10 seeeeeriously cool workplaces - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

10 seeeeeriously cool workplaces - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Physical space matters. Its easier to be productive, creative and happy at work in a colourful, organic, playful environment than in a grey, linear, boring one. And Im not talking about the outside of the building. Many companies have buildings that are sleek, modern, architectural glass-steel-and-cement sculptures on the outside and cubicle wastelands on the inside. These companies need to remember that most employees tend to work inside the building. With that in mind, heres some eye candy from 10 different innovative, well-designed workplaces. (Also check out my post on 12 Ways to Pimp Your Office). Pixar Could you sit in grey cubicles and come up with stuff like The Incredibles and Finding Nemo? Naaaaah And thats why Pixars offices look more like this: The last picture shows a row of little huts, each of which is an office. The pictures are from this cool photo tour of the Pixar HQ. Kathy Sierras trailer Kathy Sierra, who writes one of the best blogs in existence, created her home office in a vintage trailer. What a great way to create a fun, different home office. Kathy talks about it here. Red Bull London Here are some pictures from Red Bulls London office. Shiny! The last picture shows a slide that people can use to go between floors. Yee-hah! There are many more pictures here. Mindlab Who says government offices must be boring. Mindlab at the Ministry of Economic and Business Affairs in Copenhagen, Denmark is a meeting facility available to all employees. The heart of it is an egg-shaped meeting room inside which all the walls are whiteboards you can write on any surface in there. This was designed by Bosch Fjord. The Happy At Work Project We (=The Happy At Work Project) wanted something simple, fun, flexible and practical for our office. The central piece is a high desk where three people can comfortably work side by side. You can stand or sit on high office chairs. Up to 8 people can meet around it. Everything you see there is from IKEA, and setting up the whole office with workspaces for 3 people cost us about 1000 euros. While its not as fancy as some of the other offices shown here, it works great and it shows how much you can do for almost no money In just one room we have workplaces, meeting space and plenty of floor space for workshop exercises or plain old fun. Conference bike This has got to be the coolest idea in a long time. 7 people pedal along, one steers. Its the conference bike and I want one!! While its not a workplace, it would make a great meeting room!! Menlo Innovations Menlo Innovations is a software development company in Ann Arbor Michigan. They do all their programming work using eXtreme Programming, and while their offices arent particularly fancy to look at, they are ideally suited to the work they do. Being situated in a nice area of town, they can even take meetings outside on the sidewalk. Again, this shows that creating a fun, innovaticve office environment doesnt require a huge budget just a little common sense, creativity and a willingness to risk doing something different. What If? Innovation What If? Innovation were celebrated as the UKs happiest workplace in both 2004 and 2005. I visited their London HQ last week for a grand tour, and here are some of the highlights: Looking in the window on the combined reception and meeting space. A great idea that creates a hub for everyone in the company. Praise for employees is written across the walls and ceiling in the hub area. Spider cow and a meeting room. VW Phaeton plant But what about industry? You could never create, say, a really cool car assembly plant could you? Sure you could. Check out the Volkswagen Phaeton plant in Dresden, Germany: Who says a factory has to be ugly and dirty? That plant is simply beautiful! The photos were taken from this photo tour where you can see many more cool pictures. Theres also more at the plants website. Google Yes, yes, I know using Google here is almost too predictable. But they get it, dammit! Their HQ, the Googleplex is seriously cool and creative. The upshot The physical workspace is one of the most ignored, yet most important factors in creating good workplaces. None of the ideas shown here will apply to every company, but most companies could stand to improve a little. It doesnt have to cost a lot of money but it does take a little creativity and courage. What could your workplace learn from some of the designs shown here? UPDATE: Having this post on reddit, digg and lifehacker at the same time was too much for my server and mysql crashed I apologize. Ill look into fixing this, so it wont be a problem in the future. Ive also created a flickr set with all the images of cool workplaces. If you enjoyed this post Im pretty sure youll also like these: 12 Ways to Pimp Your Office Top 5 reasons why The Customer Is Always Right is wrong Top 5 business maxims that need to go Part I Part II Why Motivation By Pizza doesnt work Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

