Making Your Home into Your Office

Making Your Home into Your OfficeMaking Your Home into Your OfficeI was fortunate enough to be one of them.When the process began, I had visions of four-digit expenditures (to be paid by the newspaper or the designers) on major renovations to turn this crowded and sometimes gloomy 1217 space into a livable and workable environment.It turns out, it only took $326 and a designer with some good ideas.Here are a few small things you can do to turn any home area into a workspace that is comfortable and inspiring- and where you can pull off professional meetings. Tips come from Hilary Unger, who applied them to my Manhattan apartmentOrganizeMake it feel not too cluttered Pair like with like - pencils in pencil holders, baskets for paper, message pad next to phone, she says. Order and neatness go a long way toward creating a work environment that is pleasing to the eye.SeparateIf youre working at your dining room table and you have to fold it up every night to use it for eating, you lose p roductivity, says Unger. Think about getting a separate desk, or at least a separate area.Like ItLook at your priorities What items do you want to keep? What items do you need to keep? What are your goals and what is bothering you about the space? Unger suggests an evaluation of your work area to find what you like and dont like will help you focus on what you need to rework.(Hilary Unger is owner of Perianth konzept and Buy My Eye. Buy My Eye is a slimmed-down service that involves a consultation followed by a detailed analysis and shopping list with options.)Posted by Laura Rich, RecessionWire.comAt the End of Your Robe Finding Your Identity in CrisisRecession Briefing 3.13Love in the Time of Layoff Learning from the Ladies

Hiring Climate for Creatives, December 2017 Update

Hiring Climate for Creatives, December 2017 UpdateHiring Climate for Creatives, December 2017 Update*/Read the infographic text.HIRING CLIMATE FOR CREATIVESDecember 2017 UpdateWhat are your companys hiring plans for full-time creative employees?FIRST HALF OF 2018SECOND HALF OF 2017Expanding/adding new positions5%9%Maintaining/filling vacated positions78%64%Freezing/not filling vacated or new positions17%21%Reducing/eliminating positions0%4%How challenging is it for your company to find skilled creative professionals today?7% Very challenging46% Somewhat challenging25% Not applicable/not looking22% Not challengingTop areas creative executives expect to hire for in the first half of 201825% Content marketing23% Brand/product management22% Digital marketing20% absatzwirtschaft research20% CopywritingMost challenging areas for companies to fill1. Web design/production2. Marketing research3. Brand/product management4. Digital marketingSource The Creative Group survey of more than 400 advertising and marketing executives in the United States.Responses may not total 100 percent due to rounding. 2018 The Creative Group. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans.

3 Better Ways to Define Success in Your Career - The Muse

3 Better Ways to Define Success in Your Career - The Muse3 Better Ways to Define Success in Your CareerAccording to Merriam-Websters definition of success, anyone whos rich, respected, or famous is successful.Some people will read that and enthusiastically shake their heads yes- others will roll their eyes. Neither group is right or wrong the truth is that the words means a lot of different things to different people. In fact, as part of a recent Readdress Success campaign, Strayer University petitioned Merriam-Webster to change the official definition.The proposed replacement? Happiness derived from good relationships and achieving personal goals.I like this definition way better- it still encompasses the above description (your personal goals can include making lots of money), but also includes people who think more outside of the box.And its inspired me to develop three strategies for writing your own definition, for understanding how you define success.1. Look at Your Proudest Ac hievementsbestattungs a piece of paper and a pen, and write down the five accomplishments youre proudest of.Maybe thats, Paid off my student loans in five years, Taught myself how to code, or Left my job and started freelancing full-time.Note that these dont have to be your biggest accomplishments, but rather the ones you feel most positively about. Sure, everyones impressed that you graduated from a top-tier school, but you might be prouder that you beat your fear of heights or moved to a new city.After youve got five accomplishments, try to identify a common thread or two. Did all of your accomplishments require courage? Selflessness? Persistence? Intelligence? Caring?The common themes tell you what defines your long-term vorstellung of success. For example, my common theme was creativity- when I figure out an unexpected or innovative way of solving a problem, I feel really successful.2. Challenge Your AssumptionsOn the other side of the paper, make a list of things that have prov ed to be less satisfying than youd thought they be.Ill give you one of mine. For years, Ive coveted a pair of heels by a particular designer. I decided that, after I hit a certain freelance writing milestone, Id buy the shoes.Well, Im still very proud of reaching the milestone- but wearing them doesnt give me the thrill I thought it would.By acknowledging the successes that didnt make you happy, you can start to replace societys definitions with your own.3. Create Levels of SuccessSuccess usually implies a goal that took weeks, months, or even years to make happen. However, part of defining your own vision of the word means identifying what it would mean in the next couple days, hours, or even minutes.Ive implemented this concept by adding a new section to my to-do list called real success. For example, one item was Grab lunch with a friend. Another was Practice interview answers for 15 minutes.Both of these goals helped me toward two bigger versions of success Achieve work-life bal ance and Get a job I absolutely love.Before this, I wouldnt consider myself successful until Id made those ultimate goals come true. But by reframing progress itself as success, I felt much more accomplished and proud.Define your own success is one of those goals that sounds awesome but is hard to implement. However, these three strategies have really helped me develop a personalized definition that works better for me. Whats yours? Let me know on Twitter