If you’ve been at the shops recently, I’m sure you have been unable to ignore the sea of red paraphernalia strategically placed to remind you of that certain day in February some of us might not be so fond of. Yes, the Valentine’s Day fever is upon us and it got me thinking about the idea of romanticism but not the “lovey dovey” kind. Instead, how can we apply this philosophy when it comes to the daily grind of our jobs, something I’ve touched on before in a prior blog.According to Wikipedia, the term Romanticism originated towards the latter part of the 18th century in Europe and was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement. Not much ado about chocolates, flowers, heart-shaped eye emoji’s, and mugs with phrases like “One in a Melon”. It came up on Google, you can go verify for yourself.I stumbled upon this call to action to jumpstart and rejuvenate our every day while perusing YouTube, when I should have been sleeping of course, on one of these motivational videos titled “Romanticize Your Life”. It suggests that you tackle your day-to-day activity with renewed enthusiasm. You must believe your morning commute is “cute and fun” and…
There’s no doubt that almost every person who has felt the strain of the year that has been 2020, when a deadly pandemic mimicking the age-old Flu virus made its appearance and left many impacted by its wrath, perhaps feeling only too relieved that we will soon embark on a new year. We cannot however fool ourselves into thinking that things are going to drastically improve. Restrictive state measures and masks may well stick around for quite some time to come – the “new normal” – an existence we have now become accustomed to. When it comes to business, the economy was brought to its knees. Many industries including our specialist service of recruiting, took a hard knock. We have had to adapt around remote working, MS Teaming, Zooms and WhatsApp video calls, as we embrace our ever-changing way of work and world alike.Many of you had to continue braving it out there and going into the office either on a rotation basis or still the daily commute as before lockdown. My heart went out to parents who had to juggle homeschooling and kids now more homebound. It has been a rough year. But equally so, a deeply significant one,…
It’s no secret that when certain jobs come to mind, whether it be an electrician or rugby coach, some of us still have a stereotypical picture of it being something only men are engineered to do. This has long been the case when it comes to the sphere of IT. The IT guy – donning a messy or intentional bedhead of hair, bearded and trendy spectacle-wearing man from those long hours in front of the PC, is typically what pops into many of our heads when we think of those working tirelessly writing complex code which breathes life into the websites and apps we in this day and age, virtually cannot live without.And, even more so now during this trying time of Covid-19, all things technological have become so crucial to our daily existence. From working remotely to having groceries and other deemed “essentials” (like curly hair detangler or non-alcoholic beverages, each person’s necessity to their own) delivered to our homes. But most importantly, tech has allowed us to stay connected – that phone call, WhatsApp or video call – instantly giving you that fuzzy warm feeling when you get to hear or see gran or your parents, “cuzzies” or…
As with most jobs, there are often tedious tasks to wade through before getting to the exciting bits that challenge and motivate you to be a more productive worker bee. Recently I was tasked with compiling a list which felt like it went on for days. Its completion haunted my every waking moment and I vowed to do whatever it took to get it done. I told myself like some of us do, even exclaiming out loud for extra effect, that there was purpose to this list aka “method to the madness”. With that front of mind, I “slayed” that list. And eventually, as I drew closer to the finish line, all initial feelings of “why me” was pleasantly replaced with a real sense of accomplishment.Anyone whose had actual success on a diet or perhaps changed to a vegan lifestyle or made a drastic career change, let’s say from Accountant to Fitness Guru or perhaps from Teacher to Web Developer, will tell you it wasn’t easy at first. They will probably also profess, that consistency is key. Intentionally choosing to eat mostly leaves or get up at 5am to do squats, must if you ask me, entail a good scraping…
Much the same as an unsuspecting virtual virus wreaks havoc on any given workday, sending you and IT techies into an immediate state of panic, so too Covid-19 has swept across the globe and left in its wake many workplaces completely disrupted. I believe this is a time when I take my hat off to tech gurus who often spend countless hours to produce innovative networking tools we now rely on so dearly to remain connected to colleagues, friends and loved ones. These digital tools have helped repurpose our physical offices where we used to gather as a workforce to our living rooms and nooks in our bedrooms which now serve as remote links from where we carry out our jobs. While scientists and doctors work furiously to create a desperately-needed vaccine to help combat the coronavirus, varsity students to seamstresses have used their efforts to design nifty mobile temperature reading apps to screen our schoolkids and protective masks you can wash and re-use for the most vulnerable in society who may not have money to buy one. Since our prior “normal” reality was warped into lockdown where we have been subjected to restrictions, especially freedom to move about wherever…