The Recession is Bullhonkey Kris Story - When I Grow Up

The Recession is Bullhonkey Kris Story - When I Grow Up This is part of The Recession is Bullhonkey series, where I share stories of those who have gotten hired and/or started their own businesses (or sometimes both!) since 2008. This is Kris Story, and youll soon find out why she called it The Long and Winding Road to Myself. Sunflower Girl Walking on Winding Road by Paula Goodbar Photography The Long and Winding Road to Myself “There is only one way to learn. Its through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey.” ? Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist Every life is a story with its own plot, characters, settings, conflicts and themes. In the circle of Campbellians (the bliss followers who love the work of Joseph Campbell and everything mythological) that I belong to, our stories are the lifeblood of our personal mythologies. We make meaning from the stories, myths, cultural behaviors and psychologies that weave throughout our lives in the guise of recurring events and themes. The theme that weaves throughout my many career lives is FLOW. The manifestation of “flow” in my life has many masksâ€"â€"abundance or lack, freedom or bondage (not the good kind of bondage, unfortunately), fullness or emptiness. I’m grateful for every experience because it has brought me to where I am now at 44. I’ve reinvented myself and my career many times over and this trend continues to flow. I’m a scholar at heart. I love learning and have spent many years educating myself in a variety of schools: I’ve gone through massage certifications, a music degree, post-graduate degrees in mythology and depth psychology, and even a correspondence program to study Western Esoteric magical practices, rituals and mythology. All of these scholarly endeavors expanded my perspective and juiced up my creativity. However, my real education was not forged in a university library: I’ve spent my life trying out a multitude of professions. I’ve been a drummer, writer, tarot reader, palm reader, psychic/intuitive, web developer, chiropractic assistant, massage therapist, reiki practitioner, secretary, executive assistant, TV producer, marketing coordinator, email marketing programs manager and a sewer bomber. Yes, you read that right. I used to drop smoke bombs down into sewers to test them for the cities of Carpinteria and Ojai. And, I have always been entrepreneurial. Whether I happen to work for a company or for myself, I love coming up with new ways to help bring in more revenue and customers. I love to experiment. And I need to work in a massively creative, fast and dynamic atmosphere to feel happy and challenged. Until discovering Michelle Ward and her online group coaching circle known as the Clubhouse, I never gave a second thought to the incredible twists, turns and 360s that practically litter the terrain of my life. Until that moment of joining the group, I believed I was forever doomed to be unsuccessful, broke and restless. People like me actually belong to a category and it wasn’t Flake or Jack of All Trades. We’re from a tribe known as Renaissance Souls. Ive struggled my entire life to define my own way of working in the world. I’ve spent countless years beating myself up for not sticking with one thing, as my family wished I would.  And then the epiphany arrived: Danielle LaPorte.  I purchased her Spark Kit on a pay-what-you-can day in January 2012.  I devoured it in 3 days. I implemented what I learned from that gem of an eBook right away. Huge difference in how I perceived myself and my story. I went from $50/hr to $100/hr and didnt lose any clients and actually gained 5 new ones! I figured out how to take what people were asking me for and created a livelihood based on the premise of my desires and strengths. Danielle calls this the “metrics of ease;” doing those things that you are naturally good at. I’m really good at listening to people and to inspiration that seems to flow from the invisible realms. Many of my friends and colleagues have called me an Idea Whisperer: I often go through periods where I dream up ideas for myself and people around me at 4am. The Muses wake me up and I always obey. I’m a Marketing Muse and a Creativity Midwife. For now. A student of life. Always. Another gem of wisdom from Danielle’s book The Fire Starter Sessions is found in the chapter, “The Strategy of Desire.” Every great adventure begins when the hero or heroine feels a longing to move into the unknown. The call to enter the dark forest or the labyrinth or the underworld comes after they realize what they are wishing for. A desire is the beginning of the call to adventure. What do you desire in this very moment? Connect with your heart and you will see that you’ve been traveling your Royal Road to bliss all along. Every experience, every U-Turn has brought you to your own magnificent self. Celebrate that no one could ever remotely walk your path. Kris Oster is a Creativity Midwife + Marketing Muse who helps people get their shit together so they can birth their gorgeous offerings out into the world. Rummaging through her life, both physically and mentally, Kris is writing her first fantasy memoir, My Life as a Mermaid: The Tale of a Rockstar’s Daughter, which will be published in 2013. Come hell or high water. Hoping for high water, which is good for mermaids, and lots of pages completed by October 2012. Kris’ latest offering is the Goddess Guide to Business Bliss, A Digital Sanctuary for Women. With her own material composed during the past 9 months and over 20 contributors, including Michelle Ward, Danielle LaPorte, Tanya Geisler, Alexandra Franzen, Shenee Howard and Francesca Marano, The Goddess Guide to Business Bliss is written entirely by women for women. Pre-order your copy (for only $9) before August 20th and save $41! $4 of each copy sold is going to the charity Yoga Gives Back that supports women and children in India by providing much needed micro loans. You can connect with Kris on her website, www.mythicrhythm.com and on Twitter and Facebook.

