₦airaland Forum

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Good evening!

Good evening!

Good afternoon

Good afternoon

For the longest time, businesses and companies have been against the idea of working from home, citing that a lot of jobs isn’t possible out of the office and that working outside the office can cause productivity issues while also limiting the supervisor’s ability to look out for the team and solve issues as soon as possible.

However, the coronavirus pandemic that no one saw coming proved that this idea is false and that technology has already made leaps and bounds when it comes to accommodating the work from home concept. In fact, studies even show that some employees prefer it and are much more productive in the setup.

Nevertheless, problems still arise in remote working setups, especially when it comes to constant focus and, well, productivity. So what do you do about it? Here are some tips to keep in mind:

1. Define your home office

The first thing on your to-do list should be to choose a spot in the house where you can consistently work without interrupting or getting interrupted by other people with you. Through this, work time can be separated from free time and you can follow a routine better.

2. Make a schedule

Create a schedule and stick to it. This means that you need to eat at a designated time and work on another. People who thrive in structure will find this especially useful. Only go beyond this when you absolutely need it. Other than that, don’t overwork.

3. Practice self-care

This means that despite being stuck at home, you still provide yourself with enough time to eat a healthy diet, exercise, and sleep at night. Set a limit for yourself, and don’t go beyond it. Don’t ever feel guilty for not working when you know you’ve done enough. Putting on the brakes for yourself should never make you think twice.

4. Come up for air

Your body isn’t designed to work for hours on end, so act like it. As such, take small breaks when you need to and spend it doing something nonwork-related, like petting your dog.  

5. Provide time for your relationships.

You’re at home already, so why not spend time with your family? Times like this, we need to be with each other more than ever, so take advantage of it if you’re lucky enough to be living with your family.

Source - MSN.

Long before the COVID-19 era, Ben got a job offer as a freelancer for a well-known media platform in 2015. For many years, he enjoyed working for the platform. He earned money in foreign currency and he had time to develop other sources of income for himself because he did not have to commute anywhere in order to get work done.

As soon as the COVID-19 pandemic started, the platform Ben was working for, started making some changes to their workforce, and Ben was affected. He did not lose his job per se but, his workload reduced because the platform did not have as many funds because their subscriptions had reduced and adverts for events weren’t coming in as before due to the lockdown initiated in many countries.

COVID-19 resulted in the loss of business for the platform, so they had no money. As soon as Ben realized this, he went into action. He already knew that he wanted to continue working remotely, so, as to have time for other personal goals, so, he focused on getting another remote work opportunity.

He used his LinkedIn account to engage more with people in his network, highlighting his skills and capabilities. He also started leaving insightful comments on public forums that had thousands of people as members, so, he would be noticed by those who needed his services.

He also started applying to fellowships and other opportunities that could position him for a better career. Not long after, he got a remote offer from another platform that needed his expertise.

As a freelancer, you could find yourself struggling to get other opportunities. Stay encouraged and draw up a plan for yourself and follow through and like Ben, you will find something else. Do not also forget to keep building your skills through reading, online courses, and joining groups that further your career objectives and meeting more people.

Good luck!

Source - https://lingoafrica.com/covid19-survival-as-a-freelancer-is-very-important/

Lingo Africa.

Good morning!

Nancy received an email from her supervisor telling her that she had to collaborate with a team in order to bring about the desired result for a project they were working on in her office.

Nancy put the members together and in three days, they were ready to move forward on the project. Nancy was a capable professional with about 9 years of work experience. However, she saw herself as more of a solo flyer. She really did not like the idea of working with a team. She felt she could do everything by herself.

This thinking made her act on her own and not carrying everyone in the team along. One day, Robert, one of her team members, confronted her after she dismissed the work he had worked so hard on. The other team members were surprised when Nancy replaced Robert’s pitch deck with hers when there was clearly nothing wrong with it.

Due to the disconnect within the team, they could not achieve what they set out to do because of Nancy’s refusal to let the members contribute to the tasks given. Nancy failed to realize that when successful, everyone gets that moment to shine due to the fact that they all contributed their expertise.

