The Evolution of the Flexible Workspace

The Evolution of the Flexible Workspace Just a few years ago, being employed generally meant you worked in an office that’s exclusively used by the company. The whole space is divided by department, with each section occupied by a team of your colleagues who work together for a common goal: growing the business. It’s a common sight to see desks or cubicles positioned strategically across the room to maximize space. There’s a specific area for the copier machine and another for the coffee maker, with the boss’ office located in an area where he or she has a full view of the whole floor. This is still what you’ll frequently see in both small and big companies, however, there’s now this growing popularity of working in a flexible workspace. The Rise of Telecommuting A flexible workspace is a shared office space used by professionals who work in different industries. This is actually an old concept that started in the mid-60s, but the term was only coined in 1999. And when the new millennium came in, the internet became a huge factor in how businesses were run, giving rise to telecommuting. Many professionals are able to work in different locations and complete their tasks through a computer connected to the internet. This has revolutionized the way we work and where we can work, which helped in popularizing the concept of flexible working space. The Startup Revolution Telecommuting is not only convenient but also cost-effective. Transportation expenses are eliminated and the need for office space is taken out of the equation. However, there are times when working at home or at the nearest coffee shop isn’t enough, particularly if you’re working in a startup company. There has been a growing trend of entrepreneurs putting up a repeatable and scalable business model that aims to address a need. But in the process of starting and growing this business, everyone involved is limited by the amount of capital they have. This is the reason why many startups were born out of the founder’s garage. Now that more startups are coming out and are trying to make it big in their specific industry, there is a growing need for office spaces. Fortunately, flexible workspaces are starting to pop up to address this need. Employees from a startup company now have access to the basics of having a proper working space without spending capital just to acquire their own office space that they’ll eventually have to move out from once they start growing. The Pros and Cons Ticking off tasks at a flexible workspace has its pros and cons. But if you’re looking for a place where you need the right equipment and office features to complete tasks, it beats staying at home. You’ll be able to able to communicate with remote workers effectively with a more stable internet connection, with conference rooms that can help you focus on what needs to be discussed. Aside from making use of modern facilities at a fraction of the cost, you can be flexible in case you need to expand or cut down on operations. You’ll be paying only for the space that you need. However, you won’t be able to customize your working space according to your taste. Distractions are also part of the package since you’ll be sharing your ‘office’ with others who don’t work in the same company or industry. This also presents a risk in terms of information security. But if you have a way to work around these pitfalls, you can find comfort in a flexible workspace. For more information on the subject of flexible workspace, you can check out this handy infographic detailing its evolution and its potentially bright future. About the author: Betina Tañedo works as an account manager for Figari. She’s passionate about providing competitive, world-class facility management services and solutions. In her free time, she regularly visits her favorite coffee shops around the metro.