Professional Resume Writing Help Can Help You Get Your Dream Job

Professional Resume Writing Help Can Help You Get Your Dream JobThere are many computer savvy individuals who think that writing a resume is actually a very easy task. The reality is that this is not the case. The simple truth is that if you have been around the Internet for a while, then you know that a resume is actually more than a simple document that you put on paper. In fact, your resume is a key part of the job application process that most employers will review, and possibly screen as well.Resumes are an important part of getting an interview. They need to be reviewed by your employer, and any other potential employer for that matter, in order to get the best interview possible. Because of this, you want to make sure that you have all of the information that they require on your resume.So what is a good idea to do? Well, if you are currently employed as a computer programmer or if you have been coding for quite some time, then you will need to consider getting professional re sume writing help. The nice thing about hiring a professional is that you will get a full resume that has all of the information that you need to make a good impression on the employer and the company that you are applying for.Now, don't let that scare you off. Writing a resume is not as hard as many people think it is. The truth is that you can do it yourself, and there are a lot of things that you can do to make your resume look great. But, with all of these things in mind, you will want to make sure that you do the job properly.So, how do you go about hiring a professional resume writer? One of the best places to go to find a good one is a website that specializes in hiring them. Here, you will be able to read some testimonials from other people who have hired them, and it will give you a good idea of what they charge and the kinds of things that they will do for you.With the help of a professional, then you will have a much better chance of getting your resume accepted. You will also have the chance to be read by a computer programmer at the same time. It really does come down to whether or not you can come up with a great resume that shows off all of the skills that you have. You have to really take a close look at what you are trying to do, and ensure that you are able to convince the recruiter that your resume is worth their time.If you are a software engineer, then you might want to think about hiring a professional to help you with your resume. This is just something that you will have to decide. Either way, you should be able to find one that will give you exactly what you need to stand out from the rest.

