The latest on all kinds of information, news, and resources that help you make working remotely better.
What Job Hunters Should Expect in 2019 | Hannah Morgan, Money.usnews.com
If you’re starting to think about looking for a new job, there are new protocols and “rules” to learn before dropping your resume on every online job board. Here’ what you need to know to and a new job in the new year.
Learn how ATS works
Almost every company uses an applicant tracking system to process resumes and build a database of candidates. Recruiters search the resumes for keywords to pare down the results to a smaller number of candidates who exactly match their criteria. Because of how prevalent these systems are, it’s so important that you take time to customize or refocus your resume for each job you apply to and ensure it includes the appropriate keywords and skills.
A one-page resume hurts more than it helps
For you to adequately highlight your work accomplishments (not just regurgitate your job description) and keep the font size readable, your resume may run onto a second page, especially if you have more than five years of work experience. 2019 may finally be the year to dump the old notion that your resume should fit on a single page.
The interview process will be rigorous.
You may be asked to complete an online personality assessment, work simulation assignment or video interview, or to participate in an interview over a meal. As a result, the hiring process will take longer than you expect. Be patient and understand that the employer wants to hire the best match for the role, considering more factors than just your skills.
Know your worth.
It’s relatively easy to research salaries using online salary calculators, but don’t stop there. Talk to people who work in your desired city and ask them what the going rate is for the work they do. This is especially helpful if you are changing careers or pursuing your first job after college. Using both these methods to research salaries allows you to command more respect when negotiating salary.
Join employer communities.
In order to join these communities, you must first identify companies that interest you. This is often as simple as thinking of your current company’s competitors or companies that appear on “best of” or “top employer” lists.
Find someone to refer you.
With your list of companies, begin meeting with people you know and ask them who they know who works for companies on your list. If you state that you are looking for more information about the company and its culture, you’re more likely to get help than asking for a job within one of those companies.
Look beyond the job boards.
Job boards will help you research the job market, keywords and job titles so you can target the appropriate types of roles. But don’t count on any one source to uncover job opportunities.
In fact, the highest quality new hires don’t come from job boards; they come from employee referrals. Expect to see more employees sharing job opportunities on social networks as companies incentivize their employees through referral programs.
Freshen up your LinkedIn profile.
Today’s savvy workers understand that a vibrant LinkedIn profile helps tell their career story.
Use your summary section to answer the question, “Tell me about yourself.” Explain what motivates you and provide information that would help a potential employer understand what makes you tick. Even more importantly, a LinkedIn profile carefully crafted with the appropriate keywords and skills helps recruiters discover potential candidates.
Watch for job ads on social media.
The next time you’re on Facebook or Instagram, pay attention to the ads you’re seeing. While every company is on LinkedIn, they realize that employed individuals may not check LinkedIn regularly. To catch the attention of employed individuals, expect to see more companies posting advertisements on other social networks, too.
Don’t forget to consider remote work.
Working remotely is growing in popularity among employees and employers. Just watch out for scams by carefully vetting all opportunities prior to providing any information online or through email.
While we are always stuck with the same 24-hour period every single day, there are easy ways we can improve our time management and pave the way for a much better life both in and out of work. Here are some practical time management tips for your consideration:
Prioritize
Prioritization simply means focusing first on those things that are very important. In the office, for example, there will always be tasks that demand your utmost attention while there are also those that can be deferred for another time. The same is true in the house. You’ve got to check which ones will be requiring your attention first. Unfortunately, this means you’ve got to have a system that will help you assess each situation in an objective manner.
Delegate
Delegate the tasks that you think other individuals can safely and effectively carry out. Leave the more important ones to you. Keep in mind to check the capabilities of the person to whom you are delegating. Give only those tasks that you are confident they can handle with ease.
Select a Target
When you set a target, make sure that it is realistic. This requires a deeper understanding of what needs to be done. You have to look at the difficulty of completing the task including other factors that may have an impact on the accomplishment of said task.
Don’t Procrastinate
Procrastination doesn’t only affect your productivity; it also shows your lack of respect for the others who are working their butts to complete their tasks. Additionally, you are wasting your energy by engaging in non-essential activities.
Take a Short Breather
Working for eight continuous hours is not only counterproductive, it also exposes you to a number of health problems, including stress. You may start the day feeling energized but as the day progresses, your energy levels dwindle, often compounded by work-related stress. If you continue, you will find yourself unable to complete anything. The best remedy is to take a short 5- to 10-minute breather just to “recharge” yourself. This will help you complete more tasks as the day progresses.