Top Tips for Working From Home

Top Tips for Working From Home Now and again we’re all made to work from home either by choice as professional freelancers or because of the sheer amount of work we have to do and the impending deadlines. This means  that we simply have to keep working whenever we can, burning the midnight oil. A lot of employees are now able to work remotely or have ‘work from home’ days because of the changing lifestyles we lead. This   enables us to resolve our childcare issues, cope with deliveries or essential visits from plumbers (for example), and we have our bosses to thank for these opportunities. In other instances, however, we have to work from home because weve got so much to do in so little time that we opt to do away with our home lives, evenings and weekends. We try to get to some level of completion where we’re far less stressed when we return to the office and the deadlines don’t look quite as scary. The problem is that working from home isn’t as easy as many feel it will be. There are all kinds of distractions around the home and because we’re in comfortable surroundings, possibly even still in our pajamas or the kind of clothing we’d wear around the house with no intention of leaving that day, we can’t find the same level of motivation that we would have when we put on the work clothes and sit down at our desks at 9am each morning. Sure, we can still make the traditional 8:55 cup of coffee and take the same kind of breaks, but it’s actually forcing ourselves to do the work that many struggle with, especially with nobody around to make sure we’re not slacking. It doesn’t actually matter where you work, whether it’s a designated home office in what used to be the spare room, on the kitchen table or you’ve bought a log cabin recently with the aim of making it into a home office so you can get away from the distractions; sometimes they will find you and you’ll soon find your productivity levels dropping. There are a few things you can do to get past these though, and make sure that you get back to the office at a point in the project you’re happy with, and so are your bosses. The first thing you should do to work from home successfully is to continue your working routine. If you normally have an alarm set for 7am with the intention of starting work at 9am, make sure that you keep that going. By doing this you have your normal waking up time and showered and got dressed, and once you’ve had your breakfast and coffee and packed the kids off to school you can sit down ready to work like nothing has changed. Before you get to your normal working hours, make sure that you find somewhere to work where you’re comfortable. Trying to do your work on a cluttered kitchen table or with a laptop on your knee in the living room is going to be a disaster because you’re not comfortable. Always work with a chair and desk, like you would in the office, whether you’re in the home office, or in the converted shed or log cabin in the garden. Having found this area, make sure that everyone else in the house knows it is off-limits until the end of your working day so that you’re not being disturbed. They wouldn’t walk into your place of work and this is essentially a place of work while you’re doing your tasks and, remember, being paid. You should also consider how important it is to be comfortable, not just for your productivity but also for your health. Offices now offer employees ergonomic chairs and desk accessories so that they are comfortable and in the best condition physically when they arrive at 9am and leave at 5pm. Doing this at home will also keep you in the same physical and mental state and will get you out of the temptation to sit with a laptop on your knee all day which could have a negative impact on your back, wrists and neck. Finally, if you receive any calls on your mobile phone or landline, remember that any of those could be your employer ringing to check that everything is alright, that you’re making progress on the project or because they need some information from you regarding something you’ve been working on, such as status updates for reporting. It’s important, therefore, that you answer your phone in a professional manner and also, if the children are at home, that it is you who answers all incoming calls.

What if you dont have an internship for summer

What if you dont have an internship for summer An internship might have been nice but now you come to think of it a decent break would be good too.  A bit of sun perhaps? Time to chillax? Maybe you just want to spend some time with friends. Great! You can do all that and still have a career productive summer  if you do some careful planning now. No internship = nothing useful Wrong! Its hard to get a  paid, structured  internship over the summer, close to impossible if youre in your first year at university. This doesnt mean that you can’t advance your career aspirations during the vacation. In fact, the good news is that almost anything you do will help you in the application process for a job. So, what’s out there? Customer Facing Jobs. Graduate employers love these. You  could work in a shop or a bar or a restaurant. For some this may feel  as though you are doing a dull and mundane job. Don’t dismiss the experience!Think what youre learning. You are enhancing your communication skills, you might be dealing with children or the elderly, not groups well represented on campus! You’ll have to be creative in finding ways to relate to the child in the shoe shop who doesn’t want to try on the school shoes, or the elderly person who wants a meal served within five minutes in a busy restaurant. You’ll probably be working as part of a team and you may well be negotiating or handling dispute resolution. You might also need to be meticulous in making sure that you get orders right, you’ll be demonstrating great attention to detail. The good news is that all of the above are exactly those employers look for in graduates and you’ll also be exhibiting a good work ethic. The job you thought might be a bit boring or be neath you can give you a real advantage. Volunteering. This is another great way to boost your employability, (read my recent post on the   subject). You can almost certainly pick up all the skills referred to above. Think really carefully about what you do. If you want to be a lawyer how about offering to help at a Law Centre or CAB? If you want a career in finance perhaps you could offer to look after the accounts of a local charitable group. If you  are interested in  HR how about doing something working directly with a specific group of people you don’t normally interact with, perhaps those suffering from Alzheimer’s or who are at the end of their lives? It’ll build your resilience and empathy and  most likely  be very rewarding too! Find a work shadowing opportunity. You might not be able to get an internship but you can try to persuade someone to let you work shadow for a while.   Some people will be lucky enough to have family or friends who can offer opportunities. By all means take advantage of anything on offer, but if you’re not in this position don’t despair. Future employers will attach more value to some work experience you managed to broker yourself, so get going and try to make something happen. This is going to be easier if you can get to a bigger conurbation. If home is in the wilds of the countryside you might need to think whether there is anywhere you can stay for part of the summer. Perhaps your rented accommodation for the next academic year will be accessible? Once you have decided where youll be, think what you might want to shadow. Do your research and get ready for your approach. Dust off the CV and ponder the cover letter. What do you want? Work shadowing to build your CV and move your career aspirations forward. What m ight your target employer want? S/he probably doesnt have an aspiration to advance your career and might regard having someone watching him / her as a bit of a nuisance. Can you frame your letter so that youre not just  pointing out how valuable it would be for you to have a shadowing opportunity? What about thinking what you could do for her/him? Perhaps you could provide some administrative help? Maybe the organisation needs some help with its social media? Youre much more likely to be successful if you can offer something of value. Set up your own business. This doesnt have to be anything big scale. If theres no job on the horizon for you, why not set up something for yourself? You could become the local gardener or provide IT support for businesses.   Think what great skills youll be picking up as you market yourself and your business idea. Youll have  lots to talk about at interview too. Be Creative. This is particularly important if you want a creative career. I am obviously a fan of blogging, but if you want a career involving any kind of writing it would be great idea to get blogging. You might set up your own blog, start to comment on other blogs or offer to write for a blog you admire and follow. Writing for journals and magazines or offering drawings or photographs could also be worthwhile. If you make unsolicited contact with publishers or bloggers offering your services youre in a win/win situation. If they take your offering youre on track to raise your profile. If they dont, they might just think about you in the future. If its an outright no, then thats fine too. You didnt lose anything you already had! If your creativity is more in the field of the performing arts why not look out for drama projects to which you could contribute over the summer? There are lots about and many will be glad of an extra pair of hands. Just be aware that this might not be such a last minut e thing. If youre working with children or the vulnerable the organisers will need time to do the police DBR check to confirm your suitability. So, the message is, theres a lot out there for you to do during the summer. Throw yourself in to something which interests you or makes you money. Chances are youll end up enjoying it and youll have collected lots of lovely employability skills to impress prospective employers.