Economic Equality Rich Democrats and Republicans Dont Care

Economic Equality Rich Democrats and Republicans Don't Care The Democratic party might be know for promoting income equality, but according to a new study, its rich elites don’t care about it any more than Republicans. Professors from U.C. Berkeley, Boston University, Yale Law School, and University of Maryland-College Park recently set up an experiment to test how groups with varying levels of “elite” status in society would distribute wealth. There were three different groups involved in the studyâ€"one representing average Americans (roughly 50/50 Republicans and Democrats), a group of “intermediate elite” University of California-Berkeley undergrads, and a group of Yale Law students, assumed to be in particularly high positions of wealth and influence in the future. The results of the study were summed up by two of its authors in a Slate post, when they wrote: Regardless of party, the elite donors whose money dominates politics, and the elite officeholders whose decisions set policy, don’t value economic equality. The researchers came to this conclusion after a series of experiments in which participants were asked to divide money between themselves and an anonymous person in order to gauge selfishness. A second element to the study was added due to the fact that it wasn’t always free to give money. In some cases, giving was cheap â€" for every $1 sacrificed, $10 went to the anonymous beneficiary. In other cases, it was expensive to give. Giving away $1 only meant that the other person received a measly 10 cents. To make the experiments more realistic, the wealth redistribution was real, and participants were paid out at the end of the study based on their decisions. The findings were very clear: The two pools representing the elite groups â€" who identified 10 to 1 as Democrats â€" strongly stood together as twice as likely to be selfish in comparison to the pool representing the bipartisan majority of the American public. Additionally, they favored efficiency over equality significantly, meaning that they gave significantly more when doing so benefited the anonymous other person more greatly, and their generosity shrunk when giving meant little benefit for the other person. “The American elite overwhelmingly dominates both campaign finance and political lobbying, and American policymakers themselves come overwhelmingly from elite circles,” two of the professors involved in the study wrote in Slate. And what do these findings mean for politics and the likelihood of legislation to tackle income inequality in America? “[The results] suggest that the policy response to rising economic inequality lags so far behind the preferences of ordinary Americans for the simple reason that the elites who make policyâ€"regardless of political partyâ€"just don’t care much about equality.” Video Player is loading.Play VideoPlayMuteCurrent Time  0:00/Duration  0:00Loaded: 0%Stream Type  LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time  -0:00  Playback Rate1xChaptersChaptersDescriptionsdescriptions off, selectedCaptionscaptions and subtitles off, selectedAudio TrackFullscreenThis is a modal window.Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.TextColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentWindowColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaqueFont Size50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%Text Edge StyleNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDropshadowFont FamilyProportional Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall CapsReset restore all settings to the default valuesDoneClose Modal DialogEnd of dialog window.PlayMuteCurrent Time  0:00/Duration  0:00Loaded: 0%Stream Type  LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time  -0:00  Playback Rate1xFullscreen

Career In Progress I Wont Give Up My Dream! - Work It Daily

Career In Progress I Wont Give Up My Dream! - Work It Daily By Amanda Ernst I moved to New York after college for one reason: to work as a magazine writer. But three years and three jobs later, I found myself working at a dying magazine in a dying industry. In November, that magazine folded, and I’ve been collecting unemployment ever since. Truthfully, I had been worrying about my job for months before the ax dropped. It was no secret that the media industry was faltering, and I was reading news stories every day about people just like me getting laid off at other magazines. On the day that I was laid off, I mourned the loss of the magazine more than the loss of my own job. Then the reality of unemployment set in and I started to feel like a failure. I questioned my career choices. I had worked my way up from an editorial assistant to a reporter and finally landed as a market editor at a men’s fashion magazine â€" a dream job. When I lost that job it felt like I would have to start at the bottom again. I wondered, was it worth it? Eventually, I decided that I hadn’t gone to journalism school and worked my butt off since then to give up now. I resolved to find a new dream job, no matter how long it took. Finding three different jobs in three years has made me pretty good at navigating online job boards like mediabistro.com, a Web site that features jobs in media, advertising and public relations. But ever since scoring my first job out of college, I had always been on the hunt while already employed and relying on job postings was good enough to get me a gig. Now that I was unemployed I learned that my old method was less effective because magazines and their jobs were disappearing. This job search would have to be different, but I worried that if I ever stopped searching I would never find another job in magazines again. Although I had never had to do it before, I knew that networking was my best option for finding a new job. At first, I was reluctant to broadcast my unemployed status. But when I started telling close friends and family and updating my profiles on Facebook and LinkedIn, I was surprised by how many people were going through the same thing. I started to build a group of fellow unemployed workers, starting with my former co-workers and adding friends from college and high school as well as friends of friends. One of my father’s cousins, who found me on LinkedIn, suggested that I speak with his wife about networking with her connections. A few weeks later, she was also let go. I added her to my growing list of unemployed contacts. What has also surprised me during my unemployment has been the willingness of people like my father’s cousin who have offered to help me. Friends who I haven’t spoken to in years will send me notes on Facebook, suggesting that I send my resume to this person or apply for this job. They offer to give my resume to possible employers, give me recommendations and pass along tips about freelance or part time work. I try to return the favor, by relaying information to my network of unemployed friends. I hope the good karma will help me down the line. It certainly can’t hurt. I have also started to build a network of currently employed friends, former colleagues and bosses, focusing on those in the media industry. I have reconnected with various human resources contacts at old companies, even the company that had just let me go. That relationship led to a job interview, and when I didn’t get that job I went back to HR for an informational interview. I think if I maintain that relationship I have a good chance of returning to work at one of their surviving publications â€" if a job ever opens up. I know they will keep me in mind for future openings, and if I see or hear of a job posting I can go directly to them and ask to be considered. I’m also applying to the few jobs I find on online job boards and through word of mouth. And while I wait to see if any of those pan out, I’ve been trying to make myself more marketable by working on freelance projects. I have started by pitching stories to people who I have worked with before. Once I build up my clips and expertise I plan to pitch other editors outside of my network. Recently, all of my networking and self-promotion has started to pay off. I’m still not sure if I will ever find another dream job, and I will always feel like there is more I could be doing to get there, but I’m on the right track. I know the best thing I can do right now is believe in myself and my abilities. Every day is a challenge, but giving up is not an option. Amanda is a graduate of Boston University's College of Communications and has worked for Forbes, DNR and Law360.com. She currently lives in Brooklyn. You can learn more about her here: http://www.mediabistro.com/AmandaErnst. Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!

