Making the Most of Remote Work

 Making the Most of Remote Work

By Meghan Jarret

Although many companies are bringing their workforces back into the workplace, many employees across the country have resorted to keeping their employees remote due to the still pertinent effects of COVID-19. As a result, many employees, including myself as a remote intern, have found themselves with a lack of motivation and focus that may result in the diminished quality of work employees are producing. Since we are all in this together, I want to share some of the useful tips that have helped me keep a routine and stay motivated and focused while working remotely for the past couple of months. 

First and foremost, one of the main tips I found to be helpful is maintaining a routine, meaning your regular morning routine, hourly work schedule, and break times. In keeping a routine, you can return to some sense of normalcy in working despite being at home and maintain structure to your day since we can easily become distracted while working remotely. Similarly, maintaining your break times is a crucial part of staying productive during your workday. It’s important to take time for yourself to benefit both your mental health and productivity by walking away from your work for a period of time. In my experience, taking a walk during my lunch break is a great way to move away from your workspace and have some peace of mind in the fresh air, especially on a sunny fall day! 

 Next, let's talk about your workspace. Because in the office you had your workspace apart from home life, it was significantly easier to separate the two settings. Now, however, the two have seemed to be intertwined with family, pets, and chores always present. To help combat the intermingling of the two, it is important to have a designated space apart from everything else that is solely dedicated to working. Furthermore, set expectations for that workspace, especially around other family members entering the space. Having a separate space will result in higher productivity and focus as there is a multitude of distractions that exist when working remotely. 

In addition, socialization is a key dynamic in the workplace that many of us have lost due to the pandemic. As a result, communication is key when working remotely. Having full transparency in asking for help and over-communicating your needs will greatly benefit you in the end as others know that you are making the effort to communicate and ask for help you need to be successful in your work. Similarly, socialization includes social interaction, which can be done safely and socially distanced through Zoom, Microsoft Teams, FaceTime, Google Hangout, and more! As many of us miss our coworkers and teams, it is more crucial than ever to continue to have these interactions to benefit our mental health in a time of isolation. Although online face-to-face chats will never replace in-person social interaction, these are some of the many sacrifices we must take to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Although the pandemic has affected every aspect of our lives, it’s important to continue to push ourselves to the best we can during this trying time. Whether you have children doing school remotely or you’re an intern like me, whatever you can do to better yourself in your work is all that matters in the end! 

Hiring During a Pandemic

Hiring During a Pandemic

By Meghan Jarret

The current conditions of the COVID-19 have caused the job market to take a large toll, especially through the record-high unemployment rates. Given the six months we have endured the pandemic, companies have become more creative than ever to ensure the recruitment process continues to revive the job market and get employees back on their feet. With the new and expansive environment of virtual hiring and recruiting, here is everything you need to know.

The growth of online recruiting has allowed companies to adapt to new and evolving technology to create the most authentic job application process as possible. The online environment of job interviews and remote work has become the new reality for the majority of the United States. In an article published by Shrm, employers reflect on the quick transition from in-person to online recruiting, which has exponentially increased the pace of recruitment overall. Consequently, employers across the board reflect on the disconnect of talking with potential employees that they don’t experience in face-to-face interviews. As a result, employers should be optimizing this time to express the care and gratitude for new employees, as well as allowing them to express themselves to create a more personal environment to break that disconnect.

For the foreseeable future, the hiring process will continue virtually due to the accessibility employers now have through Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Hangout, or the like. Depending on the position you are applying for, your new job may warrant in-person work or will allow remote working; however, the hiring process is beginning to go full force once again to fill the millions of lost jobs. In any case, companies welcoming employees back to the workplace need to fulfill several safety precautions to effectively keep their employees at work. Although we have all heard it several times, limiting the number of individuals in one space to adhere to social distancing guidelines, wearing a mask, and frequently cleaning of spaces is crucial in bringing back the workforce and diminishing the spread of COVID-19. These precautions are crucial for bringing new employees into the workplace, and as a job applicant, you have a right to know the measures being set in place before entering the work environment once again.