Save on shoes because life is short!

Save on shoes because life is short! Sometimes, a Career Girls gotta do what a Career Girls gotta do. And, sometimes, you want to do what you have to do I suppose its that last point that really irks me about the phrase.  It is no more or less thrilling than any other satisfactory experienceeven if that experience is fulfilling a responsibility.  For example, at this particular moment, my saying would read Life is short; rock that paper.  While that certainly isnt as cutesie or as painless as the original, it is so much more meaningful. When life is truly as short as the saying implies, wouldnt you rather spend it responsibly?  That is not to say you never drink champagne or take a fabulous vacationthose things have their virtues.  By responsibly, I mean, live your short life in a way that fulfills, not only your immediate desires, but your promises to others and yourself. Here is the kicker:  it is thrilling to be responsible.  Pick your jaws up off of the floor and proceed to the following example, please.  The thought of being responsible sounds TERRIBLE.  Your six-year-old-self is inches away from smashing that piggy bank, I know.  ITS THE SHOES, MOLLY! you squeal, HOW CAN I ENJOY MY LIFE WITHOUT BUYING THE SHOES?  But then, something happensmaybe you rent your first apartment, maybe you pay your first bill, maybe you donate to something you really, truly care about.  All of a sudden, you feel themthe responsibility thrills!  As a newly minted adult, for me its the combination of validation and satisfaction.  I find myself thinking, I really can do this!  For those of you who are still doubtful, I have plenty of fun maybe more than my mother would approve of,  and still thoroughly enjoy finishing that paper and writing that rent check. What gives you the responsibility thrills? Happy life-making!

