by Angela Copeland | Jan 12, 2021 | Career Corner Column, Coronavirus, Newsletter, Work From Home
As the pandemic continues to rage on in the United States, many of us have felt locked indoors. We’ve felt isolated. It’s been lonely. It’s scary. This is especially true for anyone who is living away from their loved ones. It can be hard to get help with things when you need it during the pandemic. It’s difficult to travel home for a number of reasons. The entire experience can be isolating, especially in a big city.
With no end date to COVID in sight, many workers are trying something out of the ordinary. They’re working from a new location. They’re going where their loved ones are. Countless people are moving to their hometowns, near their parents, or to other cities where they have connections. Even if the move is temporary, it provides the needed relief, and a reconnection to friends and family.
When I first witnessed this phenomenon, I was truly surprised. I wondered how in the world people were able to uproot themselves to work from another location. How were they able to make it happen logistically? Where did they stay? What did their company think about this extra remote work situation? What did the boss say about this request?
But, time and time again, it’s working. Many companies have become very good at remote work. Employees are working from vacation homes. They’re working from other countries. They’re working from the guest room at a family member’s home. And, they’re getting the same amount of work done that they were before.
If you’ve been wondering whether or not working from another city is right for you, I’d encourage you to explore your options. I’ve been surprised at just how understanding many employers are being towards their employees. Even some government workers have the option to apply to work from another location.
If you’re finding yourself alone and in need of a change of scenery, now is the time. Before you do anything, have a conversation with your boss. Get the verbal okay to work from another location. Then, put your intension in writing in an email to confirm. From there, you can plot out your move.
If moving all of your things is not a viable option, look for a storage unit near where you currently live. For a small amount of money, you can store your current belongings until you return. Then, look for furnished apartments in your destination city. Typical apartment rental websites and vacation websites like Airbnb are a great place to start. If you don’t see good furnished options, there are companies that rent furniture month to month.
The pandemic has been awful. But, for remote workers, this time may be an opportunity. If you’ve thought of working from another location, your time to do it may be limited. Talk to your boss. Do your research. Make your move, and make some lemonade with these pandemic lemons.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on
Apple Podcasts or
Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in
iTunes or
Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Jan 5, 2021 | Career Corner Column, Negotiation, New Year, Newsletter
If last year taught us anything, it’s that things can change in an instant. Even small things we took for granted can become complex and unknown. Life is short. We’ve learned that the time is now to get our priorities in order. It’s important to decide on what matters to you and to focus in on it.
For many people, their personal life has a greater weight. Suddenly, a spouse, children, and loved ones are more important than ever before. And, it makes sense. The realization that our lives may be cut short has never been more present.
Even though there is still a pandemic raging, life continues to move forward. This is not the time to give up your career dreams. It’s time to pursue them differently. 2020 prepared us for living and working under the strain of a pandemic. 2021 is our opportunity to put what we’ve learned into practice.
It’s likely your priorities shifted over the last year. If so, here’s an exercise you may want to try. Write down the goals you had one year ago this time. Then, adjust them for our new normal. You may want to be in a smaller city. You may want to live closer to your family. You may want to permanently work from home. You may want to focus less on climbing the ladder and more on happiness. Whatever your goals are, putting them on paper can help to clarify what you are setting out to do.
If you’re like many people, accomplishing much of anything right now can feel impossible. There are things you can do to help make this process easier. After you write down your goals, type them up on your computer. This will allow you to prioritize them and to create steps under each goal. Move the most important goals to the top of your list. Then, outline what you will need to do to achieve each goal. Estimate the time each step will take you. Begin to put a timeframe around each step and goal. Decide on what you’ll accomplish this week, next week, and next month.
I know this sounds simple. But, as you continue to live through the pandemic, you can use your goals as a guide. Having goals written down can help you to stay on track when things are feeling tough. You have a game plan already that you can focus in on.
Don’t plan to check things off your goal list at the same rate as in the past though. The pandemic creates new challenges every day. It will likely take you longer to complete tasks, and that’s okay. The important part is that you stay focused on your goals and on moving forward. That way, we can make our way through 2021 more smoothly than we did last year. Although we may continue to live with a pandemic, this year we’re more prepared.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on
Apple Podcasts or
Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in
iTunes or
Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Dec 29, 2020 | Career Corner Column, Job Search, New Year, Newsletter
The New Year is finally here. We’ve been waiting for 2021 since Friday, March 13, 2020. That was the day that it became apparent that a pandemic was going to be a big part of 2020. Since then, we’ve felt that if we can just hang on until January, things will go back to normal.
Although I hope this is the case, we have to prepare ourselves to move forward either way. It will take time to vaccinate everyone. In the meantime, many companies have already announced that remote work will continue through the fall. This is a huge bummer for some people, and a relief for others.
Whatever your perception is of this possible outcome, it’s best to prepare for anything. And, whatever happens, your life and career must continue to move forward.
By now, working from home has started to be routine for most people. If possible, it may be time to look for ways to put in a little extra effort. I, for one, may look to upgrade from the hoodie and sweats that have become my uniform.
And, it’s also the time to begin to think about your normal career goals. Did you know that many of the educational conferences you once attended in person are now online – and they are less expensive? This opens up options in terms of continuing education. And, there’s a good chance your company budget for training won’t be tapped out.
If you’ve thought of looking for a new job, this is a great time to begin. Think of this way. Many companies are still hiring. But, they are now conducting interviews online. This means that you won’t have to fly around the company to interview. And, you won’t have to sneak out of work.
