This article looks at the basic considerations for any team leader/manager implementing the switch to flexible/remote working teams.
Staff Suitability
Teams which tend to fit easily into the remote worker/team mould have the following common characteristics
– They are either knowledge workers or back office admin staff
– They approach their work in a mature, disciplined and self motivated way.
– Their work is task/project focused in nature. This is important so that you as a manager can you measure actual against expected performance reliably.
The thing you need to be aware of is that not everyone is capable of adapting to
remote working. Where commercial constraints require a retail focus or a client side sales focus home working can be used as a staging point/temporary base for admin purposes – but cannot be even considered as a full time place of employment for staff.
Remember: Providing the wrong facilities to employees can be very costly to your business. Staff resources are, and will continue to be your most important and most expensive asset – use them wisely.
Here are several team organisational structures which we have found to be particularly successful:
o Where a collaboration framework is institutionalised within the business process – for example a group of sales staff accessing the same central CRM data, or a team of claims processors accessing a knowledge base of historical claims information, or a team of customer representatives working a call centre operation. In these environments – each remote worker becomes responsible for the carrying out of specific actions relating to individual ‘incidents’ that occur in real time – following a known and clearly documented process.
o Where each member of the team has an array of specialist skills and team objectives are geared so as to assemble teams to do individual projects which are then disassembled and rebuild for the next project. This approach can be considered ‘themes not teams’ in organisational composition and lends itself to groups who do not focus on a specific recurring business process, but instead on support of innovation centred work.
Organising the work
For a remote team to be effective needs all the key components which make successful team working environments in traditional offices – but getting them in place and then subsequently supporting them does require more effort from you – the team leader…
From our experience, these boil down to the following
Communication
Members of the team need to be able to contact each other and communicate freely with their peer throughout the day. This aspect is available without effort in a traditional office based environment but requires technology investment and infrastructure expertise to get right in a remote team setting. With the advent of VOIP (internet based phone services), the cost to the company of providing these services to remote workers is reduced to as little as providing an internet connection to them.
Human beings are – by their very nature, sociable pack animals, requiring social contact in order to remain motivated and creative. Physical contact between team members should take a high priority in the way that the team is organised. As well as addressing these basic needs, regular focused meetings are key to the growth of an inter-dependent, supportive team. From experience – meeting as a team once a month provides a successful convention and at least a day a week should be set aside for impromptu of official meetings between team members as/when they are required.
Collaboration
It is key for performance in a remote team to place emphasis on team work and make as many of the information based resources used by the team at their disposal in a collaborative environment. I would urge that companies adopt centralised document management – collaborative white-boarding and networked CRM solutions and endeavour to provide training to staff in these tools and encourage adoption.
Control
As team manager, you need to be able to track progress of ongoing work against both the expectations of your superiors regarding your team and also in terms of progress on assigned work on a task by task basis.
Unless, as a remote team manager you want to be swamped with information continuously (what we call email-blindness), delegation of low level task detail to individual resources is a necessity. I would also urge that a project planning tool is deployed by you and the team members are given a chance to buy-in and determine action plans with you. As well as making your workload as team leader more manageable – this technique also empowers team members – promoting the growth of skills and fusing the team with mutual appreciation of other team member’s strengths and abilities.
In reality you are running with two views of the project plan at all times – a strategic plan used by you for medium/long term planning and to provide high level information on progress vs. a more tactical task oriented view which has been drawn up in conjunction with team members and which – to a large extent you have given them responsibility for managing)
In Summary:
Much research has been placed recently into demonstrating the clear improvements in team efficiency and productivity which can be achieved through effective use of remote team working practices, and our organisation – running in this way very successfully since its start in this manner is a great example. However the decision to provide flexible and remote working facilities to staff should not be taken lightly and the operational changes require careful planning and operational commitment in order to be successful.
A WOMAN was left stunned when she hit the lotto jackpot after dreaming of numbers – and even claims she saw them in real life.
The Malaysian shop owner allegedly had repeated dreams of the winning digits before bagging over £2,900,000.
1
The lucky woman claims to have dreamt of recurring numbers and also says she saw them in real lifeCredit: Getty
She revealed how she kept seeing two numbers, 3887 and 5785, not only in her sleep but also in real life.