Wow. Im Seen As Older - Is This The End

Wow. I'm Seen As Older - Is This The End What a wake up call I got the other day! I had approached my bank of 40 years to extend a loan to complete a small property development I have been doing. Let me say right up front, I’m into my 60’s now. Financially I’m OK, don’t have any real borrowings, am still working in a profession I love, and frankly have no real intentions of throwing it in until my clients tell me I no longer add value.Anyway, back to my story. I received a note from my banking Relationship Manager saying I needed to provide a whole lot of additional information. Now, they know my financial state of health very well and so I went back and asked why I was being put through this particular mill. In writing she said I needed to understand that, although financially secure and with a squeaky clean track record I was…..well……older It got me to thinking. How easy it must be for an older job seeker to give up in the face of apparent ageism. How hard it must be for them to front up to the job search me rry go round thinking that they may well be automatically be rejected. So, I thought, let’s explore that subject.There is a lot of research that shows that working on into life keeps us young and, frankly, alive. It keeps us connected, contemporary, focused on bigger things. It keeps us relevant, engaged. What many people seem to forget is that it gives us a chance to pass on knowledge gathered over a lifetime of work. That in turn helps equip a newer generation to cope more quickly, more efficiently, more relevantly and, hopefully, with fewer mistakes along the way.So, you’re an older job seeker. What can you do to market yourself effectively?THE TEN RULES OF SELLING YOURSELF IN TODAY’S EMPLOYMENT MARKETeval1. KEEP FITTake care of yourself. Implement that exercise program you put off until “tomorrow”. Start walking or swimming, and stick to it. Research shows that interviewers make their first decision about you at the 30 second mark. Yes, that’s right, 30 seconds! In t hat time all they can do is give you the once over, so look that part. Look healthy and well.2. DRESS CONTEMPORARILYNo, I’m not advocating the “mutton dressed as lamb” approach. What I’m suggesting is making sure that when you present at any meeting you look right at home. Make sure that your tie width and suit is reasonably “modern”, the hemline of your skirt reflects the time â€" all things dress and grooming are noticed when they don’t fit the pattern.3. TAILOR YOUR RESUMEBring it right up to date and make sure it is tailor made to address the role for which you are applying. Ensure it reflects your experience in doing the specified tasks before and, importantly, provide evidence of what you have achieved in doing them. It is your achievements, in other words what you can prove you have contributed, that will set you apart from your competitors.4. TAILOR A SHORT COVERING LETTERevalJust a one pager, that’s all. Carefully identify the selection criteria and show not only how you meet them, but also how well you have contributed in those areas. Quantify those achievements as research shows that numbers have more impact than words.5. UNDERSTAND AND SELL YOUR PATTERN OF SUCCESSevalThe best and most switched on interviewers are looking for the patterns that make up our life and our work. It is this pattern that enables them to predict the trend, that is, what we will be like in the job and work environment if they hire us. Make sure that your resume and interview performance highlight those successes, those ways of working over time that have set you apart. After all, past “behaviour” predicts future behaviour, so let the employer see the advantages that accrue if they hire you.6. UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU HAVE TO OFFERWe older workers offer employers a lot of advantages. We have “been there, done that”. We have worked in, or managed businesses through the ups and downs, we have managed difficult people, we have a strong The employment market ri ght now is competitive and tough. You have to hang in there understanding it is a numbers game. The more you network, the more applications you make, the more companies you approach direct, the better your chances of winning that next job. Sure, you’ll get rejections along the way, but don’t be deterred. Remember your objective. Hang in there. The opportunities will drop.10. STAY IN CONTROLI’m talking about you being in control of your own job search. Don’t look to consultants as the “silver bullet”. They handle only about 30% of the available jobs. Look at making direct approaches, look at extending your network and working it hard. Tap into the hidden job market. Work the numbers and the results will follow. It is YOUR job search and only you will devote 100% effort to it.So, back to my bank. Well, I’m not going to give up on them BUT I am going to follow my own advice. I am going to explore options and look for other financial institutions for whom age is just a num ber. I know that there is a bank or credit union out there who will value the business I bring to them. It is up to me to take control of my search for that institution, to make my case and sell myself as a good investment.I can do that because I have done it before.I know the rules and I know how to play the game.Do you?