Although this is not the work environment we all asked for, this is our new reality for the foreseeable future. With this evolving job market, our Job Board continues to post new available positions from remote to in-person work, environmental positions to healthcare, or part-time to full-time contracts. We are all experiencing the effects of COVID-19 on all aspects of our lives; however, we do not have to go through these processes alone. For more information on job positions available, contact us today so we can help you get back on your feet again! 

https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/talent-acquisition/pages/employers-get-creative-hiring-coronavirus-covid19-pandemic.aspx

https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/talent-acquisition/pages/coronavirus-legal-hiring.aspx

How to Maintain a Routine at Home

 By Sam Bauer

I usually like to start off my posts with a bit of context, so as a full disclaimer I have struggled with anxiety and depression. If you’re wondering why I’m telling you this, it’s because generally people who suffer from mental illness benefit hugely from a set schedule and separate areas for work/relaxation. So for me, working from home absolutely stinks. I don’t need to be anywhere at a certain time, my morning commute is from my bed to my desk (in my bedroom), and I don’t leave my house unless I have to. Suddenly the time between now and my next deadline becomes this huge nebulous space that becomes hard to structure. You have too many choices but none of them are your choosing and the things you normally would have control over aren’t options anymore. Not to mention the overwhelming amount of distractions. 

That was a very long winded way of saying I know what a struggle this can be and it isn’t your fault if you’re having a hard time working from home. Your brain wants to be productive, it really does, but all of the cues it's getting from your surroundings are saying “Don’t work too hard, this our relaxing space”. Here are tips that work for me to ease that process. 

1. If at all possible, do not set up your workspace in your bedroom. I learned this one the hard way. Even if you can train your brain to recognize the bedroom as a workspace, then it means you won’t be able to relax and go to sleep because you’ll be permanently stuck in work mode.
2. Wake up at the same time you normally would and use set lunch/snack breaks. Technically you get up whenever you want, but my brain usually takes that as an excuse to go “I don’t want to work on this so go get snacks” or “We got up late so clearly it’s not a work day”.  
3. Wear some form of work clothes. It pains me to even write that because if I could live in sweatpants, I would. But remember that we don’t have the luxury of using location as a form of structure so we have to trick our brains in a different way. Do I hate dress slacks? Yes. Do they keep me productive? Also Yes. 
4. Turn off your phone unless you need it. You may have better self control than I do but if my phone is near me, then I’m going to look at it. And whatever self control I might have had at work is nonexistent at home. So do yourself a favor and turn off your cell phone. The telemarketers can wait.
5. Finally, just remember that when work hours are done, you’re done. Don’t force yourself to go back and answer emails or try and finish a project after dinner. Uch as you want to be productive, there’s only so much your brain can do per day. Setting a schedule for downtime will help you on track to be productive later.

When and How to write a Cover Letter

 By Sam Bauer

Your cover letter should be in a professional format. Think of it like a personal essay dressed up in business casual. I’ve used my cover letter as a general guideline for how to format your own.

Basic Structure: When writing a cover letter, you want the information to come across in a certain order. Most importantly, you have to start with why you are writing to the recipient and why you know who they are. Making the other person have to figure out who you are does not lend itself to a good first impression.  

Ex. Dear [Hiring Manager],

For a long time, I’ve known that my joy in life is to write. Creative writing, non-fiction, journalism, no matter what the style I enjoy the process. Over the course of my college career, I have discovered different methods of writing and the tools to help create the message I want. So, when I saw the opportunity to be a [Position] at [Company] on [Job Board], I knew I had to apply. 

The next paragraph is where you go into your skills and background. Your cover letter should work in tandem with your resume, not be a copy of it. 

Ex. With my degree, I now have a background in both psychology and literature. This may not seem specific enough to work as an Associate, but the art of communication is grounded in those two subjects. I have a basic understanding of social psychology, sensation and perception, health psychology, program evaluation, and motivation and self-regulation. All these subjects lend themselves to understanding why people make the decisions that they do and how to cheat that system. My background in business writing, creative writing, and study of the classics have all been case studies of communication. How does one communicate without alienating one’s audience? How can one not just absorb information but engage with it? Anyone who works as an [Position] needs to know those things.

