How to Work from Home Effectively
Best practices to succeed while working at home
It Has Been A Grind
We have all been working at home for a while now. You could be experiencing some fatigue, or your desk set up might not be encouraging efficient work. There is no better time than now to freshen up your workspace, embrace new habits, and overall change things around for your own success!
This article will discuss not only how to set up your physical desk perfectly, but also what things you can do for your mental health as well. There are a lot of factors to consider when setting up a perfect workspace. Therefore, companies are willing to put money into making sure their offices are as functional as they can be, in addition to being supportive to the human aspect in their employees. I mean, think about Google, that campus is amazing, and all designed specifically for optimizing the human work experience. Google is pretty successful, I guess.
Now I understand we are just working at home, most of us from a one-bedroom apartment, so we cannot realistically create a set up like Google, but we can try!
It is 2021, there is no better time to dive in and re-organize your workspace, so let’s do it!
Start with Location
We all have different living situations, so you must know your space well enough to organize it in a way that suits you. The best tip I can give someone is to focus on setting up your desk in a space you can call your own. If you can, having your work desk not around others or behind closed doors is best case scenario. This will give you peace and quiet to where you will go to work each day. Trying to focus at home can be hard, but if you have your desk in a spot that is separate from the rest of your house, you will find the best success.
Try to set up your work-from-home space in a room that is not the bedroom. You want to be able to get up and move around and “commute” to your desk. For example, my desk is right in the living room, so when I wake up, I can walk out of the room and not only physically but also mentally compartmentalize where I work and where I rest. If at all possible, I highly recommend this!
Organize Your Desk
Standing Desk?
If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up (bonus points if you know the reference). I have found a standing desk to be the most critical piece of my home office, in addition to my computer, of course. If you are not familiar, this is a desk that can be a low height for sitting in a chair, but it is controlled by a remote control to raise the height when your legs are needing to move. This gives you the ability to stand while you work!
The health benefits are enormous! You can get your body moving while you work, get blood circulating in your body, and for those who do not always have time to make it out of the house for a walk and some fresh air, this desk will help combat the antsy feeling.
Let’s organize!
Okay, you have your desk, you are now ready to organize it. Like I have said in many of my articles, a clean space keeps a happy face. Clear everything off your desk and start with a clean canvas.
Focus on what needs to be on your desk and make sure everything has a purpose taking up surface space. Once you have those things determined, get to work organizing desk space in a way that flows. If it doesn’t absolutely need to be on your desk, then find a new home for it. There is only enough room for essentials that you reach for multiple times a day.
Setting up Your Calendar
Whether you have an online calendar or physical calendar, the most important thing you can do is utilize it. Not just filling it out with meetings and projects, but filling it out with everything you do during the day. This will give you a clear mind each day because your plans will already be laid out for you. Here is a list of things you probably are not writing in your calendar that you should add:
· Wake up / Sleep time
· Individual work time
· Commute time
· Meals
· Walks/Breaks
· Catch up time/Cleaning out email
· Hobbies
· Chores
If you get in the habit of doing this in your calendars, you will be able to wake up each day feeling ready to utilize all hours of the day properly. Start by doing this as a nighttime routine – like brushing your teeth!
Move Around
This could be the most important tip I have in this newsletter. Working from home has completely changed how we move as humans. The results are simple, we are moving our bodies less now than ever before. So, this tip is simple. When you take a break make sure you stand up and walk around, do a little workout, go on a walk after work. Just think back to how much we would physically move back when we could go out and about. Now we just stumble out of bed to our desks. There is no trick to this, just finding what works best for you and getting your body active. I promise you, your body will thank you.
Productivity Apps
Keeping track of your work can be difficult especially when its just yourself at home with all your files and paperwork. That means you need a way to keep it all organized, right? Well, I have the solution for you! If you work at a company that already supplies a productivity application, then you are in luck and are probably crushing it! If you don’t, or you think there is a better process to help keep track of all your work, I highly recommend investing in one. There are applications built specifically for keeping your brain organized and clutter-free. There are a bunch out there and so do your research and get your work organized!
Overcommunicate
The subheading for this tip is as short and sweet as the advice. We all remember how easy it was to just lean over to people around us at work and ask questions, discuss projects, or chat. With working from home, we no longer have that luxury. However, your company probably uses a messaging system like Microsoft Teams, Slack, or Zoom to communicate. Use these tools to overcommunicate. Making sure everyone is in sync on projects or plans is crucial to a company’s success, so there is no problem with putting messages in these chats. Think about the flip side, you could all under communicate and then what might have seemingly been an agreed upon plan could get messed up because nobody wanted to follow up on specific questions. This is not what you want. Create an environment where overcommunicating is welcomed and crucial for success.
