A freelance writer’s online musings
Calvin posted this on Jun 17th 2008 under Business, Career Moves Column, Careers, Digital Marketing, Internet, My Sites, Technology, Writing
This week’s Career Moves is a bit interwebby, so I’ve posted it over on Digital Marketing Success instead of here.
It’s the first in a series of articles I’m doing for the Evening Echo on using the internet for market research when setting up/growing a small business.
Calvin posted this on Jun 7th 2008 under Business, Career Moves Column, Careers
It’s amazing how often small, seemingly innocuous words in the English language can be harbingers of much bigger things. Death, for example… there’s a small word with potentially huge implications.
Change is another one – small, unassuming, and for a lot of people utterly terrifying. We tend to be comfortable with constants – they’re safe and predictable; when things stay the same we feel secure, it’s the unknown that scares us… and venturing into the unknown is all part and parcel of change.
In today’s dynamic, high paced workplace, change is often the only real constant you’ll find. With the internet, connectivity, collaboration and interaction disrupting the accepted norms across a wide array of industries and sectors, nothing in business today seems to stay the same for very long.
The pace of change can be daunting. Sometimes it seems that no sooner have you acquired a new skill than it’s becoming obsolete. But I’ll let you into a little secret… this rapid pace of change is good for your career, as long as you’re ready to embrace it. With every change comes opportunity – to learn something new, do something different or develop in some way. If you’re willing to grab those opportunities with both hands, and you can adapt quickly to changing circumstances, then organisational change can be one of your biggest allies when it comes to career development.
As usual there are lessons to be learned from nature. Charles Darwin, the father of evolutionary theory, hit the nail on the head when he observed: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”
His biological insight makes a seamless transition to the workplace… if there’s one thing that will help your career to flourish, then it’s your ability to embrace and adapt to change. Yes your suite of skills is important, your experience invaluable and your education indispensable – and I’m not trying to belittle any of those things – but all other things being equal your ability to adapt to the changing dynamics of the modern workplace is often the defining characteristic for career success.
Look at some of the most successful people in the world today – are they the brightest, the most talented, the best educated? Some, maybe… but many of them aren’t.
While wealth shouldn’t really be used as a measure of success, in this instance it serves to illustrate a point. A few weeks ago the Sunday Times published its annual Rich List. Flicking through the pages reveals a wide array of people from all walks of life. Some of them are undoubtedly bright, talented and well educated individuals – but that’s probably not what propelled them into the rich list. Pick a random selection and scratch the surface, and what you’ll find that they have in common is unwavering tenacity and self belief, coupled with an amazing capacity to embrace, adapt to and thrive on change.
Take a leaf out of their book, condition yourself to embrace change, step outside of your comfort zones regularly and explore the unknown. When the wind of change blows, and opportunity knocks, you’ll be there, ready and waiting.
Photo Credit: All change, by Elsie esq.
Calvin posted this on May 20th 2008 under Career Moves Column, Careers
Published in The Evening Echo, 20/05/2008
There’s no getting around it, some jobs are just plain dangerous.
Working high up, work involving heavy lifting, working with machinery, working underground, working with dangerous animals, working in hostile environments… even dealing with the general public can have elevated risk levels. But what about your bog standard, run-of-the-mill office job. For the risk averse out there, surely that’s as safe as they come.
You might think so, but not according to scientists from the UK and New Zealand, who recently warned that office workers are at higher risk of potentially fatal blood clots. If you spend long hours sitting in front of your computer every day you double the risk of developing deep veined thrombosis (DVT), the same condition that affects passengers on long haul flights.
Researchers in Southampton and New Zealand questioned 200 patients admitted to hospital for either blood clots or heart problems, and compared how long each group was typically sitting in a given day, both in total and in a single period uninterrupted period.
“The risk of developing blood clots with prolonged seated immobility is largely unrecognised. However, this study has shown that it is at least as important a factor as long-distance air travel,” Professor Richard Beasley, from Wellington Hospital, New Zealand, told the Daily Telegraph.
“This study provides preliminary evidence that prolonged seated immobility at work may represent a risk factor for venous thromboembolism [DVT] requiring hospital admission.”
According to Prof. Beasley, both the Both total time seated at work in any given day, and the maximum time spent seated without getting up, contributed to the increased risk of DVT, which the authors say could be caused by increased pressure on the veins of the legs when sitting still. They warn that the risks can be exacerbated by sitting in overly cramped conditions, and by periods of intense concentration that tend to result in reduced muscle activity.
If your job involves sitting for long periods of time, the authors recommend that you minimise your exposure to risk by taking similar precautions to those advised for long-distance flights: periodically exercise and stretch your feet, ankles and calves, and make sure you take regular breaks to get up and walk around the office.
As if the threat of blood clots wasn’t enough of a health risk, in another study earlier this month researchers in the UK revealed that your computer keyboard is a microbial paradise. According to the research carried out in a busy London office the key’s you’re tapping away on every day could harbour more harmful bacteria than the average toilet seat. In fact, microbiologists conducting the research found the level of bacteria in one keyboard to be so high that they reportedly had it removed from the premises.
A separate study revealed that 10% of workers never clean their keyboards, while 20% never clean their mouse. So if you think you’re safe in your average, run-of-the-mill office job… think again. If the blood clots don’t get you, the bugs in your keyboard will!
Calvin posted this on May 5th 2008 under Business, Career Moves Column, Careers, Multi Tasking, Parenting, Time management
Who do you really work for?
It’s not a trick question, it’s not that I suspect you’re involved in some sort of shady commercial espionage. It’s a simple, straightforward query:
Do you work for your supervisor?
Do you work for your line manager?
Do you work for your HR Department?
Do you work for your CEO?
The answer, of course, is none of the above. When you break it down we go to work for ourselves. Whether we’re self employed, working on the shop floor, of a high-flying executive with a swanky corner office… we work to support ourselves, our families and the lifestyle we’ve chosen to live. Work is a means to an end, and while you might enjoy, or even love what you’re doing, ultimately it’s just a vehicle for your financial security, personal achievement and development, fulfilment and, ultimately, happiness.
Unfortunately we tend to forget all of that. We get caught up in the frantic hustle and bustle of working life. Long hours, stress, unrealistic expectations, unmanageable workloads and tortuous commutes conspire to erode the very things we’re working to secure.
