What Are the Benefits of Working Remotely

What Are the Benefits of Working Remotely This article is sponsored by Camaloon, the Barcelona-based start up who specialise in creating high-quality customised products, made  especially for you.   Even in 2015, working remotely remains an elusive reality for most employees with demanding, full-time jobs. In fact, at first glance it seems exclusively reserved for people who use Instagram to make friends jealous those lucky few who manage to wing “jobs” writing blog entries while lounging on a beach in Antigua. The truth is that fine white sand in your USB port equals an expensive repairs bill. And that, contrary to popular belief, working outside the office doesn’t necessarily offer the stress-free lifestyle that many might imagine. To find out more, I caught up with Lino Uruñuela, SEO manager at Barcelona-based start-up  Camaloon  that specialises in personalised products and an old hand at working the corporate life over 500km from his office. You’re employed at an office in Barcelona and live in San Sebastián. Hardly anyone in your team sees you regularly. Do you ever work in your pyjamas? No!  It’s really important that before starting work that you have a morning ritual. In my case, I get up, have breakfast and take my dog for a walk. If you just roll out of bed and open your laptop, you’re not going to be mentally alert. Working remotely is usually a privilege for freelancers. Do you think it’s going to be the norm for regularly employed people in 10 years time? Not in 10 years’ time, nor in a 100. Some jobs are impossible to do remotely. But anything related to communications, like marketing and journalism, sure, these people could be all working remotely by proxy one day in the near future. Does working remotely mean having a stress-free life? Not really, to be honest. Maybe there are companies out there where the workload is lighter,but with my profession, the stress levels are about the same â€" if not a little higher because you have to consistently make your work visible to your team and show them you’re actually doing the job Some people argue that if you work remotely, the quality of your work goes down.  Do you think this is true? It depends on the person! In general, people working remotely have an extra responsibility to ensure the quality of their work is always made visible to others and therefore maintain the “privilege” that has been accorded to them. They also know that if they can’t keep up, there will be consequences. These days, companies are still reluctant to make working remotely possible as bosses are unsure whether working remotely will compromise employees’ productivity. But I think productivity has much more to do with whether an employee actually enjoys their job, not where they are based. When I read peoples emails, sometimes the emotion doesnt come through correctly. Does it bother you that you connect with your colleagues uniquely through text? I’d agree that communication by text tends to be very cold, emotionally speaking, and if this is your primary way of keeping in touch with colleagues, you’ll definitely need more time to establish relationships with them than if you were working in an office. This is why my team and I regularly have videoconferences.   By “showing my face” regularly I try to combat the impersonality that comes with email communication. I also recommend being physically present at important team meetings, perhaps once a month. Certain ideas and topics are best talked about in person rather than by any other means. Do you end up working less, more or about the same number of hours when you work remotely (compared to working in an office)? I think that ultimately I work the same number of hours. If in the office you have to stay late to finish a task because it’s for that day, well, exactly the same happens to you when you work remotely. But with one crucial difference: your hours. With many jobs, when you leave the office, you know you won’t be back until the following day, therefore you are “obliged” to keep working until you’ve finished an urgent task. However, when working remotely and your workload swells, you can organise your time much more effectively â€" as well as reconcile your working life and personal life a lot better. And there’s no commute! Co-working spaces seem to be the trend right now. Whats your opinion of them? It depends a lot of the people in the co-working space.  Maybe there are experts in your sector who you can learn from.  But maybe you ended up sitting beside the most annoying person in the world and you have to spend your working hours exercising manners and patience… Could  you ever go back to working in the office? I don’t know if that day will ever come, but if it does I will try to not get depressed and think of what I have to do to get back to working from home! Author:  Kate Busby  is a British writer whose work focuses on issues of contemporary culture, environment and new technologies. She lives and works in Barcelona.