The lucky winner scooped the huge sum in the Magnum 4D Jackpot draw on March 29.
She told local media: “The number 5785 kept showing up in my dreams, and I just had to try my luck to purchase this number.”
The woman also explained her shock after she took a trip to see her relatives and saw several cars with 3887 in the number plate.
She then spotted a Magnum 4D outlet while out buying fruit and said she followed her instincts to purchase a ticket.
After seeing both sets of numbers drawn, she admitted to being so stunned that she had to double-check with her son to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
When talking on the plans she has for her newly made fortune, the woman said: “Being a business shop owner, it’s a seven-day job for me. I have not taken a vacation in years. I would love to spend time with my family, and now, I finally can.”
She is also taking the time out of her busy store job to focus on her future.
As well as a holiday, the winner said she can now finally buy her dream family home after renting for years and donate a chunk to charity.
Distinguished educators, who have devoted a considerable amount of time, about 10 years, instructing at their institutions, are known as veteran professors. These individuals possess extensive expertise and sagacity in their area of specialization and act as priceless assets for students seeking advice on scholarly concerns.
Oftentimes, the wealth of experience they possess can lead to them feeling secluded and stuck in their own traditional methods if they don’t keep themselves updated with recent happenings.
Consequently, these seasoned professors struggle to keep up with contemporary advancements in teaching techniques and technology, causing them to be disconnected from their pupils and peers.
Gallup surveys reveal that a majority of educators have quit their previous roles, with 60% leaving by choice for the sake of career progression. This statistic implies that numerous instructors may not have received enough encouragement in their profession or been granted personalized chances to succeed and flourish, hence resulting in their resignation.
A solution to this predicament could be overcome by a knowledgeable guide, otherwise known as a mentor for veteran professors. The mentor would proffer valuable insight about the latest advancements in technology to veteran teachers who seek to stay informed.
Without a mentor, veteran professors can become entrenched in their own rusty methods, leaving them with an antiquated teaching style that fails to inspire or capture their students’ interests.
Furthermore, they might lose track of the latest breakthroughs relevant to their specialized fields of interest, thus depriving themselves to explore novel concepts and technological resources that could prove advantageous.
Importantly, when dealing with such situations, mentors can provide feedback about the professor’s teaching and curriculum too, suggest innovative ways to use technology and insight on upcoming challenges. These tips and suggestions can help veteran professors communicate with their students and colleagues, as well as ensure that their teaching methods remain relevant and effective.
Changing Landscape of Academia for Veteran Professors
When veteran educators tread through the constantly evolving world of academia, they experience a variety of obstacles such as challenges (as aforementioned before) in the form of technological advancements; teaching methodologies, and evolving student demographics and expectations.
Challenges in the form of Technological Advancements
Although technology has for sure enhanced the learning experience for students, it may be a bit overwhelming for some veteran educators unfamiliar with techy knowledge. Elaborately put, the growing use of virtual classrooms and online assignments has left many veteran professors feeling lost in a sea of unknown terminologies and software and hence, they show an unwillingness to integrate technology into their teaching styles. Add to it, the usage of audio-visual media to digital textbooks–professors must adapt to all these to provide their students with the best education possible.
Shifts in Teaching Methodologies
Another challenge that veteran professors face is the requirement to shift their teaching methodologies to better suit diverse perspectives.
Also with growing importance placed on personalized learning, professors need to tailor their lessons to accommodate varying learners’ styles and paces.
This means incorporating interactive activities, group work, and real-world examples into their lectures. Some may find this tough; especially those accustomed to traditional teaching styles for years.
Evolving Student Demographics and Expectations
Teaching is a rad craft that’s always changing. Every year, fresh-faced students with all sorts of backgrounds and hopes come into the chill classroom space. These changes in student demographics have spawned both opportunities and challenges for veteran professors.
For instance, nowadays, there’s been an influx of unconventional students entering universities. They might be a bit older and juggling work or family while also getting their academics on track.
Therefore, they require some leniency and consideration to thrive academically. Some of the OG profs might need to switch up their game and get into a groovy mindset that meets the needs of these non-traditional students.