Does It Matter Where You Go to College 6 Women Weigh in

Does It Matter Wzu siche You Go to College 6 Women Weigh in Imagine that you just graduated from college. As a post-graduate, youre probably banking on the leverage of your four year degree to help you land your first full-time job. Does it matter where you go to college to get that degree?Then, lets flash forward five years into the future. What you talked about as a post-grad like your first few internships and grade point average isnt necessarily relevant as you become established in your field. Does the school you attended as an undergrad also count as something to reflect on less? We asked several professional women Does it matter where you go to college? This is what they said.Yes, you never lose that built-in network.At 28 years old, Sabrina Atienza is the CEO of AI tech startup Valued in Silicon Valley. She graduated from University of California Berkeley where she majored in Computer Science with a minor in Physics.Being a graduate from a credible Bay Area school has had a hugely positive impact on her career, because so many of her fellow alums stay in Silicon Valley after they graduate. She said When it comes to fundraising, networking, and hiring, Im often meeting fellow alums and leveraging my college network.Not really, skill sets are what carry you forward.Kelly Palmer, CLO at lifelong learning platform startup Degreed, agrees that the anthroponym of a prestigious university carries weight at job interviews. However, it can only take graduates so far. Palmer argues that four years of undergraduate study anywhere may not necessarily prepare grads immediately for new jobs.What should college graduates do to ensure theyre prepared for job interviews? Rather than ride on your degrees coattails, Palmer says to show how you can be adaptable and learn new skills. Then, maintain this mindset throughout your career, as Palmer notes the need to keep learning will increase as the years go by, markets change and new skills come into vogue.Kind of, certain industries pay attention to your alma mater (but you should still go to the best school for you).Self-employed attorney and mediator Nance L. Schick started law school when she was 29 years old. She earned her J.D. from SUNY University at Buffalo with Certificates in Government Law Education, Tax.However, when Schick started her post-law school job search, she was disappointed to learn that her law school did not have the same leverage as an Ivy League.Graduation from an Ivy League school still matters very much, at least in the legal profession, Schick says. If you want a judicial clerkship, Ivy League graduates still get preference. Clerks get preference for judgeships. Judges have more opportunities to retire into arbitration positions.Schick recently discussed this issue at the Fifth Annual ADR and Diversity Symposium. She voiced concern that focusing on hiring students privileged enough to attend Ivy League universities might have a disparate impact. Students that choose to at tend a regional law school may not realize that the choice which could be based on any number of reasons from finances to simply enjoying the schools environment may decrease their employment opportunities after graduation.To that end, Schick is hopeful that this hiring narrative will shift over time. For now, she recommends that students go to the best school they can afford because that education is still what matters.Yes, it gives you options.Erin Goodnow believes in the power of career options. Goodnow is the Founder and CEO of Going Ivy, a college admissions consulting group. Going Ivy helps students write their own admission ticket to their dream schools. In turn, this gives them the keys to their professional destiny.Where you go to college, according to Goodnow, helps open up doors to networking and impresses executive search committees. The one thing it gives you more of beyond your first post-grad job? Options.If youre happy in your job and plan on staying with a compan y for 50 years, where you went to college wont matter as much after a while, Goodnow explained. But if you want options to move companies and careers, where you went to school can open those options. Alumni networks are powerful at certain schools, as is name recognition and a higher ranking.What should I do next to decide on my college?I wrote this article because the question struck a nerve with me. I received an undergraduate degree from the University of California Irvine, and earned a J.D. from Pepperdine University. As a post-law school student, my first job was at a Los Angeles-based law firm. I would later become a business owner and entrepreneur, careers I never dreamed I would end up in.I believe in what each woman I interviewed had to say about the influence of college in the working world. I may not be where I am today without the networking opportunities, options and skill sets that I received at my alma mater. I also believe that life may take you off your route. Othe r passions you didnt expect to have like a love for coding or a green thumb that allows you to start a nursery business might show up later. Guess what? You may find you want to pursue them instead of where you thought youd wind up.Your life plan may be redirected into all sorts of directions you couldnt imagine. Be prepared to expect the unexpected, make yourself open to learning and make a confident leap forward.