All in All
As you can see, there are a bunch of things you can do to make sure working from home is successful. Do not just take it from me, go out do your own research on great ways to work effectively. The internet was made for people to collaborate on these types of things! Just remember we are all in this together and do the best you can. This is such a unique time we are living in and all you can do is your best. Leave a comment below on your favorite work-from-home hacks to share with the community, you never know, you might just find a great hack in the comments!
How to Apply Diversification to Your Investing Portfolio
Diversification is key. If you are looking for new areas to invest or have some money on the side, look no further!
Cut Through the Noise
In this week’s newsletter I wanted to write about the topic on everyone’s mind: the stock market, investing, and Bitcoin. You have all probably seen countless tweets, memes, and news headlines about the crazy world of investing. If you cut through the noise of GameStop and WallStreetBets, you will find the actually useful information about investing.
When it comes to investing, the golden rules that I follow are as follows:
1. Invest only what you can afford and let it sit for years, not months.
2. Focus your investing around on your goals and background knowledge.
3. Diversification.
If you stick to those three rules, you are on your way to a great investment portfolio!
What is Diversification?
The definition of diversification is simple. It is a technique used to reduce risk by spreading your investments across a wide range of industries and types of investments. That sounds smart, right? Well, that’s because it is! As you have been seeing with Corona Virus, economic shutdowns, and problems on Wall Street, it can be crucial to have a wide base. That is why I am dedicating a whole newsletter to this concept!
Let’s Dive into the Investments
Now, in this newsletter I want to give all my subscribers a look into what I invest in, giving everyone an example of diversification. I will be breaking down how my investments are allocated based on percentages and exactly what I invest in to spark your imagination and give you the push you need to start your own investing portfolio.
A note before we begin: This is not financial advice. All written statements are my opinion and my views on current financial markets. Make sure to always consult with a professional before investing in anything. None of this information guarantees positive results.
Investment Allocation
In this first section we will go over the different categories of investments I am involved in. The three types of investments are Individual Stocks, ETFs or Exchange Traded Funds, and Cryptocurrency.
The chart below shows how much I have invested in each of the three categories of investments. As you can see, 10% of my funds are invested in Individual Stocks, 26% of my funds are invested in ETFs, and 62% of my funds are invested in Cryptocurrency.
Where, What, and Why + Bitcoin
As many of you might be asking yourself, “why is a majority of your portfolio cryptocurrency?” Well, the answer is simple. This chart is based off of the total value of each investment, and if you have been following the markets you will see that cryptocurrencies are seeing a large bull run at the moment, specifically Bitcoin.
A good way to practice diversification in your own portfolio would be to allocate a certain amount from each of your paychecks to evenly spread among the different types of investments you would like to be involved in. That way, you are able to be consistent and track your funds and maintain effective diversification. This chart varies on a week-to-week basis according to how the assets are performing.
Now, let us jump into each of these investments and take a closer look.
Individual Stocks
Take a moment to read the color key at the bottom of the graph. These random-looking jumbles of letters are something you really should know if you are getting into investing. They are “ticker symbols” that are the identification for a company traded on the stock exchange. They are stock nicknames, for lack of a better explanation. For example, AAPL is the ticker symbol for Apple. WMT is the ticker symbol for Walmart. MFST is Microsoft, NOW is ServiceNow, CHWY is Chewy, etc. You get the picture.
As you can see, this is a very average-looking stock portfolio. The pie chart above outlines a medium range of nine individual companies I invest in. This chart is broken down into what percentage each position makes up in my individual stock portfolio.
Diversification is about making sure you have all your bases covered, and to do so you want to research the best performing companies in many different industries. Notice how this graph, as compared to the Investment Allocation Percentage graph, is spread evenly throughout many more categories? Yeah, that is on purpose, and that is what you want yours to look like as well if you are going for diversification.
I once received some great advice from a wise, old investor. The Yoda of the investment world, if you will. He told me to go through a normal day and keep my eyes open for the companies around me that would make for a valuable investment. Look at the world through an investor’s eyes for one day and see what I find. So, I did, and here is what my day looked like:
“When I wake up, I go downstairs and eat food (WMT). While I am eating, I check my phone on the latest news (AAPL). Then I go to work just like my friends and family (MFST) (NOW). While I’m working, my dog is always wanting a treat so of course I give her one (CHWY).”
