Saturday, May 30, 2020

Digital Nomadism isnt Just for Tech Workers Anymore

Digital Nomadism isn’t Just for Tech Workers Anymore Digital nomads take their web- and technology-based businesses to distant (often more inexpensive) lands, working remotely and keeping regular hours. Because their jobs don’t require their physical presence, digital nomads use their laptops as their offices and set up shop from wherever they happen to be in the world.   Embraced as a way to work while seeing the world, digital nomadism has evolved into a lifestyle enabled by the normalization of remote employment.   But jet setting to a Pacific island to spend your days in beachside cafes and your evenings exploring isn’t just for programmers and developers. While professionals with jobs that explicitly deal in internet technology (web design, online marketing, software development) were some of the pioneers of digital nomadism, this lifestyle is becoming a feasible option for professionals in a wider variety of fields.   No industry has been untouched by the advent of internet technology. But as a larger proportion of the tasks for which the general workforce is responsible becomes mediated by digital platforms, professionals in all sorts of fields are theoretically able to work entirely remotely. This means that digital nomadism is becoming possible for more workers across more professions, including those employed full-time at companies, business owners, doctors, and lawyers. Remote services in a changing market There is a lucrative market for business models that revolve around using digital platforms to offer services that were once rendered mostly in person.   For example, recruiting twenty years ago necessitated often being in the same room as candidates. Today, the focus on face-to-face interactions in recruitment has waned as much of the work involved in scouting talent has moved to social networks and other digital platforms. Other professions like mental health counseling, tutoring, and even law are other examples of industries experiencing a shift towards more digital communication between customer and service provider. Influencer marketing also has an impact on diverse industries. Entrepreneurs in most any sector from make-up to food to fitness need not be tied to any permanent location as long as they are creating and sharing successful content as they move about the globe. In this sense, digital nomadism can even become part of a company’s brand and a central theme in their content marketing strategy.   It may just be a matter of time before digital nomadism, or at least a lite-version of the lifestyle, is a possibility for professionals in almost any line of knowledge-based work.   Digital nomadism for all? Remote work is steadily losing its status as a privilege and becoming a standard working arrangement for a wide variety of careers. Your line of work is no longer the most decisive factor in determining whether or not you travel while working, whether as a full-time globetrotter or an occasional workcationer. Instead, factors like company culture, business model, and customer expectations may play a bigger role in determining whether a knowledge employee can do their job remotely.   Nearly half of U.S. based employees are already regularly working remotely in at least some capacity, and the number of employees working exclusively at home has increased 140 percent since 2005. All signs point to these trends continuing in the coming decade, and their growth is a twin to the growing numbers of digital nomads.   But is digital nomadism really the future of work?   Digitalization may be moving quickly, but as it stands, not everyone’s job can be attended to 100% remotely. And for many people, the thought of combining full-time travel with full-time work isn’t appealing even if it were possible. Furthermore, there are concerns about the sustainability of this location-independent lifestyle for the often post-colonial nations to which crowds of mostly first-world digital nomads tend to flock.   While social media and the blogosphere may perpetuate a highly romanticized vision of location-independent employment as a future-oriented philosophy of work/life balance, it would be rash to say most professionals doing knowledge-based work are eventually going to trade in their offices for a one-way ticket to Bali.   The growing number of digital nomads, and the growing number of industries for which digital nomadism is now an option, is perhaps best understood as an exception that proves the rule: the relationship between location and work is changing, and this change is forging new paths within the mainstream (work from home, remote teams) as well as on the periphery (digital nomadism).   In 2018, some 4.8 million Americans self-described as digital nomads, and another 17 million aspired to this identity. If you are one of those 17 million who are eager to use the wider world as your office, here are eleven professions that could open doors for you:   About the Author: Alex North is an American content marketer and translator living in Germany.