Nancy also failed to realize that the company she worked for had a lot to gain if the project becomes successful at the end of the day. She ruined everything for her company, just because she was selfish and couldn’t stand seeing her colleagues make meaningful contributions. This is not a good place to be.

When working within a team, it is important to always remember that the work is not about you. It is good to allow everyone to do what they need to do and it is also very important for everyone to exhibit a positive attitude and carry each other along. Also, you should never create cliques within a team. Make every conversation and decision open to everyone.

If this is not done, the purpose of that team is defeated!

Source - https://lingoafrica.com/team-work-is-one-skill-that-everyone-needs-to-learn/

Lingo Africa.

rottable:
God bless you for sharing great info. You made my day

Amen! God bless you too!

Let's create the largest writing tips repository on the internet!

1. Cut The Fluff & Edit Mercilessly.

2. Never Edit While Writing.

3. Don't Keep Them Guessing.

4. Keep The Tone Conversational.

5. Use The Power Of Association. Start With Something Your Readers Already Know.

6. Use Bullet Points.

7. Write Body First, Introduction, And Conclusion Later.

8. Use Grammarly / Hemmingway To Fix Basic Errors.

9. Write Less, Say More.

10. Break Paragraphs Into Sentences Whenever Possible.

11. Let Ideas Flow While Writing, Organize Later While Editing.

12. Never Stop Reading.

13. Use Idioms & Trendy Phrases.

14. Proofread Before Publishing.

15. Write For Readers.

16. Add Value.

17. Build A Strong Portfolio.

18. Explain Technical Concepts In Simpler Words.

19. Keep It Relevant & Rich.

20. Always Understand Your Audience.

21. Read Aloud To Reveal Clumsy Sentences.

22. Pace Out Your Pros.

23. Don't Go Off Track, Stick To Your Point.

24. Use Flesch Tool To Check Readability.

25. Spend 70% Time in Research & 30% In Writing & Editing.

26. Add Introduction & Conclusion To Each Point/Argument.

27. Write Actionable And Outcome Oriented Content.

28. Share Real-Life Examples.

29. Use Ideaflip Tool For Brainstorming.

30. Use Music To Get In Writing Mood.

31. Use Transitional Words & Phrases.

32. Create Your Unique Identity & Writing Style.

33. Don't Repeat Same Ideas.

34. Schedule Your Writing Hours.

35. Don't Write For Masses, Write For Specific Audience.

36. Just Write, Even If It Is Not Good Enough For You.

37. Add A Call To Action.

38. Space Your Writing Process. Never Write & Edit The Same Day.

39. Be Authentic & Let Your Unique Style Flourish.

40. Leave Your First Draft For some time And Come Back To Look At It With Fresh Eyes.

41. Use All Writing Ingredients Wisely, Don't Overuse Any.

42. Start With A One-Liner Phrase.

43. Use Prompt Generating Tools For Inspiration.

44. Re-read Your Content With A Reader's Perspective.

45. Make Useful Notes While Researching.

46. Keep Distractions Away While Writing.

47. Live Actively, Consume Passively.

48. Write Like You Talk.

49. Keep Use-Cases In Mind.

50. Make Table Of Content For Long Articles.

51. Use Statistics / Factual Data Wherever Possible.

52. Back Your Statements With Examples.

53. Link References From Credible Sources.

54. Make Your Graphics Useful And Share-Worthy.

55. Chisel, Chisel, Chisel.

56. Lay Your Raw Thoughts First And Fine-Tune It Later.

57. Write-In Simple Language.

58. Remove "that" Whenever Possible.

59. Start With A Skeleton (Framework) Before Writing.

60. Use "Read Out Loud" Option To Spot Weak Sentences.

61. Write From The Heart.

62. Conceptualize The Epilogue And Then Move Towards Prologue.

63. Always Have The End Goal In Mind.

64. Make Your Content Easy To Read.

65. Consume Various Formats Of Content To Learn From Each.

66. Share Your Work With Close Friends / Mentor And Work On Feedback.

67. Write Something Just For Yourself.

68. Feel Each Word.

69. Ideas First, Perfection Later.

70. Don't Just Write, Design & Architect Your Sentences.

71. Use Emotional Words To Connect.

72. Generate Curiosity And Then Provide Information.

73. Trust Your Gut.

74. Know Your Worth.

75. Become The Audience Before Writing For Them.