Besides, Generation Alpha (about 74%) are more likely to voice their opinions and challenge authority figures like never before. Veteran professors accustomed to being the sole authorities in the classroom can find this new dynamic unsettling and challenging.
Despite these challenges, embracing these adjustments will empower veteran teachers to establish a welcoming atmosphere where every student feels appreciated and at ease. Mentors for veteran professors can be one of the solutions to help educators circumvent the challenges associated with the changing landscape of academia.
How Mentors Can Assist Veteran Professors?
With technology changing rapidly, any veteran teachers can have a tough time getting accustomed to it and the tools associated with it.
Educator mentors well-steeped in both academia and education can prove handy in helping veteran professors to integrate the latest technology into curricula without sacrificing teaching essentials.
Use of Online Platform
Mentors for veteran professors might recommend using online educational resources with articles and webinars or online educational platforms to facilitate remote collaboration among students and faculty members. A mentor might suggest using online platforms for even class discussions or incorporating multimedia elements into lectures.
These steps can help veteran professors to enhance classroom experiences and improve learning outcomes for pupils. And not to forget, the online resources providing news and updates would assist seasoned professors in keeping pace with the latest educational trends.
Sharing Own Experience
They can even share their own experiences about dealing with the introduction of new technologies and smart ways to get acquainted with them–techniques that would assist senior professors to overcome any hesitations or concerns about trying eLearning platforms.
Gaining Acquaintance With New Academic Journals and Webinars
An experienced mentor might introduce a professor to new technology journals and publications that they weren’t previously aware of. This could aid veteran professors to gain an understanding of the latest developments in their field and discuss them with colleagues or even students.
Interactive Activities
A mentor may suggest incorporating more interactive online activities into classroom lessons or using virtual reality simulations as part of lab exercises. These innovative approaches can take the learning experience for students to an altogether next level while also helping veteran professors stay engaged and energized in their work.
Emotional Support
In addition to technical expertise, mentors can offeremotional support and be role models for veteran professors who learn to adapt the new teaching methods and tools.
Mentorship can turn out to be a priceless tool for seasoned professors and defining factor in their career trajectory. The benefits of mentorship for veteran professors are numerous and significant, and they are:
Enhanced professional growth and development
Improved job satisfaction and motivation
Increased effectiveness in teaching and research
Fostering a supportive academic community
Enhanced Professional Growth and Development
By seeking the counsel of a seasoned mentor, these esteemed academicians can secure vital directions and strengthen in essential spheres like scholarly pursuits, funding endeavors, and academic publishing. A wise mentor can assist in steering through the perplexities of academia, providing situation-specific expertise on forging fruitful alliances and networks.
Job Satisfaction and Motivation
Under consistent and trustful mentorship, esteemed professors can cultivate creative abilities and aptitudes that will propel them toward triumph in the ever-changing technological terrain.
By exploring contemporary technological advancements and innovative teaching techniques, veteran professors can infuse fresh perspectives and foster unparalleled student engagement. This not only boosts their career growth prospects but also uplifts their spirits and fuels their work passion.
Increased Effectiveness in Teaching and Research
Mentorship can be immensely advantageous for seasoned educators seeking to refine their teaching techniques or research methodologies. A mentor’s guidance can be of immeasurable value in enhancing veteran professors’ pedagogy by offeringconstructive feedback on lesson plans, proposing innovative strategies to engage learners, and sharing profound insights into cutting-edge trends within the domain. Such support is truly transformative, helping veterans become more accomplished scholars and proficient instructors.
Fostering a Supportive Academic Community
Mentorship brings a plethora of perks, one being the chance to connect with fellow academics and foster a supportive community. Even seasoned professors with years of experience can reap rewards from collaborating and networking with new knowledgeable people.
Also, a mentor can spark new relationships, bridge connections among colleagues working on parallel projects, and even extend invitations to exclusive conferences or events.
Conclusion
Through frequent mentorship sessions, seasoned educators can acquire new knowledge and proficiencies that bolster their success amidst a swiftly changing academic terrain. They may become informed on novel technologies or top-notch methods for motivating students, which they can subsequently integrate into their own classrooms. This not only enriches their professional growth but also maintains their fervor and commitment to their profession.