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

How to Write Laid Off on a Resume - How to Get Ready For Your Job Search

How to Write Laid Off on a Resume - How to Get Ready For Your Job SearchFor most of us, we are going to get fired one day. Writing laid off on a resume is part of the job description for anyone who works in the corporate world. No matter what industry you are working in, laying off on a resume is a fact of life.In certain point of view, getting laid off on a resume is a blessing in disguise. While your resume looks bad to everyone, it becomes a stepping stone to landing a higher paying job.Layoff on a resume is similar to receiving a demotion. The difference is, there are no employees reading your resume to see if they can fit in with your department. What's more, they have nothing to lose and could very well accept your offer and keep you from finding a new job.When it comes to writing laid off on a resume, it is also important to know your position. If you've been in a managerial position before, make sure that you are still comfortable doing so. Make sure that you can stick to the direction that you were given or change it to suit yourself.Unfortunately, a lot of times, people who are laid off leave the company too soon after being laid off. It is up to them to make sure that they find a new job so that they will not be left with a huge black mark on their record.Keep in mind that when it comes to employment, it is all about timing. After you get the layoff notice, contact the human resources department and inform them that you are looking for a new job. It is always better to have the people at the HR department informed immediately rather than waiting for weeks.Also, think about how far into the interview process you are currently in. If you have received many offers, you might want to wait to give the company a chance to check their records. You never know when you may be one of the last people to interview with them, so don't waste any time.Finally, before you send in your letter of intent, ensure that you file it with all necessary paperwork. Your attor ney will need to have the letter in order to file a layoff notice. Make sure that your lawyer makes sure that your rights are protected. It is important that you file your letter quickly because there are a lot of people out there who want your job and that they might take advantage of your letter and not pay for it.

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Why Social Anxiety May be Stopping Gen-Z Employees Making Friends

Why Social Anxiety May be Stopping Gen-Z Employees Making Friends As an employer, it’s vital that you do everything within your power to maximize both employee productivity and job satisfaction. According to new research, encouraging friendships within your workforce could hold the key to unlocking these two factors and creating a positive working environment. It turns out that workplace friendships are far more important to staff than simply having a colleague to eat lunch or gather round the watercooler for a chat with. Many of us forge lifelong friendships or meet partners through work, and a recent study by Furniture At Work cements this view. Despite this, Generation Z is struggling to make friends at work, with many citing social anxiety as a roadblock that prevents them from developing stronger relationships with colleagues. The Importance of Workplace Friendships Furniture At Work surveyed 2,000 office workers, with two-thirds of them saying that having friends in the workplace increased their overall happiness. Other positive well-being factors that friendships contributed to included good mental health and job satisfaction. As well as the boost to their own contentment, even more respondents (71%) said that friendships in the office contributed to a positive working environment. This is where it gets interesting; the majority of people also said that having friends at work boosted their motivation and productivity. This is absolutely critical to employers and something they cannot ignore. While workplace friendships may have historically been perceived as distractions with the potential to encourage a cliquey culture, they are now contributing to a better performing, more profitable workforce. The Struggles of Generation Z With this more modern approach to workplace friendships taking hold, the assumption may be that younger employees are driving this revolution. However, Generation Z is a mixed bag when compared to the rest of the nation. While the survey results showed that Gen-Z members of staff are more likely to consider their office buddies as close friends and socialize with colleagues at least once a month, they also struggle the most to make friends (with 36% admitting to this, compared to the national average of 26%). Over a third of Generation Z admitted to not socializing with colleagues due to their social anxiety. This disorder is caused by a need to constantly come across as ‘perfect’ in social situations and a fear of being judged by others. So, what can employers do to help the future of their workforce combat this? Encouraging Workplace Friendships In the modern, competitive job market, companies that don’t offer benefits beyond just salary and holiday find themselves inevitably left behind. Providing extra perks that encourage employees to spend more time together outside of the office is a great way to help foster workplace friendships and a culture that employees feel supported by. Many businesses run monthly social events that allow colleagues to interact away from the confines of the office. Employers should try and vary these as much as possible to appeal to a wide range of their workforce and allow everyone to get involved in something they’re comfortable with. Employers can also provide mental health awareness training to facilitate a workforce more open to discussing the issue of social anxiety and providing solutions. The overwhelming benefits of office friendships, both to employee wellbeing and company productivity, illustrate the importance of employers creating a culture that facilitates them. However, with those who make up the future of the workforce suffering more than anyone else with the anxiety that accompanies this culture shift, there is still plenty of work to be done to sustain this increase in employee welfare and output. About the author: Dan Yeo manages a team of content writers at Search Laboratory in Leeds, England. He  holds an ILM Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management and regularly writes about workplace and employee motivation.