How to Write a Resume - Use the Best Resources

How to Write a Resume - Use the Best ResourcesPeople often ask the question of how to write a resume, but there is a lot more to the question than most people think. There are some very important things to be considered before filling out the actual document and it is important to first understand the format you should use when writing a resume. This will help you create a resume that is full of the right information.When filling out a resume it is important to have the right information and this means that you should not be using just information on writing a resume as your first source of information. Many people fail to realize that there are many sources that can provide them with the information they need, but this doesn't mean that you should use these sources for your resume. Instead, you should find several different sources and consider which one is the best for you. One of the places that you can find the best information on writing a resume is in an online job search site. An online job site is a great place to look for the information you need when you are looking for the information on writing a resume that you need. These sites often feature a large amount of resumes, but this doesn't mean that they are all good. When you use an online job site to look for the information on writing a resume, you will have access to information that you have never had before, so you should take advantage of this.The resumes that you will find at these sites often have a ton of information on them, but many of them are duplicates of the information that you find elsewhere. This is where the online job site comes in handy. By using this site you will be able to get tons of resumes, but you will also be able to decide which ones you want to keep and which ones you want to discard.Another place that you can find the information on writing a resume is by taking a class. There are many times that you will need this type of information in order to create a resume that is both professional looking. You can find many online classes for this information on writing a resume, and it is important to take a class if you need this type of information.One of the most popular resume format is the chronological format. There are a number of people who will use the chronological format to help them sort through their resumes, but it isn't the only format. You can also find information on writing a resume in either the chronological or the hybrid format, but each format is effective in its own way.The goal is to make sure that the information on writing a resume that you include is one that is useful to you and to others. One way to make sure that you do this is to create a resume that is unique and one that can stand out among the rest. This can be done by using the information on writing a resume that you find online, by creating a resume that has different formatting, or by taking a class that will help you create a unique resume.Remember that there is plenty of information on writing a resume out there, but that you can use different formats to help you achieve this goal. Remember that the more personal you make your resume, the more it will be read and the more likely it will be to be successful. By being creative and looking for the best information on writing a resume, you will be able to successfully make your resume stand out from the rest and create a successful career.

My Role In The World - Making a Difference

My Role In The World - Making a Difference Recently, I have become fixated on what my role in the world should be.   I find myself grappling with questions along the lines of:   What is my next era of meaningful work?   What is my best and highest use to society?   Where can I make a real difference? The longer it takes to figure this out, the higher the bar seems to get.   After all, the longer you wait for the equivalent of Mr (or Ms) Right to come along, the less willing you are to “settle” for “good enough”.   Nothing short of being completely swept off your feet will do. Fortunately, I did find Mr Right in my personal life, and in a moment of despair, I mournfully blurted out, “I wish I could figure out what my role in the world should be.”   What I wanted from my husband was sympathy, advice, and maybe even some ideas about my professional life.   This was his reply: “Well, I’ve got news for you.   You don’t have much of a role in The World.”   Brief pause.   “So stop worrying about it.”     Then, silence. Fortunately, after 25 years of marriage, he still finds a way to make me laugh and stop taking myself so seriously, usually from blunt but true statements like this.   Then again, maybe I have learned to laugh rather than take frequent offense.   Most importantly, he usually is right, especially when I have my face pressed right up against the mirror and cannot see things clearly.   This is both irritating and gratifying, sometimes in equal degrees. “The world is big,” he went on to say, “and most people won’t ever know you.   But there’s a big difference between your world and the world.   Focus on your world and make a difference there.” Upon reflection, very few people actually make a lasting difference in the world, and the half-life of public recognition is briefer than we think.   Can most people name the past leaders of their countries, much less what they accomplished?   In 50 years’ time, will the world at large remember even Oprah?   And if so, will it be for doing good deeds, being a shrewd businesswoman, or overcoming adversity?   And some people are notable for making a negative difference:   Hitler and Stalin come to mind. Even people like Mother Theresa and Mahatma Gandhi who did change the world started out small, touching just a few people at a time.   So you never know how things may turn out, but sometimes it is by doing small things well and with care that they become bigger things than we ever imagined. At least for now, I am back to a more realistically achievable goal of making a difference in my part of the world.   I have to say the load feels much lighter!   And it feels good to laugh, even if it is mostly at my own expense.