For effective mentoring sessions and to make the tasks of veteran professors easy for obtaining mentoring sessions from the place of their convenience, mentoring platforms such as Mentoring Complete would be ideal.
With modern features and an easy-to-use layout, professors can put their concentration on the pertinent data; forging a congenial relationship with pupils, and performing everyday discourse with exemplary efficiency.
Want to make your workplace mentoring programs successful? We’re happWe’rehelp you!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How are veteran professors affected by changes in technology? They face challenges with incorporating new tools into their teaching methods while also meeting students’ changing needs and preferences.
Q. How can veteran professors navigate changing student demographics and expectations? By staying informed about trends in the educational landscape and seeking professional development opportunities, veteran professors can stay up-to-date and effectively engage with their diverse student populations.
Q. Why do veteran professors need a mentor? With changes in technology and student demographics, mentors can help adapt teaching methods and meet new expectations.
Q. How mentors can help veteran professors in difficult times? An experienced mentor can furnish valuable assistance during difficult times while dispensing sagacious counsel to enhance pedagogical abilities and keep abreast of the latest breakthroughs in education.
Being a Mom is not an easy task. You must be available in 24/7 for your family. And while you are staying at home, you think about the future or how you can help your husband financially. There are many reasons why moms become a virtual assistant. Kathryn Alexander of becomeavamom.net and I shared some common reasons:
7 Reasons to Become A Virtual Assistant Mom
1. BE AVAILABLE FOR YOUR KIDS
Childhood goes by so fast. If you have to work out of the house you may miss some things. We all know that providing for the family is the most important and comes before everything. But with a virtual assistant business, you can give for the family and be with the kids at the same time. This is the number 1 highest ranking reason that moms start a home business.
2. NO AGE DISCRIMINATION
This, unfortunately, is a real problem in some businesses. You are either too young or too old to work. In some businesses, there is a legal age need to work there if they serve alcohol or smokes. When you become a virtual assistant you are the boss and if you can do the work then your clients won’t care what your age is.
3. THE ABILITY TO CHOOSE WHO YOU WORK WITH
Do you tend to click with certain types of people more than others? With a VA business, you can decide who you want your clients to be. Authors, salespeople, consultants, coaches, executives, entrepreneurs, and small business owners are just a few of the types of people you could work with. You have the freedom to choose who you want as a client. This benefits both you and the client making you both more productive.
You can also put in your contract, that either party can end the contract immediately for any reason, especially if the client and assistant work becomes stressful, not paying on time, rude or abusive language or behavior, etc. you can stick anything in your contract because you are the boss of your business and get to decide who you work with.
4. YOU GET TO PICK YOUR OWN HOURS
When you become a virtual assistant you can work your own hours when the kids are asleep or napping, and you can work when they are in school and be available for them before and after. The flexibility is amazing. You can also choose if you want to work part-time or full-time.
5. SAVE ON COMMUTING COSTS AND TIME
If you live in a big city, or even a little city, travel to and from work is time-consuming and costly if you drive or have to pay for a bus pass monthly.
When you become a virtual assistant at home, it means no more strangers rubbing against you on the bus, or filling your gas tank every couple days to drive across town and spend hours commuting to a job you don’t really love anyway.
6. GAIN BUSINESS SKILLS AS YOU MAKE MONEY
In this business, you can charge whatever you want because you are the boss, within reason. Most people stay in the general area of $10-$40 an hour for different VA skills. For more advanced jobs you can charge more, and the more experienced VA’s charge higher.
When you are just starting out you can learn as you earn money. If you announce you are just starting your business and list what tasks you can do, and also announce you want to learn new skills you will find work. You will need to charge so, as you are learning as you go. Probably $5-10 an hour to start out if you don’t know anything. But after just a couple months of experience, you can start earning $15-$25 depending on what you are doing.
7. ALWAYS SOMETHING TO LEARN
When you become a virtual assistant you constantly have the opportunity to learn systems, programs, skills, and services if you want to. All you have to do is sign up for a system that most people use but you have never used it, go to the support or help files and read it and learn what you can. There is also the trusted YouTube to learn pretty much anything or you can enroll on tutorial classes to niche your skills.