Plus, if you land an offer, your new company is more likely to offer you a permanently remote position than they were in the past. This year, I heard from job seekers who looked outside of their metro area. They applied to jobs that were in other cities and were not listed as remote. But, companies considered them anyway! And, they didn’t expect the new employees to move. That opens up a lot of options. If your city is slim on job choices, the option to apply in other cities could be an upside.
You may want to also brace yourself for a new possible reality. Even if everything goes back to normal, and even you decide to stay at your current company, you may remain remote. You heard that right. A surprising number of companies have gotten used to remote work. They’ve found that it’s better for their employees and cheaper for the company. Even after the pandemic is over, they will continue to allow employees to work from anywhere.
2021 brings with it many options, and many dreams for a brighter future. Hang in there. We’re in this together!
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on
Apple Podcasts or
Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in
iTunes or
Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Dec 22, 2020 | Career Corner Column, Newsletter
Burnout is not a badge. Yet somehow, we wear it every day as if we may get a prize. Grinding yourself down is not a contest. I wish we could all agree on this.
Productivity at work is the highest when we are rested and when we are taking care of ourselves. Unfortunately, in corporate America, we rarely recognize that. There are days when we are trying to one up each other on how little we’re taking care of ourselves. We like to talk about how we worked on the weekend or how we checked email late at night or early in the morning.
I hope that with the pandemic, we’re collectively having an opportunity to focus more on self-care. But honestly, self-care in 2020 is much more about survival than it is about thriving. It’s hard to take care of yourself when everything is in such a state of disarray.
Unfortunately, even before COVID, burnout had become a way of life. You can tell who is working the hardest based on who appears to be the most exhausted. These are sometimes the same people who are aging faster than others.
A Gallup survey found that the top five reasons for burnout are: unfair treatment at work, unmanageable workload, lack of role clarity, lack of support from the manager, and unreasonable time pressure.
When we think of burnout, we think the burned out employee must be at fault. But, the Gallup survey would suggest we should shift the focus to the employer. If you are a manager, what can you do? Harvard Business Review suggests that satisfaction and dissatisfaction aren’t on one continuum. Managers must consider both satisfaction and dissatisfaction at the same time. When you explain it this way, it makes sense. This would also suggest that burnout is linked to overall company culture. If you are a manager, it’s up to you to make a difference.
If you’re an individual contributor, I believe you also have a role to play. Be transparent with your manager about timelines. Give feedback when things are unreasonable. Push back more. Ask for help. It’s not uncommon for a manager to push until you speak up.
When possible, avoid sending emails on the weekends or at night. You may not think about it at the time, but this creates a negative cycle of internal pressure. When you email a colleague on Saturday, they feel the need to write you back quickly. And, then you will feel the need to write back.
It’s not to say that extra work is needed at times. But, if you push yourself to your limit all the time, you won’t be at your best. You won’t be as productive as you would otherwise be. Burnout is everyone’s problem.
This is easier said than done. But, we have to start somewhere, together. Reducing burnout increases productivity. It increases happiness. And, it will increase employee retention.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on
Apple Podcasts or
Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in
iTunes or
Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Dec 15, 2020 | Career Corner Column, Newsletter
We’re all ready for this year to be over. Most days have been painful, as we watch the news and wait for things to change. It’s felt helpless and at times, hopeless. But, it’s beginning to look like we’re in the final stretch of this pandemic marathon.
With that in mind, try not to ignore the holidays. I know it’s tempting. You’re excited for January to be here. But, at your work, there is at least one person who is living alone. They aren’t near family. They aren’t married. They don’t have children. And for them, the holidays are going to be especially tough this year.
Work isn’t about taking care of colleagues emotionally. But, this year, we have to stick together. Making it through a pandemic is a team project.
Check on each other. Zoom meetings make normal small talk harder. Find time to chat about more than just revenue and goals. Ask how people are holding up – and mean it. Listen. Make a mental note if someone seems to be struggling. Check back with them.
Profitability is great, but the entire company will suffer if employee morale is low. And, we are all in this together – even on holidays.
Take the time to acknowledge this holiday season. It’s hard that we can’t all be together. I love those big fancy holiday parties. Getting dressed up and sharing cocktails with colleagues can be the best part of December. I look forward to them every year.
But, even though you can’t have a big group gathering in person, there are other things you can do. Try activities like a Zoom holiday party. Or, send cards to each other. Perhaps you can have a virtual lunch with your team. Ask for ideas, and you may discover something creative that you hadn’t thought of.
Whatever you do, do something. I know that it won’t compare. It won’t be the best party. And honestly, it might even be the worst holiday party you’ve ever thrown. But, whatever you do, it will be better than nothing.
Those people on your team who are alone will be struggling this month. It’s not that they “may” be struggling. They are struggling. If you’re married or have children, some alone time probably sounds like just the luxury you need. But, single colleagues have been alone since March. There’s a reason why solitary confinement is used as punishment in prison. It’s hard; really hard.
Your company holiday party or greeting card may be the only recognition of the holiday season your single colleagues may have. This is especially true if they don’t live near family, or if their family is older.
Take the time to celebrate just a little, and to find your holiday cheer. Give thanks. Although this year has been the most difficult, it’s also created strong bonds. We’re all in this together, and very soon, it will be in person.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on
Apple Podcasts or
Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in
iTunes or
Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
As the pandemic continues to rage on in the United States, many of us have felt locked indoors. We’ve felt isolated. It’s been lonely. It’s scary. This is especially true for anyone who is living away from their loved ones. It can be hard to get help with things when you need it during the pandemic. It’s difficult to travel home for a number of reasons. The entire experience can be isolating, especially in a big city.
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