Labour Xchange

22/07/2022

Out of over 1,100 applications submitted to the -MIT 2022
Global Challenges, my solution has been selected as a finalist!
Help me win the Community Award by voting for my solution now.
http://solve.mit.edu/finalists

23/06/2022

It is with great jubilation that I can officially announce that Labour Xchange are semi-finalists in the 2022 Global Challenges!

Out of 1,100+ submitted solutions, we are now in the running to win $2.1M+ in prize funding! Stay tuned for updates here: http://eepurl.com/gb1Bmj

22/06/2022

The Retail Trail

The retail sector gets a lot of stick for being the bottom rung on the ladder. The majority of entry-level jobs are, after all, in retail and for a long stint in history seen as the most bare basic job one could get.

However, retail is by far the single most important job I’ve ever had when it comes to learning. It’s not just about the skills you pick up along the way that are required to perform the daily tasks, but also the skills and abilities that are inherently ingrained into you through experiences.

Having worked in food retail, I can attest to how laborious the role can be – still, it was often an overly rewarding feeling getting delivery out at a good pace, completing tasks and helping customers wherever they required it. Skill-wise, I learned nearly everything there was at a store level and even had to have some of my job titles revoked just because I’d accumulated too many – boastful of me, I know, but it just goes to show you that there’s a lot to learn and those skills can be translated elsewhere in life.

The inherent capabilities that I picked up during my employment are too many to list here, but some of the key highlights were: dealing with the general public, understanding different people and their needs and, more importantly, I learned how to carry myself and adapt to unique situations.

Dealing with the general public makes it sound like they’re another species and, I won’t lie, sometimes it did feel that way. I had more than one customer outwardly voice their opinion how much better than me they were because I was working at a supermarket – something I found highly amusing, and still do, due to the fact that without me they wouldn’t of been able to buy their goods, but I digress.

It was these individuals, and understanding them, that was very character building. It would have been easy just to say “well, they’re a #%$^!” and move on – but that wouldn’t help anybody. Maybe some people are just having a bad day, sure. Maybe some people are just like that – and that’s true. It was developing a suite of tools to deal with every individual customer and their personalities that stuck with me – there’s nothing quite like being able to get an angry individual to back down by just being amiable.

This is just one skill I developed in a very, very long list.

I personally believe that everyone should do a stint in retail because it’s such a diverse and unique area of work that offers a wide, and branching, series of skill paths to walk down. Skills such as these have dozens of applications across a myriad of scenarios in the work place and in life.

As a final note, working in retail is also extremely grounded and down to earth – it’s a position that puts an individual at the forefront of real every day life and that’s something that’s vital to understanding not only others but also ones self.

16/06/2022

Fundamental Foundations

Find a job you enjoy and you’ll never work a day in your life.

That’s the saying – and I’ve often dismissed this notion and scoffed that no work is fun. There’s a lot of varying ways to look at what work is. Many see it as a means to an end and only do their job to pay the bills, earn some extra spending money or to support their families.

Others dislike working and just show up – I’ve met a few individuals like this in my time, but to be honest, I just think they weren’t in the right job role.

I’ve had several jobs in my life and believe me when I say that I absolutely hated one of them because I never wanted to work in the first place at that time in my life – still, swings and roundabouts and it being what it was, I did it because I had to until I couldn’t.

The job that sticks out to me was my very first job role at a local theme park and the story behind it is relevant to my point about work being fun – if it’s right for you.

I was a member of the catering staff and I’d often be moved from several different food counters. The one in the middle of the park was a small ice cream outlet that I’d have to work at alone. 7-8 long, boring hours standing at a till, waiting for customers so I could tell them that we only had 1 flavour, despite advertising several.

More and more often I’d be dumped at this outlet and I detested it. One day, after weeks of working alone, I was finally put somewhere else with a couple of other people. I was so relieved to finally get some social interaction with my fellow workers – I was actually excited for the working day.

Until the individual at the ice cream counter was sent home sick and I was ordered to take their place. I asked if there was nobody else that could do it, as I was fed up of being there alone for 8 hours a day. I was told no – fair enough.

That was it for me though. The final straw.

When someone came to cover my lunchbreak I told them to stick it and went home.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and I quickly realised that I had disliked it so much because of being stuck alone in a working environment – that wasn’t my cup of tea at all.

However, it may have been a perfect job for someone that actually thrives when working alone.

The job I have now, some 20 years later, is very enjoyable – as was my previous job in retail as part of a large team. The banter, camaraderie and working as a part of a tightly knit team that got good results was a very rewarding experience. I learned so much in that role and I’m still growing now in my current role.

Having jobs I’ve enjoyed has also made a massive difference to my mental health – something that I’ve struggled with for the majority of my life.

It’s important beyond words that you find a position that you enjoy – you don’t have to love every single second of it, but you have to like what you’re doing otherwise you’ll suffer – sometimes in ways that you can’t see.

The working world is absolutely limitless right now – there’re more job roles than I can think of and in the current climate, more and more businesses are changing their views on what they require. It’s important to never sell yourself short and aim as high as you like – college and university qualifications are great, sure – but they aren’t what defines you as a person.

Remember that.

15/06/2022

Let's Bite Back

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61780450

13/06/2022

Working From Home – The Future?

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, many businesses have turned their staff to working from home. This has ultimately saved millions in renting office space, fuel costs and travel times. All sounds good, no?

However, is this really the best way forward?
As we emerge from the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, we as a society are beginning, once again, to normalise. The next potential pandemic aside (go away, Monkey Pox – nobody likes you) things are looking up for the Summer season.