As you can see from that story, I am investing in the companies I interact with every single day and know a lot about. I encourage everyone to do this for a day and see how many companies you interact with on a daily basis. This will help you build a great list of companies to start researching. Overall, this will give you a wide range of industries to keep you on track with a diverse portfolio.
Warren Buffet is quoted with this iconic quote to show the importance of investing in what you know, “Never invest in a business you can’t understand.” This is very important when picking which stocks you end up investing in.
ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds)
ETFs are the last part of my portfolio. These are basically a collection of stocks being tracked by this single index. For example, the VOO ETF I invest in tracks some of the largest S&P companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google. How I have diversified this section of my portfolio is by making sure I am covering all my bases. As you can see, I have large, medium, and small companies being tracked, as well as International companies and bonds.
This gives me a wide range of diversity for a lot of growth potential but also protection against market falls or corrections. I have labeled each of these ETFs ticker symbols in parenthesis for you to go research them.
Recap
I hope this gives everyone a good example of how you can start diversifying your investment portfolio or if you have not even started, this will be just the thing you need to read to start your research.
I have always been a huge advocate for teaching young people about investing and finances. It is something we miss out on in most school systems because it is not required curriculum and instead just offered as an elective that most people do not end up taking.
So, I want this to be everyone’s kick in the butt they needed to start taking ownership of their finances and setting themselves up for financial freedom one day. I mean who doesn’t love the thought of not having to worry about money some day?
Once again, disclaimer: All the information in this newsletter is my own opinion and not financial advice. Consult a financial expert before investing. None of this information guarantees positive results.
Want to Stand Out in Your Interview? Ask Great Questions.
Asking great questions during an interview shows the company more than you realize.
Solid Foundation = Success
So, you have an interview with a potential company you want to work for? That is great! Let’s get you prepared for everything you might face during the interview. I have written three previous articles breaking down the most important things you need to have set up. Check them out here before continuing on to this one:
You Can Always Make Your Resume Better: https://inbetweennewsletter.substack.com/p/you-can-always-make-your-resume-better
Cover Letters are the Secret Weapon You Need to Master: https://inbetweennewsletter.substack.com/p/cover-letters-are-the-secret-weapon
Everything You Need to Know to Crush Your Next Interview: https://inbetweennewsletter.substack.com/p/everything-you-need-to-know-to-crush
Background
Your resume is all lined up, your cover letter tells a great story, and you have successfully gotten through your whole interview feeling confident! You might think that is it. For most, that is the end, but for the select few that use the last part of an interview correctly, there is much more ahead.
Questions.
You just spent the last hour or so answering their plethora of questions, now it is your turn to ask them questions. Trust me when I tell you, this is crucial to your success.
Asking great questions will open the recruiter’s eyes to how you are understanding the company and the role on a deeper level. It will also show them you have been paying attention to everything they are saying, not just focusing on how itchy your professional business clothes are…even though you have.
“But Griffin, how do I know what the right questions to ask are?” Lucky for you, I have created a list of my top 10 favorite questions to ask at the end of the interview. All you have to do is keep reading and actually utilize them.
What are the Best Questions?
1. How can I be the most successful in this position and how is that success measured?
This is a great first question to ask at the end of an interview. Why? You are immediately processing what the interviewer has told you about the role and you are looking to see how you can be the best at it. Nothing catches an interviewer’s eyes and ears like the word success. It is their job to find the best people for the job and if the person they are interviewing is not just talking about their previous work experience but also about what they can do to be successful at their company, then you are off to a great start.
This will also give you a clear picture of what is expected of you and how your success will be measured. Compare this to a teacher giving you the rubric they will use to grade your paper ahead of time. How much easier does that paper become when you now know exactly what you will be graded on? Much easier is the answer. This will lead to many follow up questions on your end to get the best picture on how the job will work.
2. What are the biggest challenges people face in this role?
Companies want people that can solve problems and complete tasks. Sometimes the task is solving problems. So, it is best you know what those problems are so you can come into the role as ready as can be.
This will also get a great reaction from the interviewer as they are looking for people that have a baseline understanding of what they will be presented with on their first day. As the interviewer is answering that initial question, you can then engage in a nice dialogue about your thoughts on what you bring to the table and how you would fix any problems facing the role. Imagine fixing an issue for a company during the interview. Let’s just say, you would get the job on the spot!
3. What gets you out of bed in the morning to come to work?
When you get to ask questions, take advantage of it and ask the interviewer the tough questions. The answers might surprise you when you ask this question.
You can get a really good read on a company’s culture. If they give you a generic response with big keywords about WHAT they do, maybe you can take that and re-evaluate this company. But if they respond with an in-depth answer on WHY they do what they do, you will fall more in love with the company and see the human side of the day-to-day at work.