Time management need not be difficult. Whether it’s in the house or in the office, you can employ these tips to make the most out of your daily 24 hours.
The 4 Work-From-Home Secrets No One Talks About | Rieva Lesonsky, Smallbiztrends.com
A recent survey of 1,000 employees—including those who work at home full time, work at the office full time, or split their work time between home and office—delved into the downside. Here are four things few people will admit about working from home, and how to keep these problems from getting out of control.
1. It Makes People Jealous
Full-time office workers are less likely than remote or split-time workers to be satisfied with their jobs overall, their compensation, their career growth opportunities and their work-life balance. They’re also less likely to feel that their employers value them. Overall, 78% of all survey respondents believe people who work from home are happier.
Solution:
If people with certain job descriptions get to work remotely and others don’t, those stuck at the office can feel slighted. Think of other perks you can provide to enhance their morale. Take advantage of their presence in the office to provide lots of feedback, and make the effort to connect with them on a daily basis.
2. It can get lonely
Three of the top four things work-at-home employees miss about the office involve colleagues:
- Being around other people: 38%
- Office camaraderie: 35.2%
- Free coffee: 29.6%
- Parties/social events: 23.1%
More than half (51.2%) of work-at-home employees admit feeling lonely during the day, and 48.1% say they plan to return to an office environment eventually.
Solution:
Plan regular interactions to keep work-at-home employees in the loop. Video conferences, conference calls or monthly in-person meetings can help them feel part of the team. If you use chat tools like Slack, be sure to include remote workers in the discussions, too.
3. It can encourage watching TV during work hours
More than three-fourths (76.1%) of work-from-home employees admit they’ve watched TV on the job at some point. Here’s what else home-based employees have done while they’re supposed to be working:
- Personal tasks 64.6%
- Shower 44.7%
- Run errands 35.2%
- Exercise 33.5%
- Go out for coffee 27.6%
- Leave the house without telling anyone 20.4%
Solutions:
If you’re concerned that household distractions are cutting into work-at-home employees’ productivity, however, institute some rules. Require employees to check in at certain points during the day or schedule daily team calls. Most important, make your expectations clear.
4. It can encourage poor personal grooming
Fewer than half of work-at-home employees regularly shower before starting their workday, and just 60% brush their teeth.
However, nearly one-fourth of office workers don’t brush their teeth in the morning, and 45% admit they don’t regularly take showers before work. I guess there are some secrets people don’t tell you about the office, either.
Solution:
You can’t control what employees do at home. For those in the office, consider putting mouthwash in your employee restrooms, and stocking up on air freshener for the office.
Conclusion:
Do work-at-home employees or office-based employees have it better? Surprisingly, the survey found that employees who split their time between home and office are the ones who have the best of both worlds. Split-time workers report the highest satisfaction with their family life, their work-life balance, and their co-worker relationships. They’re also most likely to feel that their employers value them.
You’re already busy at work. And now the holidays are coming! How to get it all done? Here are a few ideas.
End your year early. Step up the focus on your most critical projects now. Aim to get them wrapped up by midmonth. As much as possible, resist scheduling important tasks for the last week of the year.
Ritualize your work. Here’s how this works: Associate different tasks with different “rituals.” It can be as simple as always returning phone calls before lunch, for example, or only answering emails between 3 and 4 p.m. The more rigid and structured you are, the better this approach works.
Identify your “golden hour.” Determine what time of day is optimum for you, and schedule your hardest tasks for then.
Make lists for everything. Have work lists, gift lists, food lists, goals lists, etc. The buzz you get from crossing off items as you complete them boosts your energy level and helps you feel more in control.
Get away from it all. A few hours in a new environment can jostle your brain into high gear. Also, being away from your usual work site makes it harder for co-workers to find and interrupt you.
Bundle activities. When setting up meetings, for example, don’t schedule one for Monday, one for Wednesday and one for Thursday. Do them all on the same day, when you’re already in meeting mode and away from your regular routine/workstation.
Don’t forget to stay healthy. During the holidays it’s harder than usual to eat right and to get the exercise and sleep you need. So make these issues a priority (perhaps another list?).
Finally, consider that it may be impossible to do everything you want or even need to do. Plan to forgive yourself if something slides. Remember that saying no once in a while is OK.
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