76. First Be Relevant & Then Pitch Your Unique Thoughts.

77. Write the Truth.

78. Keep Writing, No Matter What Your Mood Is.

79. Adopt a Consistent Quality Control Policy.

80. Keep Single Central Message.

81. Practice Your Craft Every Day.

82. Keep The Flair Burning And Write For Yourself At Least Once A Week.

83. Use Reddit To Understand Your Audience.

84. Jot Down An Idea As Soon As It Hits You.

85. Try Editing From Bottom To Top For New Perspectives.

86. Write With Empathy.

87. Warm-Up Before Writing By Reading Or Meditating.

88. Follow The KISS Rule - Keep It Short And Simple.

89. Find A Mentor And Work On Feedback.

90. Be Specific, Precise, And Clear.

91. Brainstorm & Create A Content Bank Worth Whole Month.

92. Avoid Jargons Whenever Possible.

93. Give A Magnetic Headline To Your Article.

94. Don’t Reinvent The Wheel And Steal Like An Artist.

95. Give Credits To Original Source/Owner.

96. Add One Media Per 300 Words For Visual Break.

97. Use APP Formula For Introduction - Agree, Promise, Preview.

98. Don't Rush Your Art.

99. Repurpose Your Content In Different Formats.

100. Make Sure Every Word & Every Sentence Has A Purpose.

Source - Aneri Shah via LinkedIn.

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Good morning

Good morning

Good morning

For many workers, the lockdown has hurried the arrival of the “future of work”, a term invoked in recent years in relation to the opportunities and challenges of technological disruption and the structural economic factors that determine the quality of livelihoods.

For many white-collar workers, it has meant remote work. For many service workers and blue-collar workers, it has provided a window into a future where machines may displace people especially as firms consider increasing automation to enhance their future resilience. For those in the care economy, health sector, and education sector, it has led to a long-overdue global revaluation of the significance and essential nature of these professions. For those in the informal and gig economy, it has exposed the fundamental lack of social protection and the precarious nature of subsistence work.

Immediate and urgent action is needed to protect jobs, maintain links between employers and employees, keep large and small employers afloat, and provide income support and other safety nets directly to workers and households. This is where the efforts in many advanced economies and emerging markets have focused although much greater support is needed in developing economies. We must recognize this moment as an opportunity to “build back better” and lay the foundations of a more resilient labor market and more equal world. Here are five ways to do this:

1. Double down on upskilling and reskilling

In recent years, governments, companies, and workers have begun to prioritize reskilling and upskilling to better prepare for the disruptions of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. While it was a microscopic invader rather than the rise of the robots that led to the current collapse of the labor market, it has become clear that the fallout of the pandemic will accelerate digitization and automation across a range of industries and sectors. This calls for new investments and mechanisms for upskilling and reskilling, for both deeply human skills as well as digital skills.

While the online education and training industry has seen a surge in interest from digitally connected workers in lockdown, it is critical that employers double down on retraining workers and that governments proactively build provisions around upskilling and reskilling into the massive fiscal stimulus they are injecting into economies to best prepare workers for the post-pandemic economy.

2. Identify the jobs of tomorrow

The World Economic Forum offered a view of the Jobs of Tomorrow at the start of 2020. These roles are deeply concentrated among those professions that care for people, support the planet, manage new technologies and communicate products and services: Care Economy, Green Economy, People and Culture; Data and AI, Engineering and Cloud Computing, Product Development; Sales, Marketing and Content.