Finally, make it clear how to contact you. It’s a simple step but if you misspelled something then it won’t matter how well you crafted the other sections. 

Ex. I would appreciate the opportunity to talk with you about what I can offer [Company] as a [Position]. I can be reached at my cell at (860) 759-7400 or via email at sambauer1170@gmail.com. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Sincerely,

Sam Bauer

We’ve figured the how, now we need to discuss the when. Here is the golden rule for cover letters: only offer it when you feel like it better explains what you have to offer. If you are applying for a machinist job for example, then you don’t need to emphasize your soft skills and your resume will show the work you’ve already done. Cover letters are mainly useful for opposite ends of the company, entry level positions and upper level positions.They are especially helpful in explaining gaps in employment. 

One last tip: I would encourage you to make your letter fill in the blank. Making a new cover letter for each job you apply to is not worth the effort. Not only will that effort go unappreciated but the longer you’ve been applying for jobs, the quicker your writing will start to deteriorate. That’s not to say what you’ve written can’t be improved over time but definitely do not write new letter from scratch.

BLS GM Interview

 Recent Interview with our General Manager

The Benefits of a Professionally Written Resume

 By Sam Bauer 

Before I begin this piece in earnest, I should add a personal disclaimer which is: I love writing. I took at least three creative writing classes across three different semesters in college and those semesters were by far my favorite. It also wasn’t by accident that the vast majority of the classes I took depended upon my ability to write essays, not my acuity with synthesizing numbers. 

With this in mind, I absolutely loathed writing my resume. It felt like I was trying to write a travel brochure for a town that no one had ever heard of and that also hated tourists. The whole concept of writing a resume seemed ridiculous in theory and proved to be depressing in practice. My life experiences didn’t look good on paper and trying to upsell them felt dishonest in a way I couldn’t quite articulate. So, when a friend of mine told me she had experience writing resumes and offered to look at mine, I jumped at the opportunity. The end result turned out better than anything I could have produced by myself. 

Had I not had my friend as a resource, I would have eventually invested in a professional resume writer. But why? I was already “good” at writing so why not just look at some samples and get started? Well truth be told, I did. But a resume is a sales pitch for your services. It requires the appropriate language and formatting to fit that purpose. There were extra-curriculars in my college career that I thought were barely worth mentioning in a conversation, let alone a resume. But my friend reframed them and suddenly they were my strongest selling points. And the thing is, you only need to make that investment once. As soon as someone else sets up the formatting, you can simply update your resume whenever you need to because the groundwork is already there. Spend the money once on a resource that lasts.

https://www.bestresumeforyou.com/

Who’s hiring and are they worth it?

 Who’s hiring and are they worth it?

By Sam Bauer

In my previous posts, I talked about what companies are expecting from the hiring process and which companies are taking care of their workers during Covid 19. Now it’s time to tackle a more basic question: who even is hiring these days and are they worth a resume? 

Before I get into the raw data, I want to first define what I mean when I say a company is “worth it”. A company that is worth it will fairly compensate you for what you are being asked to do. Working an all night shift for minimum wage with no benefits isn’t worth it in the long run because you are earning a wage at the cost of your health. All other judgment calls like career advancement and company culture are decisions that the individual will have to make on their own. But whether or not a company will treat their employees like people is a universal concern. 

These companies are hiring and they have been vetted through independent fact checkers:

Cisco - 1,200 positions

NVIDIA - 700 positions

Procter & Gamble - 600 positions

Apple - 600 positions 

Baxter International - 600 positions

Biogen INC - 500 positions

General Mills - 300 positions

HP - 300 positions

Texas Instruments - 240 positions

Allstate - 150 positions

The New York Times - 100 positions

Humana - 100 positions

Ford Motor Company - 100 positions

The Clorox Company - 100 positions 

General Motors - unknown  

*This list was made with help from Just Capital.