6 Common Job Search Myths (And How To Shatter Them)

6 Common Job Search Myths (And How To Shatter Them) 6 Common Job Search Myths (And How To Shatter Them) Cover Letters / Job Search / Networking / Working with Recruiters There’s a lot of career advice online. I’ve certainly written my share. Despite all the easily accessible career information, several myths seem to remain. The most obvious is that the best way to find a job is to apply for as many employment ads as possible. It’s not. Spending all day working the job boards is unlikely to land you a job. Creating a list of target employers and strategically networking your way into the company will yield better results. Here are 6 common job search myths that continue to persist. #1 You can’t get a job through social media. While you may not get hired by sending a tweet, employers are increasingly turning to social media for recruiting purposes. Corporate and contingency recruiters have been on social media for years. Many post jobs on LinkedIn, Facebook, and even twitter. Not sure if a “real person” is behind those posts? Respond to them and see. Social media is also a valuable place to make connections. Connections who may help you when you need a job. The secret is to take those online relationships offline via phone, Skype, or in person if possible. #2 You only need to network when you’re out of work. It’s still surprising to meet people at networking events who have just lost their jobs and are scrambling to make connections. But, it happens all the time. Often their excuse is that they are so busy working that they don’t have time to get out to monthly meetings. The problem is that people are much more likely to help a friend, or someone they at least know, than someone they’ve just met. Running around pushing your business card on strangers isn’t likely to produce any help with your job search. Build your network before you need it so they will be there to catch you. #3 You only need to engage with recruiters when you’re looking. Think twice before brushing off recruiters because you’re not looking right now. Recruiters are only human. They will remember the way you treated them when they contacted you. Be polite even if you’re not interested. If a job isn’t right for you, refer someone else who might be interested. Keep in touch with recruiters in your industry. It will make it easier for you to reach out to them when you unexpectedly find yourself out of work. #4 Adding your current job to your old resume will work.   While you may think that adding one job to your old resume doesn’t make much of a difference, it does. Strong resumes have been carefully crafted. The content has been strategically selected and tightly written to fit on two pages. So when you decide to add a job, or two, everything else comes in to play. At the very least, the entire resume needs to be rethought and revamped. Content aside, resume formatting changes over time. You wouldn’t wear the same interview suit you did five years ago why would you use the same resume? If you’re adding more than one job or it’s been five years or more your resume should be rewritten. #5 You don’t need a cover letter. Whether or not cover letters make a difference is hotly disputed. For every recruiter who says they don’t read cover letters, there is another one who says they do. Some say that a candidate’s cover letter can make a candidate’s application stronger. While resumes are relatively formal, a cover letter is your opportunity to tell the recruiter or hiring manager more about you. Perhaps provide some insight into why you went into your current career or your leadership style. Given that many recruiters do put quite a bit of weight on a candidate’s cover letter, why wouldn’t you take the time to write one? #6 You don’t need a thank you note, either.   Most career professionals will advise sending a thank you note. Most candidate’s will say they know they should send a thank you note. Yet, very few candidates actually send them. As with a cover, why not? Sending a thank you note is a sign of respect. So few candidate’s send thank you notes it immediately makes you stand out in a good way. It’s also an opportunity to sell yourself to a potential employer. You can use a thank you note to: mention anything you forgot to say during the interview; address any concerns raised during the interview; and/or provide ways you can solve the employer’s problems. Finding and securing a job isnt easy. Dont let job search myths hold you back. Change your tactics today to change your results tomorrow.

How to Get Honest Feedback at Work - Career Advice Blog for Millennials

How to Get Honest Feedback at Work - Career Advice Blog for Millennials Getting better at your job means knowing about areas in which you need to improve. However, that doesn’t mean your coworkers or bosses are providing you with that information, or that you get it in a timely fashion. If you receive information months after a project has finished or weeks after a meeting with clients that didn’t go very well, it might not give you the ability to improve. If you only receive a performance review once a year, you aren’t getting enough actionable information. Looking to change that and get the insight you need? Here are a few ways you can elicit and give feedback to your colleagues. 1. Ask How You Can Improve You have the most control when it comes to your job performance and where you want to take your career, and if you’re doing something well or have areas you need to improve, you’re the only one who can make the choice to improve those areas. However, if you don’t know about them, you can’t improve them. Take an active role in your job and in getting feedback from others. A few questions you can ask include: Was there a better way I could have handled that task? Are you satisfied with the outcome of this situation? Why or why not? I could have taken several approaches to this task. How do you think I handled it? Be aware that your colleagues might not open up immediately with responses to your questions. They may feel like they are going to upset you or hurt your feelings â€" and most people don’t want to intentionally hurt others. Be patient and don’t be afraid to ask again on the next project. 2. Be Willing to Give Feedback Yourself One of the ways to help solve the feedback issue with your colleagues is to start giving feedback when appropriate. You can start by pointing out your coworkers’ strengths and letting them know what they did well on a certain project. As time goes on, you may mix in constructive criticism to help them improve. If you do this often and well, your colleagues may start to return the favor, giving you invaluable information to improve your work performance. Getting your coworkers to like and trust you is a first step in getting them to give and receive valuable feedback. 3. Know Giving and Receiving Feedback Can Be Difficult Even if you’ve solicited feedback from your boss or coworkers, you might react negatively to what they have to say. According to psychological studies, criticism is viewed by our brain as a threat to our survival, so our brain tries to protect us. After all, we are being told how to improve, and it could be hard for us to hear that we’re not as good as we think we are. However, if feedback is given in the proper way, it could help you and your colleagues get better at your jobs. Keep in mind: Constructive feedback has to come from a credible source, and you have to trust the person who is giving you the feedback It has to be given at an appropriate time and be conveyed with good intentions The message has to be clear The manner in which feedback is given has to be interactive. Following these guidelines could potentially help you and your coworkers communicate feedback with one another in an effective and efficient manner that will benefit everyone on the team. 4. Turn Negative Feedback Into a Positive If you truly want to improve your work performance, you need to realize not everything you do is going to be perfect. Receiving and giving feedback means focusing on the positive aspects of your work and those areas that need improvement. While your brain will try to protect you from the negative comments and perhaps make you angry or defensive, realize this is happening and attempt to push the feelings aside. Listen to what your colleagues tell you, then store that information to mull over later. They may or may not give you advice that is helpful, but it’s important to listen to what they have to say and consider it. From there, you can turn the interaction into a learning experience and find ways to improve your performance. Getting feedback is an invaluable tool to improve your performance at work. Not everyone will give it freely, and when they do give it, it might not always be applicable or helpful. However, take the time to listen to what they have to say and consider whether you can incorporate their words to improve how you work. Feedback may just be exactly what you need to further your career. Do you have any other advice on how to give and receive feedback? Share it in the comments below and subscribe to the newsletter for more information on ways to advance your career. Get everything you need to build a career you love by signing up for the newsletter.