Still, I have my own feelings about working from home. Personally, I can’t do it. I’ve tried a number of times to sit and work at home – be it in my room or out in the lounge, at a table. For me, being in my ‘safe space’ and having to combine it with my work space made me a lot less productive. I found it far too easy to get distracted, take a five (15) minute break and then carry on.

Some, on the other hand, swear by it and wouldn’t go back to the office for anything. How I envy them. Still, there’s a lot to be said for working in an environment that you are working with others within. There’s a big difference, in my opinion, between being face to face with someone at the office and just being in a Zoom meeting.

At any rate, it has its pros can cons but I believe that it should be optional and not mandatory going forward because for some individuals, including me, blending your home environment with your work environment. This is especially true for those with mental health issues – those that need the sanctity of their space to be kept sacred.

Long run, and in the larger scheme of things, things are always evolving and there’s a great deal of fluidity to the current working world. It’s important to remember that balance is a key factor in all things – not just working from home and the ramifications but also the economy as a whole.

Remember that not everything is black and white.

09/06/2022

Progression and Unity

As individual’s we all want to succeed and progress through life – taking steps to improve ourselves, our hobbies, our lives. This is true in the workplace as well, especially when it comes to careers.
Climbing that ladder can be as frustrating as it is rewarding. Still, there’s always the bigger picture and in this case it’s a very big picture…

Not many people stop to think about is their contribution on a broader level - their contributions to the world around them and to society. Well, if you’re reading this then you should take a moment to think about that.

Not everyone is currently working and that’s fine – there’s nothing wrong with that. I’ve been in a position where I was unable to work for several years and I remember all that time thinking it didn’t matter if I was contributing or not.

An easy stance to take when you’re in the position I was in, but now I’m back in the working world again, and seeing an impact from my actions, I’m happier than I’ve been a long, long time. Opportunities rarely come knocking at your door though and I’ve been incredibly lucky!

That’s where the unity bit comes in, on several different levels…
I had the unity of friends and family to fully support me through some dark times and come out the other side and I’ll forever be grateful to them all. Everyone needs someone to lean on and it’s only human – for those that feel they have no-one, please reach out to someone, anyone, just to talk. Your GP will always lend you their ear and do all they can to help.

Another part of unity, and progression, comes from creating opportunities for others and yourself through work. Never underestimate the ability you have to create a real change – even if it’s as simple as making your co-workers laugh or smile. You’re improving someone’s life just by being you and that’s important to remember.

Progressing together and creating opportunities together and helping one another – that’s one of the things work should encompass.

And if there’s one thing that’s available in spades right now within the working world it’s opportunities!

07/06/2022

Could it work?

The biggest ever trial of a four-day week gets under way with up to 70 firms taking part.

06/06/2022

The Ease of Access

The world of technology is ever advancing in leaps and bounds. Even now in the year 2022 we can hold an entire computer in the palm of our hands and gain access to anything pretty much anywhere.

This accessibility is so often taken for granted. When was the last time you really thought about it? Having the power to find out nearly anything by just reaching into your pocket and asking your phone – it’s kind of incredible when you think about it.

Still, I often wonder if it’s a gift or a curse. Having such an easy means of accessing countless sources of information and media has, by default, made me a lazier individual. On the other hand, it’s also made me a fairly knowledgeable individual as well. Gone are the days of walking to the local library to find a reference and gone are the days of having to wait to watch the next episode of a series.

It’s all right there, in our hands.

This power is not to be underestimated. When opinions can become fact just because it gets enough likes on social media – that’s a scary thought. On the flip side, this accessibility has given everyone a voice to be heard with – and so I sit and wonder if we’re only as right as the thumbs up count tells us or if we’re only as smart as our devices.

Knowledge is power – that’s certainly a fact… of is that just my opinion? See where it can get hazy now?

One thing I will say though, with great certainty, is that technology has and will always be the driving factor that defines society and I advocate it fully.

Yet, even now as I write this, I ponder what society would be like without this technology…

Hmmm.

31/05/2022

"not going to pretend this is going to fix everything for everybody immediately"

Boris Johnson says the government can not fix everything, but is supporting those who need it the most.

30/05/2022

The Rising Tide

Sink or swim?

It’s not that simple though, is it? No matter the situation - when it comes to hold or fold, there’s always so many intricacies to consider.

Right now, the United Kingdom is facing some tough questions when it comes to the future of our economy. Meanwhile, the majority of individuals just want to go about their lives and not have to worry about the impending potential crisis. I don’t blame them.

Still, it is our economy and we have a say and a very literal hand in what happens. I’m not going to go into the details of spending power and buying power and all that overcomplicated spiel. Still, it is important to remember that the economy lives and dies on the premise of money constantly circulating through the system.

That gets hard when things cost so much and wages stay the same. Right now, prices are spiking and it’s difficult to know where the line will be drawn. It’s not black and white – that’s why it’s causing concern.

The United Kingdom is currently facing another crisis – one that directly ties into what’s happening.

There are jobs everywhere going unfilled.

Hundreds of thousands of them, in fact. How can we be facing a cost of living increase when there are hundreds of thousands of unfilled positions sitting there?

It’s because our current employment system does not work.

When individuals aren’t even given the option to sink or swim – that’s a real issue. People deserve the opportunity to work, and as I’ve said countless times, anyone that wants to work should not be denied the opportunity.

This is especially truer than ever now that we’re in our current pivotal circumstances.

So how? How do we fill these job roles?

We’re getting no where with the current system.

It’s time for a change.

26/05/2022

A step in the right direction...

The £10bn support package is expected to be largely funded by a windfall tax on oil and gas firms.