Changing up your workspace isn't just about feeling comfortable and at home when you're on the job; it can actually have an effect on your overall productivity. Whether it's the sounds you hear or how well you see, your senses are engaged for better or for worse at work. By making sure that these senses are focused on the task at hand, you can more effectively match your workspace to your productivity.
Related:5 Productivity-Sucking Snags To Avoid At Work
Eliminating distractions and creating a space geared toward efficiency could be the difference between a focused worker and one who struggles with staying on task. Here are some things you can do to make sure your workspace promotes productivity:
Blocking Sound
There's a lot of hustle and bustle that goes along with working in an office. From the sounds of machines, printers, and computers to interruptions from noisy co-workers, noises in your office could have you struggling to tune out distractions. By putting safeguards in place to effectively block sounds out so you can focus, you'll notice fewer interruptions.
If working in a cubicle, fabric can be used on the cubicle partition to help muffle outside sound. If trying to block out sound seems like a losing battle, consider investing in a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones, which emit frequencies that can help block out sounds so you can finally focus and improve your overall productivity.
Better Lighting
While you may not have much influence over the sound level in your office, you can tweak the lighting if you find that it's detrimental to your productivity levels. A good workspace should have ample lighting, not just from overhead sources, but from desk sources as well. Bringing in a desk lamp from home can help brighten up a dark space, but also soften the harsh fluorescent lighting common in most offices. Play with a few different light sources to see whether it makes a difference in your ability to focus on tasks.
Task-Specific Areas
Whether you're a pro a multitasking or you prefer to take your jobs one at a time, it's easy to get sidetracked when your office is disorganized. Say you're supposed to be organizing and stapling reports, for example. You're doing it in front of your computer and you notice an instant message pop up. You'll probably stop what you're doing to read and answer the message, which could disrupt your workflow. That's why one brilliant office design concept is that of task-specific workstations within your office.
By creating one space for computer work, another for organizational and office work, and yet another for personal time, like eating lunch, you help delineate between the different types of tasks in your mind. In the future, when called upon for a specific task, you'll be able to focus on the work at hand, instead of being distracted.
Comfort And Design
Finally, the most important component of office and interior design is to make sure that your office is a place in which you actually want to spend time. While it may not be your favorite place in the world, having a comfortable office decorated in a way that you love can make work more pleasant. When work is more pleasant, you'll be less likely to spend time looking for a way out. While you may not be able to paint your office, you can hang pictures of your family, create displays of things that inspire you, and adorn your desk with pictures and souvenirs that make you smile.
If there's no place like home, then you know your office can't possibly compete with the comforts of your living space. Still, making sure your workspace is outfitted with everything you need to stay on task, you might enjoy your work more—all while increasing performance.
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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