Only an older brother or sister would be able to remind you of all the work you’ve put in to get where you currently are.
7. They’ll be there in case of emergency.
When true disaster strikes, they’ll be right there for you. They’ll be able to contact your parents immediately, and be with you as a friendly reminder that you’re not alone. And they’ll know exactly what to say to calm you down, and get you in the right frame of mind to deal with the situation at hand.
8. They’ll make it fun.
Work can definitely be fun, and who better to enjoy it with than someone you’ve known your whole life? Having an older brother or sister around throughout your workday can make your job just as entertaining as a day spent hanging around the house. Of course, you still have work to do, but you always made doing chores bearable together, right?
9. They’ll grow closer to you.
Like I said, your older sibling will most likely always see you as “the younger one,” but working together will help them see you for the person you are. They’ll start to recognize all you’ve accomplished, and how hard you work every day of your life. And you’ll both start seeing each other as friends, regardless of the fact that you’re related.
10. They’ll remember the time you had together.
Working with a sibling will be one more memory to add to the proverbial scrapbook. Just like every other memory you share, there will be good times and bad, but you’ll both be able to look back fondly on the time you spent growing together as colleagues and friends.
Featured photo credit: Flickr via farm9.staticflickr.com