As the pandemic highlights the critical roles that workers in hospitals, grocery stores, schools, and other essential professions play, the opportunities within the Care Economy are expected to increase. Similarly, roles within technology creation and management, e-commerce, and the broader knowledge economy are expected to continue to grow. And as governments seek to rebuild their economies, new sources of growth – and jobs – will also emerge from the green economy, science and health research, and digital infrastructure.

For developing economies, a proactive new approach to the jobs of tomorrow is even more critical as the global value chains of the past are rethought and with it the manufacturing-driven growth model of the past.

3. Prioritize re-deployment and re-employment

Active support to both at-risk and unemployed workers will be critical for businesses and governments. Many companies have already stepped up to provide support in the short-term to rapidly redeploy furloughed workers from low-demand to high-demand roles, such as those in logistics and care often beyond the boundaries of a single company or industry.

In countries where governments that have systems in place for doing this at scale and in a proactive manner, workers are already faring better than in those that don’t. Yet, as governments consider the next set of fiscal stimuli, they must also prioritize labor market services for redeployment and reemployment, including providing job market insights, job market intermediation (match-making services), and job-search assistance. A decade ago, such policies were successfully used to manage the rapid increase in unemployment. Given the more widespread nature of the current crisis, it is critical that such services are expanded and ready to manage the post-pandemic recovery period.

4. Revalue essential work and improve the quality of jobs

It has become increasingly clear that our most essential workers are among those in the lowest-paid and most precarious roles, and that in many developing economies in particular basic social protection is missing for much of the formal and informal workforce.

The period after the Great Depression and the Second World War saw the formalization of the weekend and other workers’ rights in the United States and the creation of health and income safety nets as well as widespread education investments across Europe. Yet, as the nature of our economies has changed, laws, standards, and wages have not kept pace with the needs of workers – and, in many cases, their employers. In parallel to managing the urgencies of the crisis, it is imperative that governments, businesses, and workers’ representatives work together to lead a new historical shift in upgrading the protocols that govern our labor markets.

5. A collaborative recovery, reset and rebuild

Collaboration between employers, governments, and workers both nationally and globally will be critical to the recovery. At the World Economic Forum, we announced in January 2020 the creation of a Reskilling Revolution platform devoted to improving education, skills, and jobs for a billion people by 2030. We have now dedicated this platform to supporting governments, companies, and educators to help workers and students through the crisis, exchange best practices, and to build back better education, skills, and job systems for the post-pandemic recovery.

Source - World Economic Forum.

Masimba had just lost his job as soon as a lockdown was initiated in his country as a way to control the spread of COVID-19. For the last seven years, Masimba had worked in the tourism industry – his job as a manager in one of the fast-rising tour companies had made him pretty satisfied with his station in life – until COVID-19 struck.

After losing his job, Masimba was depressed. His company had fired its staff as they struggled to adjust to the new realities of social distancing. One day, Masimba received a newsletter from a career website he had subscribed to and he got a list of industries that were still hiring amidst COVID-19.

Masimba was excited to learn about this new information. He would later learn that aside from the tourism industry, some other sectors were affected. The new information he had at his disposal, made him start actively searching for opportunities within those sectors that were unaffected by COVID-19.

Masimba made use of his LinkedIn account to search for recruiters and industry influencers in active industries in his community. He also reached out to acquaintances within his sphere of influence for jobs. He tailored all his messages to fit his relevant skills as well as leveraging his experience in communications and teaching.

Soon enough, Masimba got an offer to work for a thriving e-Learning platform as a remote instructor. Now, he has a job in the education industry, which allows him to interact with people across the continent, impart knowledge, work from home, and receive a decent salary.

What are you doing in terms of job opportunities, even as the world is undergoing a global economic crisis? There are still sectors that are active and ready to hire. Are you leveraging opportunities around you? Masimba has just provided a learning experience for all of us!

Source - https://lingoafrica.com/industry-information-will-help-you-adjust-career-realities/

Lingo Africa.