Tag: professional

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH: HOW I BALANCE BOTH IN THE WORKPLACE

Posted on September 23, 2019 by

With the final quarter of the year fast approaching I thought it would be an appropriate time for me to conduct a self-assessment over what has been a very busy 2019, not only professionally but also on a personal level too.

As I write this, I’ve almost surpassed the five-month mark since making the switch from journalism into PR, and it is safe to say I have learned an enormous amount in a relatively short but very enjoyable and rewarding time.

There is undoubtedly always going to be an element of the unknown when you begin a new career, but any fears or trepidations were quickly defused after I realised that Open Communications is a very ambitious and aspiring place to work. This was encapsulated after only a few months when we completed a move to a much larger office in Wakefield city centre.

As well as the many opportunities I am being given to maintain and develop my skills, the relocation to the new office also presented me with the chance to maximise something that is very important to me; my health and wellbeing.

Although I have always been a relatively active person, year after year my gym membership becomes less worn, sitting unused in my wallet. The dedication to stick to routine whilst also managing a career, and more recently moving to a new house, has somehow managed to elude me. However, this all changed when we rehoused to our new workspace.

I am now a member of a gym that is literally a couple of minutes-walk away from our offices and at least three times a week I try to complete a full workout within my lunch hour. Despite only keeping to this schedule for a few short months, I didn’t expect to feel such a positive impact so early on!

Not only am I back on track with my own personal fitness goals, but I also feel mentally refreshed and reinvigorated when I return to my desk to begin a full afternoon of work.

I initially joined this city centre gym with the idea that I don’t have to worry about working out before or after work, when I’m often far too tired! But I had no idea my new routine would become such an important and integral part of my daily routine, for both personal and professional reasons.

If anyone can get out in their lunch hour or during a break time, I would highly recommend a trip to the gym. I know it doesn’t sound appealing to all, but my new outlook is just one example of how beneficial it really can be.

When 4-inches IS more than big enough!

Posted on January 26, 2017 by

There has been a bit of a ‘wobble’ within the media over recent days, with the findings of a report from the Women and Equalities Committee and the Petitions Committee announcing that women are regularly told to abide by discriminatory dress codes for work.  

This all follows a previous story about a young woman who was employed as a temp at a large professional services firm. On arriving at the job, she was told to change her smart black flats for 2-4 inch heels.

Ms Thorpe refused and was asked to leave the company unpaid. She subsequently launched a petition (they didn’t see that coming!) which encouraged over 150,000 signatures and achieved national headlines throughout the country in both print and across broadcast.

There are a few things I want to make clear here before we start:

1.       It is not ok to ask people to unbutton their shirts – ever

2.       It is not ok to ask people to wear shorter skirts – again, ever!

3.       If you have a dress code you must make it common knowledge before offering someone a position – it is not right to dismiss them afterwards

I have heard stories of PR agencies making people unbutton shirts before pitches and have seen pictures whereby teams (all women coincidentally) have been made to wear tight skirts and shirts in ‘corporate colours’, which by the way looked ridiculous!

The problem lies in the fact that these examples are extreme.

The issue here goes far beyond 4-inch heels or the press coverage that this story has generated. As is often the case, the truth behind the problem is dictated by the decisions that we make and the industries we choose to work in.

A doctor as an example has to wear scrubs. I’m sure that they don’t feel attractive in them and many would prefer to work in jeans and a t-shirt or perhaps even a dress and flats but that isn’t possible because it is permitted that they follow the rules of their employment for hygiene reasons.

You could – and I’m guessing you will – argue that an office is not a fair comparison and I agree BUT when you work in a professional environment there are certain expectations about dress code.

I would never put in place a dress code at Open Comms, it would go against everything we believe in, but I do expect that everyone in the team is a true representation of our brand and business – which isn’t ripped jeans and a t-shirt.

We don’t all dress in suits every day and on occasion we will come in wearing trousers and a top. There is absolutely no ‘rule’ in terms of footwear but again I wouldn’t expect anyone to turn up in trainers or wellington boots – the team use their judgement and know that they are representing Open when they are at work.

Within a half-page piece in the i newspaper, it said that the report findings had found “They heard repeatedly from women who said their feet would bleed and that they were in so much pain they were unable to walk properly or lead a normal life.”

Now, come on. I don’t know anyone at all that this has EVER happened to. I wear heels most days and I don’t suffer from feet that bleed or pain when I walk because I wear shoes that fit me properly, and I really don’t believe a 2-inch heel for most people would cause too many problems.  

I think the main point of the piece, which is eluded to but not spelt out, is that people want to wear what they choose – they don’t want to conform. I don’t agree at all with the extreme cases that are shared across the papers and to unbutton shirts and roll up skirts turns my stomach but there has to be some degree of making better judgements when you decide where to work.

 As many of the jobs that are referenced are within the professional services you would expect that these people do in fact have choices and it is the responsibility of the employer to share any dress code during the recruitment process. It is then up to the candidate to decide if they abide by that or not.

We need to be really careful in these instances that we don’t get caught up in believing that looking smart and making an effort is to be criticised. I enjoy wearing dresses and heels to work, I like to feel smart and professional. When I wear jeans I’m usually at home and my mindset is completely different.

For me, putting on a dress, skirt or trouser suit takes me from Lin to Lindsey from Open Comms. I don’t think I’m alone in this thought and I hope that some common sense prevails over the coming weeks because quite frankly I don’t want to have to wear flats for fear of being demonised for choosing to wear 4-inch heels to work.

The extreme cases need to be dealt with but one size does not fit all. The impact that this report has on certain industries could be very damaging – and not for those wearing the heels!

If a picture paints a thousand words…

Posted on November 20, 2013 by

If a picture paints a thousand words then what does your LinkedIn profile picture say about you? I have noticed over recent weeks that the pictures that people are using on their LinkedIn profiles are becoming less about professionalism and more about pout!

I am aware, as I should be, that social platforms are used by different people for different purposes and this is what makes them so appealing – but I have yet to find anyone who uses LinkedIn to socialise in the truest sense of the word.

Now call me cynical but this sudden influx of ‘the pout’, which would be better suited to Facebook, could have something to do with the recent changes to the privacy settings on LinkedIn, which now allows teenagers from as young as 13 years old to join the network.

Whereas I have no problem with career minded teenagers wanting to build their networks or to share their knowledge with the world – in fact, far from it – I do feel it is important that they know what they are proposed for.

Also, if schools and colleges are to promote the use of these platforms, as they presumably now will in career studies, the first thing that teachers need to explain is the pit falls – fundamentally, in this case, that LinkedIn is still a professional social tool and not Snapchat.

One suggestion would be that schools and colleges work more closely with agencies who are willing to invest some time in giving talks to students to advise on how to use social media for professional reasons and which platforms could work best, depending on their preferred career choice.

The problems arise because unlike Facebook, which blurs the lines when you consider consumer businesses, I don’t believe that this is the case for LinkedIn and so find it hard to understand why someone would want to display an image of them pouting proudly in their preferred ‘selfie’ but this could just be me.

In a world where we should be ever more aware of the audiences that we are sharing our information with, I find it hard to believe that professional people would really want to promote themselves under the description of potential recruit or business owner while brandishing an oversized glass of wine, an undersized ‘cleavage revealing’ top and a pout that a glamour model would be proud of – and that’s just the men!

As I said, perhaps it’s just me but can we ban the pout and stick with a good old head and shoulders shot – I would certainly be more inclined to do business with someone who takes a professional network like LinkedIn a little more seriously.

Or am I just getting old?