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

4 Ways to Survive an Internal Interview

4 Ways to Survive an Internal Interview So many people are under the impression that if they want to move up the ladder at work they need to push up their sales  levels and impress the boss. However, it is performance and attitude that is a key to job survival but even this is sometimes at risk. Some people have had the same job for some time and are now fighting to keep their position no matter how they perform and normally they stand a much better chance at being accepted because theyve worked at the company for years. Sadly this is a false sense of security especially in this difficult economic climate. Employees are not only applying internally for other positions but are finding themselves fighting to keep their own jobs as the company downsizes, merges with other companies or invests in smaller international jobs. Even if you have been doing the same job for years with the same company and have to interview for your own job, you still need to treat the internal interview as though you are walking into a completely new company to meet the owner for the very first time. And then, there is not forgetting the newly employed graduates: what happens when the graduates face the prospect of losing their step on that career ladder? Every employee and every graduate face the hard test of internally interviewing for that job, but who will win? Will the company keep the long and trusted employee they have always known or will they now go for the young graduate with fresh new ideas and an eager motivation to add something new to the company. In the end, it all comes down to how each one will interview for their own job internally. Here are 4 top internal tips that may help in surviving the interview process and keeping your place on the job: 1) Do your research If youve heard there is a job opening in a different department and you feel you are perfect for the job, its imperative you do your research. Know what the job entails and how your skills will work in that particular position before you go for any interviews. Do not discuss your preparations for the interview with other employees as the competition is on and you need to use your internal skills to your advantage. Do treat the interview the same as you would if you were going to a completely new company for consideration, presuming the job is yours just because youve worked at the company for many years is your disadvantage; the I know it all! attitude could become your failure. Within an internal interview, the interviewer looks for the right attitude and that you have the right drive to develop and succeed with them by showing those additional strengths you will edge that much further to securing your job. 2) Prepare a professional CV Have your CV/resume ready: this is such as important step. Even though your CV will state you have been working at the company using internal systems which you are familiar with and the people interviewing you probably know who you are and what you did, walking in with a CV that is up to date and relevant for the position available will show your interest and how you can bring something new to the equation. Never forget, someone you work with and with the exact same experience internally will be fighting for that job too, so impress on paper as well as in communication! 3) Be professional Internal interviews are not as easy as you think. You walk into the interview room and will be faced with a boss or a panel of managers that you have known for some time. You may have even bumped into them at lunch, had a laugh together or worked together numerous times. None of these moments matter in the interview process: you need to remain professional; do not chit-chat, answer the questions honestly and highlight your abilities and why you feel you are right for the position. If the pressure feels too much, take a deep breath but do not show any weaknesses, the key to surviving is showing you can succeed under pressure. 4) Know your worth and place Today, so many people are finding themselves being interviewed for their own jobs because the company has either merged, are downsizing or there is more than one person for the job. Redundancies may happen all around you and then you and a couple of others are waiting in the line to secure your job and its in this moment that you need to know your worth. Know your abilities and how they benefit the job at hand and be sure to have examples of how you have succeeded in your current position, what skills you have used and why you are right for the job. Surviving means showing your confidence and self-esteem and this will reflect how much you want your own job failure is not an option. Author: Jenny Beswick is a global writer and works alongside the jobs.telegraph.co.uk  team and has brought to you these interview tips to help you prepare for your next internal interview.

Saturday, May 16, 2020

3 Reasons Why Electronic Cover Letters Is Longer Than Traditional Paper Cover Letters

3 Reasons Why Electronic Cover Letters Is Longer Than Traditional Paper Cover LettersElectronic cover letters are longer than traditional paper cover letters. This is a design feature that you will definitely want to make sure you include in your cover letter when writing an electronic cover letter.The first reason why you should incorporate this design feature into your electronic letter is so that you can write the letter in a very effective manner. You have a lot of reasons why this is the case, but let's get down to the simple reason why you should include this in your electronic cover letter. There are three main reasons that it is essential for you to include this design feature.The first reason why you should include the length of your electronic letter in your resume is because it makes the entire document easier to read. Imagine if you were a sales representative and you needed to read a lengthy letter about the company that you will be working for. It would probably take yo u a long time to read it because it would be spread out all over the page. The good thing about reading a lengthy electronic letter is that you can fold it up and read it quickly.Another reason why you should incorporate the length of your electronic letter in your resume is because it will make the electronic letter more appealing to your recipient. This is the exact opposite effect that you will be wanting because your recipient will be able to quickly scan through your electronic letter and see what it is about without wasting too much time. This is important because it is very easy to lose focus and not remember to read a lengthy letter.The third reason why you should include the length of your electronic letter in your resume is because you need to make sure that your reader will be able to immediately recognize that the letter is electronic. This is a major advantage of having an electronic cover letter. You do not have to spend alot of time on a letter that people do not want to read, but you also do not have to spend a lot of time trying to communicate the letter to your recipient.It is easy to tell when someone has written a traditional paper cover letters because they are not written properly. It may appear as though they are trying to ramble on about something without really saying anything. That is why this type of cover letter is not only very easy to recognize but also very easy to read.In addition to using a long electronic letter in your resume, you should also use it in other types of applications. The length of the electronic letter is ideal for communicating in a job application, resume cover letter, or any other type of document. You will find that you will not be losing attention when you send this letter and this will help you to communicate effectively.Electronic cover letters are longer than traditional paper cover letters because it helps you communicate with your recipient quickly and easily. If you plan on sending a long electronic c over letter to your potential employer, you should ensure that you use the longer form because this will help you to avoid having to read a letter that is difficult to read. In addition to the length of the cover letter, you should also use it in other applications such as resume cover letters and job applications.

