Suzi Sarkis

A typical work week for almost everyone out there is around 40 hours. So when it comes to your online workspace, it’s extremely important (and necessary) to create an environment that is functional yet motivating to be in front of for that amount of time per week!

File away

Create a strategy for your virtual filing that works for you and stick to it. For example, I use the Xero app to scan all my receipts and store them.

Declutter

Get rid of everything on your desktop! I know people with desktop’s covered in icons. It’s not an efficient filing system. You always think you’ll come back to it and file it away but you won’t.

Pin-it or Tag-it

Seen an article online that you want to read later? Or an image you want to include in your next presentation? Use apps like Pinterest to create visual inspiration boards, or Pocket to tag an article to read later.

Get appy

There are a myriad of apps out on the market to help you stay organised. Here are 3 of our favs:

Google Now

It’s not a surprise to see the godfather of search engines wading into the digital assistant arena. Customise the app to keep you on track on the latest birthdays, weather, urgent emails or breaking scores from your football team.

Dropbox

Drop your files into this Cloud-based app and access it anywhere, saving you the chore of manually transferring photos and documents across devices. Convenient for business and pleasure, the dropbox is perfect for the balancing act your life requires.

Evernote

Evernote is essential for the notetaker. This app has strong search capabilities, acting as a secure pad for all your scribbles and jottings for passwords, website clippings and audio notes. Best of all, Evernote syncs between devices to keep your thoughts flowing across tablet or phone.

So what does storytelling have to do with your business? Everything! If you can’t properly convey a story then your products are not going to appeal to your audience. The art of storytelling is a business competency that drives emotional engagement and can enhance business performance.

Stories can be incorporated into all your forms of content: blogs, e-books, whitepapers, and even your “About us” page to captivate your audience. Sales staff who are able to use storytelling to captivate customers can drive profits.

Below are a few guiding principles that any brand, big or small, can follow to transform storytelling into a critical business competency:

Tell stories that explain as much about who you are as what you do. In today’s marketplace, customers are becoming increasingly particular about what they purchase and whom they purchase it from. Conveying your company’s mission in a way that captivates your audience beyond the bottom-line is critical to success.

Tell stories that matter. Your brand is more than your products. People want to know more about your contributions to the industry and beyond. How are shaping the agenda? How are you leading the market? How are you innovating and staying ahead of your competitors?

Tell stories that enrich your customer’s lives. Today people want to be part of a brand that does more than provide a service or product. Competition is fierce across all industries. They want to become part of a brand they believe in – one that enriches their lives and drives meaningful engagements. Share stories that make your brand accessible – more human.

A recent study by the University College of London found that working more than 11 hours a day increases your risk of heart disease by 67%. Us Aussie’s are a hard working bunch. The typical full-time employee works 4.28 hours extra each week, which adds up to $8704 of your time annually (Ranstad). In 2013, Australia was ranked 9th in the developed world for working some of the longest hours – not our proudest achievement.

The increase in cortisol levels from stress, being sedentary and hunching over our keyboards is making us more susceptible to heart disease, headaches and back pain. In fact, prolonged sedentary behaviour, like sitting at a desk, has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer – even if you hit the gym daily (The Collective Hub).

Your hard work ethic is almost certainly killing you. There is, however, a simple solution to all of this;  go home on time. Ok, so breaking the habit of working over time isn’t as easy as it sounds for some. Here are 3 quick tips to help you trim down your work week.

#1 Set a reminder at 4pm to write down your goals for tomorrow.

Productivity expert and author Tim Ferriss has this trick for those who are reluctant to clock off: at the end of your workday, write down your goals for tomorrow. It gives you the sense that you’ve got your workload under control, so you can switch off and relax for the rest of your evening. (The Collective Hub).

#2 Book in a yoga class for after work

This is a great one to get you out of the door on time and reduce your cortisol levels fast and stretch out your back and limbs that have been contracted for most of the day from sitting in a chair and staring at a screen.

#3 Plan to work back 1 night a week

This may seem counter-intuitive but by allowing yourself to work back 1 night a week most people find it easier to leave on time for the remaining days of their work week. Give it a try and see.

In recent studies, up to 90% of human resources, people say they check out social media profiles, especially LinkedIn and Facebook, before inviting a candidate in for an interview (careercast). Your professional photo is almost like your own logo.

All too often we see headshots that are too close, too far, too blurry, too sexy, too smug (often when someone is trying to look confident) or too happy (most likely a little tipsy). The wrong headshot can kill your chances of even getting a look into an interview.

If you’re considering looking for a new role, getting a good photo that you can share with your recruiter, use on your LinkedIn and include in your CV is paramount to your job hunting success.