Balance is everything. Striking a wonderful median of quick, efficient processes and delivering a positive experience can be tricky to achieve for any business.
So, how do recruitment and staffing agencies gain a competitive edge while ensuring that candidates receive a great experience? By reducing the operational and administrative workload around screening and onboarding so candidates are job-ready to facilitate placements faster.
The time spent on doing background checks manually, sending multiple emails for licence and ticket verification, or facilitating eLearning with traditional methods may mean drawing out the recruitment process for much longer than necessary and potentially losing out on onboarding candidates within target dates. Manual administration also puts recruiters at risk of double handling data and the errors that go along with it especially when using multiple systems to complete hiring and onboarding processes.
The first step to finding the perfect balance between efficiency and experience is streamlining systems. Using only one system for pre-screening, recruiting, onboarding and automating ongoing compliance tasks a seamless experience, helps you screen and onboard efficiently while still ensuring a painless and positive experience for candidates.
Ensure that you are facilitating talent mobility. This expedites your time-to-hire and minimises, risk, repetition and induction fatigue for your candidate and team – a business essential for fast-moving recruitment requirements.
What WorkPro’s smart HR tech does is automate pre-employment screening, onboarding, and ongoing compliance monitoring, and it does it all in one central dashboard.
WorkPro’s smart compliance solutions help to eliminate manual paperwork and alleviate the strain on costs and timeframes when trying to get candidates compliant and job-ready. By streamlining the onboarding processes, recruiters can reduce time to hire so they can focus more time on providing a quick and easy process for their candidates.
Here are just a few examples of how WorkPro can do the heavy lifting when it comes to the high-volume, manual workload the staffing and recruitment industry faces every day:
Work Fast with Confidence
WorkPro’s automated background checks, eLearning and compliance monitoring tools are continually optimised by subject matter experts and are updated to sector standards. Allowing staffing and recruitment firms to meet legislative compliance requirements while ensuring candidates are job-ready from day one.
Be Audit-Ready Always with Smart Insights
WorkPro’s smart tech transparent dashboard with company-wide reporting and smart insights make it easy to constantly be audit-ready. All of WorkPro’s solutions reflect changes and up to date results almost instantaneously, ensuring the information is always up to date.
Integrated & Supported
It’s so easy to leverage WorkPro’s smart technology effortlessly. The WorkPro platform integrates with the best HR systems seamlessly and securely with a support team ready to customise solutions as they’re needed.
While finding the perfect balance between efficient processes and providing a positive candidate experience might seem like a hard task to achieve. WorkPro’s automated smart HR tech solution allows the staffing and recruitment industry to streamline fundamental onboarding tasks they complete every single day, which in turn makes the onboarding and screening process for the candidate a positive experience.
Two workers were killed at John F. Kennedy International Airport Monday in a construction accident, authorities said.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, said in a statement it received a report of two workers trapped under construction rubble shortly after 11 a.m.
Emergency services responded to the scene in an attempt to rescue the workers, who were declared dead at the scene, officials said.
The Port Authority said in an update to USA TODAY the workers were relocating utility lines “in the vicinity of cogeneration plant to support the increased energy needs of the JFK redevelopment project.”
The identities of the deceased workers and their employer are pending next of kin notification, authorities said.
A spokesperson for the city’s fire department told the Associated Press it happened in a trench near the airport’s busy Terminal 7. The emergency response resulted in airport traffic delays for over three hours, the airport said. Flight operations were not affected.
The Port Authority said a stop order was issued for all construction at the airport and will remain in place “until safety reviews have been conducted.”
“The Port Authority is conducting a thorough investigation and will be cooperating with all other investigative agencies,” the statement read.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul offered her condolences on Twitter to the loved ones of the people “tragically killed”.
When it comes to an area like Houston, Texas that face hurricanes on a regular basis, you’re likely to find a wide selection of roofing contractors- it’s a much needed service. However, with so many companies available, you’re likely to run into one who can’t be trusted. Make sure you avoid these mistakes when hiring roofing contractors.
