7 Steps to Making Informed & Successful Career Choices!

1. Market & Data Analysis - It's Not Just for Business!

We all know that businesses must either drive demand or respond to it in order to be successful. They cannot take their eye off the market. That's why big data is big business. Businesses must know their market and continually strive to remain relevant otherwise they will lose their market share. That's obvious, right?

It's logical then that the workforce must also respond to commercial realities. In the same way that businesses must respond to changing business environments in order to be successful, the workforce must also develop and change in order to remain relevant. And yes, that means you!

2. Local Conditions Matter!

Schools are very good at preparing us for the obvious. They teach us traditional things that are useful for the obvious and traditional professions. That may be changing in some countries, and even in the UK now children are taught programming at school, which is brilliant! Nevertheless, schools will probably always struggle to keep up with industry because they are not driven by industry.

Schools are not driven by commercial demands or targets. They don't have to analyse the market to make informed choices about which skills are most in demand, or which ones are likely to be. They get their funding from the state or from school fees. The success of a school is measured by the grades achieved by the students, but not by how useful those qualifications are.

What Does That Mean for Your Career?

Formal education is only a very small part of what makes you useful or employable. Don't rely on schools to drive your learning. You must do your own research so you can make informed decisions.

There is nothing wrong with traditional careers, but the fact that they are so popular means that competition is fierce! This is why you must look at the bigger picture make smart choices.

3. Analyse Your Choices - Adrenaline, Dreams and Emotions Will Only Take You So Far!

We all come from different backgrounds with different resources and different realities. What may be a viable career choice or route to that career for one person, may not be at all possible for another. That's why it is so important to drill down into the details when making any life-altering decisions.

When choosing a career or making a career change, it's really important to be in full possession of the facts. Adrenaline, dreams and emotions will only sustain you for so long before reality hits! So that's where having solid plans and goals, based on reliable and actionable information, will really come into their own.

4. Demand - The Most Important Consideration!

Is there are real demand for this skill or profession now, and if not yet, is there likely to be a demand in the future?

Low Barriers to Entry & High Demand

Some careers with low barriers to entry may have high demand. For example, sales people, factory workers, call centre operatives. The workforce is easily replaced and their are lots of willing people to take their place.

High Barriers to Entry & Low Demand

Other careers have high barriers to entry and relatively low demand, but they have large pools of skilled workers to choose from that are also easily replaced. For example, lawyers, bankers, marketing executives. These so-called prestige careers attract lots of applicants, universities are churning them out, and companies can take their pick.

If you are planning on entering a saturated market place, you must be exceptional or you will get drowned out in the din! If you have unlimited resources or resourcefulness, incredible skill, contacts, energy, and you are 100% sure that you can make it in a crowded market place, then by all means, go for it! You have nothing to lose. You will be the last man standing.

If, however, there's a lot more riding on it, and you have a great deal to lose if things go wrong, then don't set yourself up for failure.

There is another way...

5. Take Back Control! Get a Skill that is Rare AND in High Demand!

Not sure where to start?

You don't have to look further than the news to discover where the skills shortages are in your area or your country. What is your government doing to encourage people to get into certain professions? Which skills are they actively recruiting for abroad because they cannot find the local talent?

Talk to people you know. Which professions or skills do they or their employers struggle to find? Why is that?

Once in a while we'll come across someone who does something that we've never heard of. These are golden opportunities! Ask them as many questions as possible!

Tech Careers. Not Just For techies!

In the UK there is a massive shortage of programmers right now. The barriers to entry-level positions are relatively low, the pay is great, the career development opportunities are unparalleled, and you will always be relevant! The tech industry is crying out for programmers! This is clear from the sheer number of free learning resources - of exceptional quality - provided by the industry. They need you!

6. Whatever Your Chosen Career Path, Make Informed Choices!

This step requires asking yourself some serious and searching questions. Don't just passively go through this exercise. Write down your answers! Analyse them, and think of some other questions you could ask yourself, and write those down!

Some really good questions to ask would be:

Is it the prestige that attracts you?
Is it the type of work you think you'd enjoy (job satisfaction)?
What are the skills required for that profession?
What are the required qualifications?
How much would it cost to gain those qualifications?
How long would it take you to gain those qualifications?
How would that fit with your existing commitments?
Can you afford to pay for the course(s) or would you have to work in order to support your studies?
Could having to work have a negative impact on your studies?
Could you borrow the money needed to pay for the course?
How long would it be before you secure your first position in that field?
What is the entry-level pay?
Could you survive on that pay?
Would you be able to pay back any debts incurred from your studies?
How long would it take you?
Who are the successful professionals in that field, what is their background and how did they get there?
Do you know anyone who works in that field?
Could you do some work experience to get a feel for it?
What are the working hours like?
Where are the jobs located geographically?
Would you be willing to relocate to another town, city, region or even another country?