Atlanta Resume Writing Exposed

Atlanta Resume Writing Exposed If you dont offer an outstanding resume, you likely will get ignored and will fail to receive the position. They are practical steps which you can make, as a way to help you stay away from choosing the incorrect people for the task and elude scams online. A professionally written resume can dramatically improve your response tarif in addition to substantially decrease your work search time. To get past the screening stage of the candidate procedure, you will need a cover letter thats targeted to that specific employer. An excellent reference page will supply the social proof you want to genuinely tell your prospective employer that youre a good candidate and an asset to any organization you affiliate yourself with. Dont fret about whether any specific bit of information may be related to your objective. What the In-Crowd Wont Tell You About Atlanta Resume Writing Robins Resumes can assist you Executive Resumes Atlanta earned its spot on the list due to their steady stream of decent output. Contact Capstone Resume Services today to create the resume which will help you land your dream job Youre empowered to begin your job search immediately. We not only guarantee you total satisfaction, but you are going to be certain to get amazing top-quality deliveries thatll provide you some of the greatest grades. A recent college graduate requires a representative document to get ready for the work search also. Hundreds of students get really confused when it has to do with deciding on a career for their upcoming life. If youre open to different varieties of jobs, let us know. How to Find Atlanta Resume Writing on the Web A fast look at their site shows you the extensive quantity of career-building services they offer their customers. Beyond their resume writing services, they also provide an abundance of information on their site. The number of jobs opportunities and company branches is countless. First allow me to st art if with my very first call to the firm. A specialist writer with several years of experience features expertise to come up with interview-winning resume packages. Jody replies with a different story about one of his clientele. Whatever They Told You About Atlanta Resume Writing Is Dead Wrong...And Heres Why We supply coaching to assist you determine not just the perfect position for you, but in addition the sort of company or organization that would be an excellent fit. You are certain to get a custom designed resume package tailored to your particular career requirements. Bear in mind, we will tailor the format for you and your requirements. When it has to do with your job search, theres nobody size fits all approach. Finding Atlanta Resume Writing on the Web Fortunately, theres a means to realistically enhance your odds of having the ability to select the very best group for the job. Although, the issue is, there are too many groups to pick from and its quite tricky for an unexperienced person to establish which of them are going to be able to create their dreams come true. Thus, everyone seeking to locate their preferred company must stay focused with an added does of qualified training. To start with, we attempt to order something from the special company, which is usually some of the most well-known services, while its a cover letter or anything else. The True Meaning of Atlanta Resume Writing When it has to do with working with professionals, your best choice would be with us. The whole company world is similar to a tremendous clock with complex mechanism. Well, its contingent on the business. This is making radical changes in the world wide web industry alongside offline trades too.