1. Not reading the contract before you sign it- The purpose of a contract is to ensure that both parties abide by the set rules. The roofer wants to make sure he gets paid when he does the work. Seems fair enough, right? Well, in the roofing business, not all contracts are created equally. While some roofing contractors just want guaranteed payment, those with less integrity may try to really stick it to you with some outrageous things thrown into the contract. With that in mind, read the contract thoroughly before you sign it. And whatever you do, save your copy.
2. Not checking the Better Business Bureau website- When you visit the Better Business Bureau’s website, in large, bold letters you see, “Start with trust.” There’s truth behind the slogan. Before you sign any contracts or give the green light for a group of roofing contractors to begin work, make sure they are a BBB member. If they’re a member, that means they’re governed by a higher authority and they can show proof of customer satisfaction. Read the reviews and see if any customers have filed complaints. If they are free of complaint, you’ve probably found reputable roofing contractors.
3. Not checking references- Even if you’ve checked the BBB site, you still should request a list of references. Since you don’t want to leave any stone unturned when searching for roofing contractors, calling references could turn up a dissatisfied customer who didn’t think to report their qualms on the BBB website. Past customers have experience dealing with the company you’re entertaining and can open your eyes to what they do badly (if anything) and what they do well.
4. Not inquiring about a guarantee- What happens once you have a new roof on your home, but you aren’t happy with the work? Maybe your roof is still sagging, or perhaps the roofing contractors left debris littered about your yard. Hopefully you asked about a guarantee. Trustworthy roofing contractors will guarantee your satisfaction. A quick phone call will result in them returning to your home to fix whatever work doesn’t meet your standards.
5. Not asking about technique- Plainly put, some roofing contractors do the job incorrectly. In order to rush through the job, they might fire up their nail guns and haphazardly race through roof replacement. The problem with this is that nail guns must be carefully set in order to use on roofing shingles. When attaching shingles, it’s important not to hammer the nail in too deeply. Doing so will compromise the effectiveness of the shingle, causing leaks in your roof. Nail guns are so powerful that they often shoot the nail too deeply into the plywood decking. That said, a manual hammer is preferred. So don’t forget to question your roofer’s technique. If you don’t you may find your roof failing inspection.
Asking the right questions and performing a bit of research will help you avoid the above mistakes. And steering clear of these mistakes means finding roofing contractors you can trust for professional roof replacement.
For eight years I have studied digital nomadism, the millennial trend for working remotely from anywhere around the world. I am often asked if digital nomads are driving gentrification. Before COVID upended the way we work, I would usually tell journalists that the numbers were too small for a definitive answer. Most digital nomads were travelling and working illegally on tourist visas. It was a niche phenomenon. Three years into the pandemic, however, I am no longer sure.
The most recent estimates put the number of digital nomads from the US alone, at 16.9 million, a staggering increase of 131 percent from the pre-pandemic year of 2019. The same survey also suggests that up to 72 million “armchair nomads”, again, only in the US, are considering becoming nomadic. This COVID-induced rise in remote working is a global phenomenon, which means figures for digital nomads beyond the US may be similarly high.
My research confirms that the cheaper living costs this trend has brought to those able to capitalise on it can come with a downside for others. Through interviews and ethnographic fieldwork, I have found that the rise of professional short-term-let landlords, in particular, is helping to price local people out of their homes.
Before the pandemic, digital nomads were mostly freelancers. My research has identified four further categories: digital nomad business owners; experimental digital nomads; armchair digital nomads; and, the fastest emerging category, salaried digital nomads.
The five categories of digital nomad:
In the US, the number of salaried nomads – full-time employees now working fully remotely – is estimated to have gone from 3.2 million in 2019 to 11.1 million in 2022. This exponential growth has prompted governments to start paying attention. Last September I gave expert testimony to the UK Treasury on what they called “cross-border working”.
The phenomenon is reshaping cities. Chiang Mai in northern Thailand is often dubbed the digital nomad capital of the world. The Nimmanhaemin area, AKA Nimman or sometimes Coffee Street, brims with coffee shops, co-working spaces, Airbnbs and short-term lets affordable to people on western wages but out of reach for many locals.