How Freelancers Should Create LinkedIn Profiles - CareerEnlightenment.com

Step No. 2: Create Experience Sections for Noteworthy WorkIf youve ever been hired by a recognizable brand or received amazing testimonials from a single client, separate those out into two or three experience sections. This strategy will help improve your chances of showing up in search results for related work. It will also help tell your story, since you can segment out testimonials and media examples for your best work.These tangential sections should each have a beginning and an end date. You want to avoid looking like you have too many pots on your stove. The only Experience section that should be set to Present should be the catch-all from Step No. 1.Think of these sections as highlight reels, to illustrate the level of work you are capable of, what you’re the most proud of and whom you rub elbows with.Be careful when putting a large brand as an employer, though. Many brands monitor the people who say they’ve been their employees. So in the Position line, really make it cl ear that this was freelance or consulting work.Here are some essential elements to include:3 to 5 recommendations as testimonials for each sectionBullets for the work you did and the business outcome you helped the companies achieveMedia, such as slides, video or images showing your workSo your final output will look something like this, times two or three:Big Brand Bob, March 2011-May 2011Title: Contractor3 to 5 bullet points showing your main activities and the results you achieved3 to 5 recommendations that would function as testimonials of a job well doneMedia entries showing your final outputStep No. 3: Your ProjectsProject sections are like Experience sections, but they don’t let you attach media or collect testimonials. They offer you a chance to share a website, add names of other people who helped you and let you associate the projects with your catch-all Experience section.You can move this entire section to the bottom of your LinkedIn profile and not let it clutter up t he flow for your reader.So if you want to collect information regarding past projects or other significant work, put it here.Step No. 4: Headlines and Summary SectionsThe basic structure of LinkedIn mirrors a newspaper article â€" the most important information goes at the top and more details are revealed the further down you read.Therefore, if you are trying to get more gigs as a freelancer, make sure your headline and current employer reflect this.Your headline might be a simple benefit statement of what you do and the results you provide. The goal here is to inspire someone who has done a search to click on your LinkedIn profile from the list of search results.Your current position needs to show the catch-all Experience section from Step No. 1.Your Summary section should function as your brochure â€" your sales pitch.A good sales pitch should have these four elements told in first-person story form:1) A description of the problem you solve2) Your unique promise in fixing the pro blem3) Overwhelming proof that you have done so before4) A call to actionThanks for Your InputI want to thank the following people for their input and for inspiring me to write the article: Lynda Bundock, Anna Camacho, Stephanie McDonald, Mark Lynch, Garrett Brown, Teddy Burriss, Lynne Cogan, Joel Renner, Kevin Grubb, Howard Fox, Jeff Stoltzfus, Pauline Foley, Sabrina Woods, Jim Brennan, Ella M. W. Kellum, Heather Krasna, Sharla Taylor, Greg Miraglia and Teresa Adams

Professional Resume Writing Services in Minnesota Can Help You Land That Job

Professional Resume Writing Services in Minnesota Can Help You Land That JobThere are professional resume writing services in Minnesota that can help you get a job as well as help you and your resume to land on the top of the pile. Resume writing is an art, and some people have very good ideas on how to write a resume and do it quickly and effectively. There are certain skills that you need to be able to master if you want to find a job that is going to allow you to live a better quality of life.If you want to find a career that is going to allow you to do what you love for a living and make more money doing it, then you are going to have to take the steps to accomplish this and develop these skills so that you are ready to succeed. You need to make sure that you're looking for a career that will allow you to help people with their needs in today's society and also learn the skills that will get you where you want to go. If you want to be successful in your future, you're going to ha ve to master the skills needed to do this.You are not going to be able to handle all of these things if you just sit around and wait for career advancement to come to you. You need to find a way to start earning money right now and continue to earn more of it for years to come. If you find yourself to be in this position, you need to look for professional resume writing services in Minnesota to help you get that career that you want to pursue and all the skills you need to be successful.These skills are extremely important because it will allow you to do a lot of things. You can learn many different things that will allow you to know how to handle all of the different issues that you will encounter during your career. Your career advancement will come to you instead of you having to look for it.This means that you have to learn how to perform these things that allow you to write a professional resume. It also means that you have to learn how to use these skills properly, especially when it comes to your cover letter. A cover letter is going to be the single most important document in your entire career and if you're doing a good job with it, you will be remembered for the rest of your life.The cover letter is also going to be the one that is going to make or break your chances of getting a job offer because you will be showing the hiring manager why you are qualified for the position and what you can do for them in the job. This is the reason why you need to hire a professional resume writing service in Minnesota. They have the experience and the knowledge to be able to help you craft a cover letter that will stand out and impress the hiring manager.It might sound easy to you, but a good resume really needs to be written to make an impression on the hiring manager and to impress them. If you don't believe me, then go online and try to find a sample resume that someone has written that matches your skill set. Most likely, you're going to find that you wrote it yourself because you had no idea how to do it correctly and you were still able to finish it in less than 30 minutes.However, if you use a professional resume writing service in Minnesota, they are going to spend the time to understand your skills, your personality, and your writing style so that they can develop a resume that is going to be great for you. You can make this career choice and succeed if you are ready to put in the effort.