7. Do It Now!

When you have formed a clear picture of your options, make sure you do something about it!

Your future awaits! :)

7 Steps to #Career #Success. Adrenaline, #Dreams & #Emotions will only get you so far! https://t.co/igc1aHMVB2 pic.twitter.com/SJr1DCrmYt

— Danielle Curio (@DanielleCurio) December 31, 2015

Weight Loss, Hobbies & Escapism - What will you make of 2016?

Indie-crafts and vintage markets have been booming these past few years, with artisans selling their beautifully crafted wares. You only have to go down Brick Lane on a Sunday to see just how popular these hand-crafted items have become. Some of the makers and sellers generate a pretty decent living out of it and successfully move their operations online, and beyond.

When we work for other people, it can sometimes be hard to see the big picture or where we fit in. Sometimes we are boxed into narrow roles that serve a specific purpose for the company, but they don't fit our own goals and give us very little satisfaction. That probably explains why so many of these crafty types are disaffected city workers. They have reassessed their lives and taken the leap to do something different. Kudos to them!

Superficial quick-fixes are very tempting!

If you are one of the lucky few who have found your calling in life, and you are following it, then you're probably not reading this article. You are out there living the life you have chosen, and that is awesome! But if you are still thinking about 2016 and your new year's resolutions, don't limit yourself to superficial quick-fixes that will temporarily distract you from what's missing in your life. Make it your resolution to be honest with yourself and get to the root of what's really bothering you and what's really important to you.

You have everything you need, right now, to change your life forever!

As we grow older, we tend to look at other people's achievements / the finished product and assume that we could never do that!

I could never be Michelle Mone of Ultimo, James Dyson or J.K. Rowling. No! Because even they had to work at it! But! I could start by buying some stock and selling it, doing some research, or jotting down some ideas, and building on my business one step at a time - a little bit every day.

Starting from scratch is not just for children

Starting from scratch is not age-specific. It's not just for children, and it's not something that only happens at school. In fact, the older you get, the more perspective you have that can inform your decisions, and you will no doubt have a lot more transferable skills.

The only problem with getting older is that your ideas become more fixed, you have developed more fears, and you take fewer risks. That is perfectly natural, don't fight it, but do put it into perspective.

Don't be seduced by the comfort of tried & tested failure. Do something that will actually add to your potential and make you the very best version of yourself!

The reason why weight-loss is such a popular new year's resolution is because the results are easy to measure. When you lose those first few pounds, you feel good! Great even! It gives you a sense of achievement! But why do we lose momentum? It's probably safe to say that we set ourselves the same resolutions every year. But surely, past performance should teach us that it doesn't work. After a few days or weeks, we are back to square one, because we are still fundamentally the same person. Your size does not change who you are. It does not make you a better friend, or better at your job. It does not challenge your perception of yourself. You are still the same person you were. So why not do something that will actually add to your potential and make you the best version of yourself?

It took me years to decide to start programming, because I thought I wouldn't be able to do it. I thought that programmers were different. Gifted and misunderstood geniuses. They think differently to me. I would never be able to code. But that's because my thinking was all wrong. I was seeing the finished product and not the steps that they took to get there.

When it comes to your future, don't take the easy way out. It is never too late to learn something new and achieve great things, if you start from the beginning! Don't limit your new year's resolutions to weight-loss, hobbies and escapism. And why wait until the new year? Take control of your future now!

Everything starts with an idea. Where you take it from there is entirely up to you! Don't limit yourself!

Have a fantastic new year!

Forget #NewYearsResolutions You already have everything you need to change your life forever https://t.co/O9xnQDX4e5 pic.twitter.com/vYVZrGTW7i

— Danielle Curio (@DanielleCurio) December 28, 2015

The VW Emissions Saga, and why it could have been you

You only have to type 'VW' (or just 'V' for that matter) in your browser and the following suggestions come up:

VW. A company that was once synonymous with quality and reliability is now so tightly bound with the emissions scandal. These are sad times for the motoring giant, but what happened? How did they get it so wrong, and how can we learn from their unfortunate downfall?