For local business owners hit by the pandemic, the return of visitors to Chiang Mai is a relief. But as one Thai Airbnb owner told me: There needs to be a balance. We used to live here when Nimman was a quiet neighbourhood.
A power imbalance
Lisbon is similarly sought out for the better weather and lower living costs it offers. Buzzwords like the “circular economy” or the “sharing economy” are often used by digital nomads to describe why such locations are so suited to their way of living. They describe new approaches to urban living that emphasise mobility, more flexible approaches to building use and re-use, and innovative business models that encourage collaboration.
But the Portuguese capital, like many other urban centres, is in the grip of a housing crisis. Activists, like Rita Silva, of Portuguese housing-rights organisation Habita!, say this influx is making things worse for local people: “We are a small country and Lisbon is a small city, but the foreign population is growing and is very visible in coffee shops and restaurants.”
To Silva’s mind, what she calls “this bullshit of the circular economy” does not accurately describe what is happening on the ground. In certain parts of the city, she says, you don’t hear Portuguese anymore, you hear English. This is driving up living costs, well beyond the popular tourist hotspots like Barrio Alto and Principe Real.
Co-working spaces and creative hubs are now appearing in previously traditional working-class areas. With the average salary in Portugal under US$20,000 (£16,226), these are clearly are not aimed at local people. A one-bedroom apartment in these digital nomad hotspots accounts on average for at least 63% of a local wage – one of the highest ratios in Europe.
In his 2007 bestseller, The Four-Hour Workweek, author and podcast host Tim Ferris coined the term “geo-arbitrage” to describe the phenomenon of people from higher-income countries – the US, Europe, South Korea – wielding their wages in lower-cost countries.
For some nomads, this is an essential life-hack. For others, it represents the polarising reality of globalisation: that the entire world should operate as an open, free market. To many, it is unethical.
Urban sociologist Max Holleran points out the “incredible irony” at play: Some people are actually becoming digital nomads, because of housing prices in their home countries. And then their presence in less wealthy places, is tightening the housing market leading to displacement in places in the global south [developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America].
On a visit to Chiang Mai in 2019, I booked an Airbnb. I expected to be checked in by the owner. Instead, I was met by someone called Sam (not their real name), who didn’t know the name of the person I have been corresponding with.
I vowed that next time I travelled, I would check I was renting from a bona fide private owner
In the building’s lobby, a sign for the attention of travellers, tourists and backpackers clearly stated: “This place is NOT A HOTEL. Day/week rentals are NOT ALLOWED.” Yet, in the reception area, people worked on laptops, amid a constant procession of western visitors entering and leaving, with backpacks and wheely suitcases.
I looked back at my booking and realised that the apartment was hosted by a brand I’ll call Home-tel, which, other visitors confirmed, also hosted 17 other apartments.
A local resident said they were considering selling up, or, failing that, renting to a professional short-term-let host. Living there had become unbearable. I vowed that next time I travelled, I would check I was renting from a bona fide private owner. And I did. Only to find, on arrival, a large sign in the lobby stating, “No short-term lets”. When I confronted the European owner, she said the sign was already there when she purchased the apartment. “What can you do?” she said. “Money talks.”
Holleran explains that the rise in digital nomad numbers is fostering competition between destinations: “If Portugal says, “We’re sick of nomads,” and cracks down on visas, Spain can then say, “Oh, come here.” And that will be even more true in low GDP countries.”
Silva says digital nomads need to be aware of the impact they have. She is also urging the Portuguese government to take meaningful regulatory action: “The majority of the Airbnbs are from companies controlling multiple properties. We want houses to be places where people can live.”
Dave is a PhD researcher in the Anthropology Department at UCL (University College London). His research interests include the future of work, the gig economy, remote work, globalisation, neoliberalism and design cultures. He is conducting ethnographic fieldwork on digital nomadism and location-independent work, in South East Asia. Dave has worked as a journalist, designer HCI specialist and ethnographer. He is director of the design consultancy What People Want.
After a decade of riding the ups and downs of pharmaceutical industry, having choosing a sales rep job, recently I came across a very intriguing question: Will a pharmaceutical sales representative be a job to try to get into or will it become extinct? Clearly, this question got mixed up and I will use my own personal experience to explain why.