You want to work at a company that has passionate people, so this question gives you that opportunity to really see how the people working there feel about it. You do not just want a job; you want your career!
4. How does this company on-board/train the new hires for this role?
I love this question for a lot of reasons.
First, it is great to know what the company will do to set you up to succeed. We have all had jobs where you were just tossed into the mix and had to sink or swim. For some, that is what they want. I would argue that for most, I imagine you saying to yourself, “I would love to be trained and guided at the beginning.” Call me crazy, but I think decent training on how to succeed in a role is crucial for your and the company’s success.
This is a great question for another reason; it shows the interviewer that you are already thinking about what is to come. This is the excitement interviewers want to see. Companies love people that are already thinking about making an impact.
This question always leads to a dialogue about the training structure, and you will definitely have follow-up questions as well. So, really, this question is more than a question, it is a conversation starter.
5. How is this company aligned compared to its competitors?
When you ask this question, you will want to follow it up with a couple of sub questions:
- How is our product/service better?
- What does this company do to position itself better in the market?
- Why it is better to work for this company than a competitor?
With this you will probably talk about each point here. This gives you an understanding of how this company operates, which you can take on your own to digest and come back with more questions later. I love using this question when you are not on the final round but instead just starting interviewing because you can come back with follow up questions or ideas in future interviews. This will really impress the interviewers to show that you were retaining the conversation and have continued to put thought into it on your own time.
6. What is the career path people take in a role like this?
Companies want to hire someone for the long haul. They want people that are focused on the now but are also interested in the growth of the future. This question shows that mindset.
This is a sticky question, though, as you don’t want to give the impression that you are already looking too far ahead into the future and losing sight of the job you are actually interviewing for. Just asking this question and understanding the career path should be your only goal.
7. What are the expectations of this role for the first 90 days?
Questions that are good for both the interviewer and interviewee are the best. This is one of those questions. When asking this question, it will show that you are interested in how you can succeed and land in the right position after 90 days of work with the company.
This is also good for the interviewer because they can then fully lay out what is expected and how someone like yourself can achieve that. This provides clarity on the role for both parties.
This question is especially good if you are interviewing for a role that is going to have a few new hires for the same position at once. The interviewer will really appreciate that you are already looking at how you can stand out and be the most successful out of the bunch!
8. What is one thing you would change about the company today?
Nothing is perfect and no company is perfect. That is why this question is such a good one. The many times I have asked this question during an interview, I have always gotten a positive response. Interviewers want you to be bold and confident, which are two words I would most definitely use to describe this question.
Another thing I love about this question is it will help you get a clear understanding of what you are getting into. You will spend more time at work than you will at home (yeah, I know, scary thought), so it is only fair to yourself to know how the company is continuing to improve. Accepting a job is like a blind date, because sometimes when you start working for a company you learn things you were not expecting - yikes.
Another benefit to asking this question is it will give you insight as to what you can bring to the table in the first few days with the company!
9. What are the company’s values, and how do they show that to their employees and customers?
A company’s values are one of the most important things you need to know before accepting a job there. All companies have them, but they are not always a part of the interview conversation. Don’t you want to know what values you are working for? So, ask this question!
Like I said above, jobs fill your day and are a part of your livelihood, so it is important for you to know how you will be supported. This type of question will lead into other questions about benefits, culture, company growth, etc. Learning a company’s WHY is one of the most important things you can do, and this question will do that.
10. What are the next steps in the interview process?
You might be thinking, duh! Asking this question is great because it will start the next conversation (hopefully). As the interviewee, it can kind of act as leverage to set up another interview, which would of course be best case scenario. Wouldn’t you rather have another interview instead of the interviewer saying the dreaded, “we will be in touch.” That is just a death sentence.
Well, that is the list! I hope you can take some of these question ideas and workshop them to fit into whatever your interviewing process looks like. Leave a comment below if you have a great interviewee question I didn’t mention! I am sure there are more great ones out there. Now, everyone go chase those jobs you want!
You Should Definitely Share: The In-Between Newsletter
This newsletter has been growing so much since I started it in August! We are already up to 144 subscribers. Let’s keep the momentum going!
I want this newsletter to be for anyone, all ages, and all backgrounds!
Like I said above I feel like the school system does not always teach us some of the most important things we need to be ready for the world. That is why I have made this newsletter.
I write about topics ranging from: career, finances, personal development, and everything else in between that I think everyone should learn about.
So, if you know anyone that would benefit from a weekly newsletter from a great/humorous writer, then share the link and just put in an email!
Thank you for everyone’s support!