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Want happiness at work Control your own time! - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Want happiness at work Control your own time! - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Giving employees something to smile about at the office may be as simple as offering them more control over their time, its recent survey suggests. One-third (33 percent) of workers polled said greater schedule flexibility would result in increased job satisfaction. From an article in the Sillicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Friday, May 8, 2020

Avoid These 5 Killer Workplace Conversations

Avoid These 5 Killer Workplace Conversations Avoiding The 5 Worst Workplace Conversations Business owners and managers have enough on their plates without having to mediate employee disagreements. Simple differences in personality and approach to getting work done can cause friction between co-workers, but many workplace disagreements actually come from a far more controllable problem. According to  Benoy  Tamang, CEO of  eFileCabinet,  provider of document management tools,  â€œa  majority of the disagreements that arise in the workplace stem from the  communication barriers imposed by outdated or inefficient technology.” Tamang  has identified the five “killer”  conversations that can be  avoided by the use of efficient  document management  technology. With these systems employers  and  managers  can avoid  playing  the  intermediary  and focus on growing and maintaining a successful business. The  â€œThat’s Not My Responsibility”  Conversation Most workers  don’t  like picking up someone else’s slack around the office or doing someone else’s job for them entirely.  In a paper-dependent office,  â€œThat’s not my responsibility,” can often surface for several reasons: Employees have a harder time keeping track of  project  information and  often feel the need to handle  all the tasks associated with  a project  themselves. Lack of a clearly defined workflow and task delegation process. Whose responsibility is it  really?   Paper-dependent organizations frequently lose    and therefore need to re-create    information  requiring  someone to recreate  the lost information no matter how hard they play the  â€œthat’s not my responsibility”  card. The  â€œYour Desk is Distractingly Messy”  Conversation   If you have a messy desk, Forbes.com reports that  57% of your coworkers are already judging you.  And even  if your desk isn’t messy, you’ve likely had a coworker or two with a distractingly cluttered desk. Nine times out of ten, the desk’s clutter is comprised of paper  in the form of sticky notes, errant printed documents, or  the occasional (or not so occasional)  grease-laden paper towels from the office kitchen. What’s more, the smaller your  co-worker’s desk, the more likely  someone  sitting near them  has begged  a desk cleanup or some other type of intervention.  Moving away from a paper-dependent operation and implementing an  effective protocol  to encourage its use,  will mean  cleaner working  spaces    and  happier coworkers  in  clutter-free  surroundings. The  â€œI don’t Know Where That Is”  Conversation At face value this conversation  is sometimes subtly related to the “Not my responsibility” conversation, and both can have a  comparatively negative impact on an organization’s bottom line. The data natural to a document management system â€" file naming, file retrieval, and storage templating â€" can make it easier to find and use even archived documents. The  â€œWhere’s That Email?”  Conversation The explosion of email and messaging, many of which come with attached files, makes it difficult to categorize, identify, and retrieve incoming information. Integrating document technology with  Microsoft Outlook  can create  a  spam-free repository free so employees can more easily use and manage a flood of email communication. The  â€œI don’t Want You to Work from Home”  Conversation Maximizing productivity can,  at times, mean  having  employees  who  work  remotely or  from home.  The biggest challenge can be the  security of workplace information and data  accessed by remote  employees. Moving to a  cloud-based, online document management software  with  secure access to files from any  Internet connection is more and more becoming a  viable  business  practice. Workspace  organization is as important as effective communication in keeping morale upbeat.  Dependence on paper-based systems â€" and all their attendant management and retrieval challenges  â€"  can  set your employees up for avoidable disagreements that distract the organization from more productive and profitable tasks. In-house and cloud-based document management systems put information at your employees’ fingertips and can  deliver simplified  assignment, tracking,  retrieval,  and management  capabilities across your company. Join Dana Manciagli’s Job Search Master Class ® right now and immediately access the most comprehensive job search system currently available!