The Thin Line Between a Career and a Job
Remember the all time favorite quotes, “Give someone a fish and you feed for a day. Teach someone to fish and you feed for a lifetime.” And that exactly separates a career from a job. Right now, I work for a pharmaceutical company promoting their brand of Diagnostics equipment. That is my job. But if I got people working for me selling my brand of equipments – that is a career.
My point here is simply this: A job is a stepping stone to a career. A job prepares you to move ahead to your career; which bring us to the next point.
Is Pharmaceutical Sales Representative a Dream Job?
I got a friend (let us call him Adam for example sake) and he used to work for a Pharmaceutical company selling Orthopedics implant. One day, a mutual friend asked him, “Adam, how long will you work like this, carry that big bag around, and begging for sales?” Even though Adam was making close to USD 30,000.00 in incentive alone at that point of time, he was dumbfounded. He did not seem to have the right answer.
But today, I am happy to report that Adam is the Regional Sales Manager for a local generics company, promoting Antihypertensive product range throughout the country. He got people reporting to him, and his main task is to penetrate, develop and maintain account, especially Government Hospital sectors.
He could not have such a flying color pharmaceutical sales career without the sweat and blood as a sales representative beforehand. He still carry bag but with different content, style and purpose. He got himself a career – for now. Knowing him, I know this is just another job before he moves forward.
So, if I was asked the question whether a pharmaceutical sales representative is a dream job or another dead end job, my answer is simply depending on what you want to make out of it. You can stick in that job; carrying detailing bags and begging for sales all your working life or you can decide to move ahead and make a career out of it. It is totally up to you.
You may find it a tiresome process to look for a job if you have been a convict. Our society doesn’t like to help felons to get back on the right track. Most employers are reluctant to consider people with a criminal record. Given below are a few things you can do if you have a criminal record and want to get hired.
5 tips to land a Job with a Felony
1. Do your Research
Don’t hide anything about your background from your employer during interview. If they do a background check and find you lied, it’s very unlikely that they will hire you. If they ask you something about your background, you should be honest and explain your situation.
2. Stay away from the Non-Starters
Some companies will never hire employees with a felony. Therefore, there is no need to waste your precious time on these employers. In other words, you should apply to those jobs that you think will be suitable for you. This will help you increase the efficiency of your job search.
The government orders some organizations to hire some ex-felons. Therefore, you should look for these organizations. Chance are that they will hire you regardless of your background. In exchange, these organizations get a tax break from the government.
Primarily, this tax break is given during the first 12 months after the release of a convict. Therefore, you shouldn’t waste time and look for these organizations as soon as you are released.
Aside from this, small businesses in your area may welcome ex-felons more than large organizations. Often, large companies have to follow strict procedures and processes when hiring new employees.
3. Get Help
As an ex-felon, you may not want to look for a job alone. It’s better to work with an organization that can provide you with assistance. For instance, you can contact a workforce development center. Aside from this, you can contact the social service centers to find out if they can offer assistance.
4. Start your own Business
If you have business skills, you can start your own business instead of working for someone else. For instance, you can become a consultant or freelancer. There is no one to stop you from kicking off your own small business.
Your background won’t become a hurdle in your way of success. After all, customers won’t buy from you just because you have a felony on your record.
5. Freelance Online
Freelancing online is a great way to make tons of money. Based on your skills, you can do a variety of jobs online. However, you should be aware of scams on the Internet. It’s not a good idea to pay anything upfront for a job.
Ideally, you may want to create awesome profiles on authentic freelancing platforms and bidding sites. These sites don’t require you to say anything about your background. Millions of people offer their skills on these platforms to their international clients.
For instance, if you are a good online marketer, writer, SEO expert or a researcher, freelancing sites can work for you. You can easily hire employees with a felony when you are an expert and know what you want.
So, these are a few tips that can help you land your first job as an ex-felon.
In the fast-paced world of career development, professionals are constantly seeking ways to find meaning, balance, and fulfillment in their work. While many traditional...
.jpg?width=2240&height=1260&name=Untitled%20design%20(11).jpg)
.jpg?width=2240&height=1260&name=Untitled%20design%20(12).jpg)