As many of the lockdown regulations and restrictions were handed down to us by government since the Covid-19 pandemic hit our shores, it raised many an eyebrow and were fairly questionable. Some as you may or may not fondly remember included being forbidden to buy open toe sandals, sell hot food or jog whenever you desired. As a highly active democratic society, it came as no surprise that many of these lockdown rules were blasted on social media and the like and petitions drawn up in protest, lots of people sharing the sentiment that we were starting to mirror a “nanny state”. There appeared to be a veil of secrecy around who and how and what evidence backed up the formulation of the lockdown laws and it soon became evident there were opposing views amongst the ministers themselves in particular the quite controversial cigarette ban. The latest court ruling which has now deemed many of the Level 3 and 4 regulations as “unconstitutional” and “invalid” highlights once again the age-old ethical principle of being transparent. Perhaps if our dear government were more open to legal consultation and dare I say, even public participation, they might not be in this public…
Some of us have been suffering from deep withdrawal symptoms, fondly reminiscing now of the little things in life we enjoyed pre-Covid-19. The other day in our work group chat, my colleague expressed, with a shared photo to boot, how she sorely missed the office coffee machine. This was followed by another colleague saying how she missed her walks to get her regular dose of cappuccino at her fave baristas located near to our office building. I have come to realise that addiction to good coffee is a very real thing people. Then there are the bigger things amiss, like freedom of movement or aka for me, being able to access all items at Woolies not only those deemed “essential”. On a quick run to one of their stores at my local shopping mall, I was admittedly a bit taken aback when greeted by two long rows of tape which weirdly made me think of those used to cordon off a crime scene. This of course, after I’d gotten my squirt of what is often very pungent smelling hand sanitiser, which has now become the norm when you enter most stores. But back to the tape. It was blocking me…
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, many employers have been prompted to take the precautionary measure to ensure the safety and health of their staff, by now allowing them to work from home. For some, this will only be a temporary situation, but the transition is nevertheless an adjustment that requires a few tweaks to ensure you maintain productivity. While I have been juggling both my twin daughters and working from home for close to 18 months now, my colleagues are newbies to remote work. So, here’s a guide I’ve put together extracting from my own experience and hopefully these tips will prove useful to both my team and the rest of you who have been given the option to work remotely. Establish a suitable space to setup your workstation – This can literally be anywhere you feel will allow you to work relatively undisturbed while getting proper lighting and airflow. Whether it be your sunroom or a nook in your room you have dedicated to a work area, ensure you have enough light and preferably set up shop near a window for fresh air. Unlike the office, many of our homes don’t have aircon. You may need a…
You’re fidgety but trying to remain calm even though it feels like butterflies are doing some fluttery tap dance in the pit of your stomach. Whether it’s nerves or excitement, or a combination of the two, it might feel like you’re going on a first or blind date. But in this case, you’re not about to meet the potential one. Instead, you are waiting to participate in the much-dreaded interview for a new job. Much the same as you would prep good conversation starters, fork out on a trendy restaurant with delectable cuisine and perhaps Belgian “choccies” for your date to make them fall madly in love with you, you need to pull out all the stops to make your next boss think you’re pretty amazing too. While you may not be able to bribe an entire panel interview with sugary delights – no, don’t get any ideas – you can try to knock their socks off by simply sticking to some of the following pointers. Be on time – Think of it the same way as if your date kept you waiting and waiting. There you are all dolled up and smelling fresh with that scent you hope will…
As always, the dawn of a new year brings with it the age-old cliché “wake-up and smell the coffee” frenzy, which has been trending as the term “New Year, New Me” with the arrival of 2020. The memes though have been pretty loaded with sarcasm as many people don’t believe in this hype with the renewal of one’s self just because the new year has begun. But don’t be fooled, many of us will still be resolute to work towards our new year’s resolutions. I for one, bought a very bougie looking water bottle as a step towards one of my goals which is, that mentally I hope, a pretty bottle will help increase my intake of H2O. And yes, while you will probably never be as new as you were when you exited the womb, you sure can try to refresh. These revival tactics are often vital when returning to work after the festive period which is often accompanied by a lack of motivation to get back into the swing of things. So, here’s a practical guide with a few simple ways to kickstart your inner worker bee – Start your day with a positive action – While you’re…