Getting a Job After Your College Experience - What to Do in the Job Search When Youre a Freshman

Getting a Job After Your College Experience - What to Do in the Job Search When You're a FreshmanQuizzlet is a text editor that works in combination with Joomla. Quizzlet was developed by Branimir Boulecski and is used by members of the Joomla project team. Quizzlet gives you an easy interface to create your resume while giving you the flexibility to customize to make your resume stand out.Before you begin writing your resume, it is important to know what type of work you will be seeking and a couple of keywords that describe what you do. By using keywords you can tell potential employers that you are someone who is competent and committed to their business. This is important because it gives you an advantage when submitting your resume to job sites.While there are many options for doing research online for an interesting niche or topic that you may want to pursue, this can be a tedious process. By using a powerful search engine you can do this process much faster and easier. You do not have to sift through dozens of job sites to find one that fits you.Questions in question boxes can also help you keep your resume's theme. You can also customize them to be more personalized, even if they do not contain your exact words. Doing this is an excellent way to get your resume seen by potential employers. It also helps with building your career and your skill set.Now that you know how to format your resume objective properly you are ready to submit it to a job site. What happens next depends on the site that you submit your resume to. Some sites will take your resume and ask for a few basic details such as the job title, contact information, company contact information, as well as dates and expected salary. Then the resume will be reviewed by a member of the site staff and if everything looks good, the resume will be reviewed by the company. If everything looks ok, you will receive an acknowledgement, then you will receive an email thanking you for your application.The re are many different job sites available online that offer an employment database. This database may not contain everyone in the local area or just certain job types. Some of these sites are job boards where people post resumes and all that this implies.Once you have done your initial search, just choose a job that is just right for you. A large part of the fun of job searching is finding jobs that you would be happy with. Doing this online is a fun way to do so. Quizzlet, which allows you to write your resume in as little as fifteen minutes, is just one of the many websites that are available.

The Upside to Writing a Resume Formatting

The Upside to Writing a Resume Formatting Vital Pieces of Writing a Resume Formatting You should organize your resume to assist agencies evaluate your experience. Remember a prospective employer can request a duplicate of your transcripts, thus it's important to be up front and truthful about your GPA. If you don't supply the info necessary for the hiring agency to learn your qualifications, you may not be considered for the job. Resumes are different in lots of ways. If you are in need of a quick kick-start on developing a template first, take a look at a resume builder before employing a professional. When you format your resume you wish to be sure your leave enough margin space to permit for printing. The very last thing you would like to do is receive a job which you can't do. Well it is all dependent on whether the job posting instructions specify a specific format. The Most Popular Writing a Resume Formatting You're able to simply incorporate a quick overview of every one of the five ECQs somewhere in your resume. You may give a concise description of accomplishments and duties for each. Resume guidelines can fluctuate from industry to industry, therefore it's wise to get familiar with specific industry examples. In some instances, you will be supplied specific guidelines for formatting your resume. Make certain that it's not likely to hurt your odds of finding the job. It's also important to think about the type of work you genuinely wish to be hired to do. To create an expert career resume, the very first issue to remember is you have to proofread it several times to check for typos or to edit details and data. There are only some of the means by which you may have a resume that is guaranteed for success. Why Almost Everything You've Learned About Writing a Resume Formatting Is Wrong Just make sure, whichever format you pick, which you're targeting it for the job which you're applying to. Choosing the most suitable format is normall y a matter of the way to best showcase your most important strengths relative to the job that you are applying for. Resume formatting contains the manner in which you manipulate text size, fonts, margins and other facets of the text on the webpage to be able to highlight sections, headings, and data on your resume.