Here are a few best practice tips to consider:

1. Take the photo from your shoulders to the top of your head. People want to see your face.
2. Keep your hair neat and away from your face
3. It’s ok to smile! But not to a point where you are laughing. It can sometimes appear contrite
4. Ensure the photo is taken at high resolution. Don’t undo your efforts by taking the pic in low quality.
5. Take a few options. If you wear glasses, take a few photo’s with them on and off. Hair up and down, etc. You can then work with your recruiter to select the right photo.
6. Ladies, keep your makeup natural. People want to see the real you.
7. Men, cleanly shaven is often the best but if you have facial hair just ensure it has been manicured.
8. Take the photo facing the light. Do not have the light shining on one side of your face. You don’t want to look like you’re from Phantom of the Opera.
9. Take the photo on a plain background. You don’t want your surroundings to detract from your photo.
10. For a well-balanced photo, try to adhere to the ‘rule of thirds’. This means placing the centre of the face or the eyes at the intersection of the lens.

Do you wake up after hitting the snooze button (or maybe hit it 3 times), then grab your phone to turn off the alarm only to get suckered into checking your emails and social media? Then you quickly become stressed, rush to get ready and are already anxious before you’ve even walked out the door!

Recently, I began reading more about the effects negative news can have on our overall well-being and just how a few small changes can prime our brains to be more optimistic.

Here are the top 3 small changes I’ve found to be the most useful and easy to implement.

 Don’t check your emails. Write one first.

‘Starting your day with stressful emails doesn’t set your brain up for success. Even if you have an equal number of good and “bad” ones, the stressful notes are often scientifically more powerful because our brain was built to respond with greater attention to stressors in our environment.’ (Thrive Global)

By writing a proactive email you are getting your brain to focus in a way that is conducive to productive work. Did you know that providing social support in the form of kind words at work has been connected with increasing the chances of promotion by 40 percent? (Michelle Gielan).

Don’t read the news!

Just three minutes of negative news can increase your chances of having a bad day by 27%! (Shawn Achor). It’s the same as negative emails. Take the time to read a few positive, uplifting articles or watch a few TED talks to get you in the right frame of mind.

Here are a few one’s the team here at Brook love:

The happy secret to better work

Flow, the secret to happiness

The Surprising Science of Happiness

The 21 day challenge

You have the ability to rewire your brain for greater levels of happiness by taking just two minutes a day to write down three gratitude’s. (Shawn Achor). This simple action over 21 days can raise your levels of happiness and make you more of a ‘glass half full’ type of person.

Emma is the Executive Assistant (EA) to the Directors and has held various Senior EA roles at companies across the infrastructure, oil and gas, and security industries. Emma gained her Bachelor Degree in Management in Scotland. A highlight of her career so far is coming runner up in The Executive PA Magazine Awards ‘PA of the Year’ award in 2014.

We sat down with Emma to ask her how she’s getting on in her current role at ICD Property, now that she’s well and truly settled in.

What attracted you to your current role and working within the Property Development industry?

I have always been interested in Property Development and my family have a large commercial Property Development business in Scotland.  ICD Property was offering me the opportunity to learn more about the industry in Australia and also work closely with the Board, which is based in China. My role involves working with the Directors – three inspiring and creative people who bring out the best in their team.

 What’s your favourite thing about working for ICD Property?

The best thing about working for ICD Property is the culture.  The people I work with are kind, caring and passionate about the company and its success. There is so much variety in the day to day tasks. Working for the Directors certainly, keeps things interesting and makes you think outside the square for solutions.

What sets ICD Property apart from others in the industry?

ICD Property is people focused.  The Directors ensure their staff are happy and help them achieve their dreams.  They want people to be passionate about what they do.  When developing property they consider the residents that will occupy the apartments, which was shown recently with the completion of Eq. Tower in Melbourne’s CBD.  The industry standard for communal space is two percent but ICD Property created 6 percent for the enjoyment of the residents.  The Eq. Tower development has proven to be so outstanding it sold 634 apartments over 65 levels in less than 240 days.

What makes the team at ICD Property different to others in the industry?

The team at ICD Property are like family.  They look out for one another, help each other with deadlines and goals and generally support one another. It makes us happy to come to work every day.

What’s your favourite part of your current role?

By far it is the people, my bosses and the variety of work.  My boss allows me to take on additional projects and supports me in everything I do.  It is a fast paced work environment but we all love what we do.

How did you land your current role? Did you approach this application any differently to others in the past?

I was approached for this role and although I wasn’t looking for a new job at the time I went along to meet the team at ICD Property.  I was intrigued by their business approach and ambition.  In my interview, I offered to learn Mandarin alongside my boss who is also studying the language.  By speaking Mandarin I will be able to converse with our Board in China.  It also gives me the opportunity to broaden my skill set as an EA.  I have learnt about lots of new technology and a different way of ‘upgrading’ myself since I started at ICD Property last year.

What’s your mantra for achieving success?

I believe in hard work to achieve success.  Nothing comes easily but if you work hard, have good business ethics and are happy in the workplace you will go far. 

 See Emma’s LinkedIn profile here.

Read more about ICD Property here.

Nowadays technical aptitude is a given. Being exceptional at your role or the job you’re applying for is expected. If you’re job hunting or looking for to hire, ‘soft skills’ are some of the most sought after attributes.

So what are soft skills? Soft skills are ‘personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people.’ (Wikipedia). Commonly known as people or interpersonal skills, soft skills like negotiating, building morale, and maintaining relationships are key to a leader’s success.

Depending on your personality and experience certain soft skills may need to be developed more than others. Here are 3 skills leaders need to be successful.

#1 – Active Listening

The best communicators are not only skilled at articulating their own thoughts, they’re also great listeners. We tend to associate being the loudest voice in the room with power and control, but successful leaders understand the importance of listening to others’ thoughts and ideas. (The Business Insider)

#2 – Adaptability

According to a survey of LinkedIn, almost 70 per cent of hiring managers agree that adaptability is the most important soft skill.

A key part of adaptability is being open to the possibility of adaptation – you don’t have to already be good at it, you just need to show you’re ready to give it a try. If asked what your weaknesses are, or what you still need to learn, your response is about how willing you are to take on new tasks and grow your skills. (collective hub)

#3 – Empathy

Empathy, in short, is the ability to understand a person’s feelings. It’s a competency most great leaders possess and work hard to master. Empathy can make a real difference in driving a high performing team. Empathy makes people feel valued and connected it encourages growth and innovation. Read more about why empathy is a leaders best tool.

Temping has become increasingly popular over the last few years as more people are looking for flexible work options. ‘Temps’ have become a crucial asset to organisations who are trying to manage their head count while achieving their business objectives.

Often candidates find successful employment from temping assignments. Temping can also:

• Provide you with an opportunity to broaden your experience and skill base.
• Allow you to expand your network and meet like-minded professionals. It can also be an opportunity to find a mentor, particularly if you’re considering a career change. Did you know that ‘You are three times more likely to become a top performer if you have a mentor. (Collective Hub).
• Extend into a longer contract. When a temp has performed really well we see employers doing everything they can to extend the temping contract.
• Provide you with more control over your hours. This can work well for people who are job hunting, studying, returning to work after extended leave or any other circumstance where they need not to be tied to a 9am-5pm permanent role.

Here are some of our top tips for getting the most out of your temp assignments:

• Keep your Recruitment Consultant updated with your availability.
• Always have your phone handy so your Recruitment consultant can reach you quickly. Often temp roles get snapped up fast.
• Pre-fill out any forms required by your recruitment agency to cover your pay.
• Arrive at least ten minutes early on the first day of your assignment and continue to be punctual throughout your assignment.
• Look and act professionally always. This assignment could end up being more than just temporary. First impressions are critical.
• Be prepared. Ensure you have a thorough understanding about the role, the tasks you’re likely to undertake and their expectations of you. Impress your new employer by researching the organisation so that you have the right context when work is being briefed to you.
• Every assignment is an opportunity to build your personal brand. Seek feedback, attend meetings and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Showing a genuine interest in the organisation and willingness to learn new things can be a great way to position yourself for future work.

Considering temping? Send Stephanie your CV at Stephanie@brookrecruitment.com.au. We’d love to hear from you.

Looking for a job is never easy. Even if you’re in a great job and have just started looking to ‘see what’s out there’, a few knock backs can start to impact your confidence. There are a few cardinal rules when searching for a job that will hold you in good stead and set you up for success.

#1 – Don’t bite the hand that feeds you

Good manners and courtesies are critical. We’re not talking about saying please and thank-you, we’re assuming these are basic manners you already practice every day. We’re referring to how you treat everyone you encounter during your recruitment journey. For example, Joanie was a bright young woman working for a prestigious brand. Her contract had come to its conclusion so at the advice of her recruitment consultant she took-up temping to keep a source of income and provide her with opportunities to get exposure to new businesses and teams whilst she was looking for a more permanent role. Joanie, was attending interview’s while she was temping and received a job offer. Great news! Her new employer had asked her if she was available for an immediate start. Joanie agreed to the terms despite already being committed to her current temping assignment for another 2 weeks. This left her Recruitment agency and her current employer in a very difficult position. It reflected poorly on Joanie and the Recruitment agency.  The right course of action here would have been for Joanie to negotiate for her to commence her new role in 2 weeks. If it was not possible Joanie should have discussed her position with her recruiter before confirming her new contract agreement. Instead Joanie’s actions burnt the proverbial ‘bridge’ between her and the recruitment agency and the client.

#2 – Slacken off from your current job

You might be one foot out the door but you’re still paid to do your job. Work as hard as you can until your last day. Leave your Manager and co-workers with a positive impression of working with you. It will always hold you in good stead for the future. Your personal brand is critical the success of your career, and its these interactions that build a strong brand image.

#3 – Stop preparing

Interviewing is hard. It can be very difficult to remain upbeat and enthusiastic if you’ve attending a few interviews and not gotten very far. It can be easy to start to think that it’s a waste of time to research the company as you’ve done in the past. Not preparing for an interview will almost certainly guarantee you failure. Not being able to answer questions like ‘What do you know about us?’ or ‘What interested you in the role?’ succinctly will most definitely not get you that second interview. If you’re feeling a little jaded from the whole recruitment process, take a break. Take a few weeks out to focus on the things that make you happy and get you motivated again. For more tips on how to win your dream job read our blog on the real reason’s you’re not getting that job.