Quality and Deadlines

But it does not have to be the case! It should not be the case. We need to stop seeing deadlines as being purely time-related. If you haven't met the brief, but you delivered on time, you have not met your deadline. Just because it barks like a dog and looks like a dog, does not make it a dog!

When deadlines and targets are looming, the first thing to go is quality. I'm sure we can all identify with that on some level, but why is that consistently the case?

Quality is the measure of a good product or service. It is the main ingredient. It secures repeat business. It underpins good branding. Surely it should be the last thing to go.

Brand Promises. Tell Me Lies, Tell Me Sweet Little Lies...

'It's not just food, it's M&S food', would have a whole different ring to it if they said "It's not just food, it's M&S food, unless we're really under it, and then we'll just shove any old crap in there, but at least it's in M&S packaging."

"It's not just a car, it's a Rolls Royce, but you don't understand what's going on underneath the bonnet anyway, so what difference does it make? We'll make it look pretty and shiny though, so the Jone's will be none the wiser and you'll still look good driving it."

It happens time and time again in every industry. Essentially it boils down to this: This is our ethos, until the crap hits the fan, and rather than admit that we cannot deliver to your timescales using our existing processes, we will compromise our internal practices to ensure that we do not lose face.

Why are we so afraid of managing expectations? Is the sacrifice worth it? I'm sure VW would rather have their reputation in tact by being open and honest, rather than face the current problems they are in.

The Time Delusion

If you don't have time to do the right thing now, it is a fantasy to think that you will have the time later to go back and clean up your mess when nobody is looking. There will always be another pressing issue that requires your full attention.

Don't fool yourself. Do it right or don't do it at all. That's not to say that you won't make mistakes, but they will be honest mistakes. Deception is a bitter pill to swallow. It damages trust, it undermines brand value, and it has severe financial consequences. Your investors will want to distance themselves from you, and worst of all, so will your clients.

Invest in Your Processes

If you find that you are constantly running out of time, that is a symptom of bad processes. You cannot have more time. You must make do with the same amount of time that the rest of us have. If you want your business to stand the test of time, you have to choose your priorities. Either keep on cutting corners and patching things up, and enjoy your dwindling marker share as the sun sets over your business; or invest in your processes. Work Harder and Smarter. Nobody said it would be easy.

It's important to own your processes. Create processes that you have absolute faith in, so you can say what is and isn't possible with absolute confidence, and stick by it. There will always be other clients. And yes, sometimes you may lose out to the competition, but if you are not honest, you will ultimately be the loser.

The #VW #Scandal & why it could've been you. #Quality & #Deadlines: 2 sides of the same coin https://t.co/jSLtHyiZHd pic.twitter.com/rFHWCI7puJ

— Danielle Curio (@DanielleCurio) December 17, 2015

Don't Be A Busy Fool!

Let's assume that we can distill our reasons for working down to a few common factors: To pay bills, provide for our loved ones, have a bit of spending money, and to save for the future.

Beyond those practical reasons, what do we want to get out of work? We spend the majority of our waking hours at work, so we must want to get something more out of it, right? To feel like our time is worth while?

It may be to gain experience, prestige, to make contacts and build a network, learn new skills, earn a work-based certification, to get workplace benefits, pension, healthcare, and the list goes on. Whatever your reasons, you are hoping to get more than just a salary.

Job Satisfaction

Job satisfaction comes from feeling like you are doing something worthwhile, like you are adding value and that your time is not being wasted. Recognition for good work may also add to the sense of satisfaction - or simply not being undermined could be recognition enough.

Job dissatisfaction, however, comes from the opposite conditions being true. Doing things that are not worthwhile, that do not add value and things that waste your time. It all adds up to create a generally dissatisfied employee, and - I'm sorry to say - a busy fool.

If by the time you leave your job, you do not have more skills, experience and confidence than you did when you started, well then, you have been in a bad working relationship.

Do you work for a company that creates busy fools?

• They pay you for your time, but they do not respect its value to you.
• They stifle your productivity by giving you responsibilities that do not best utilise your skills.
• They have no strategy or guiding principles for the business, so they move the goal posts on a daily, weekly, hourly basis, and then hold you responsible for the trail of incomplete tasks.
• They see the employer / employee relationship as a one-way street: taking a lot and giving a little.
• They do not see it as their responsibility to add value to you in order to get the best value from you.

If any of that sounds familiar to you, then it is possible that you are being taken for a fool.

Work is a two-way street.

When it comes to work-based skills it really is a case of use them or lose them.

If you are scared that you cannot speak up because your employer holds the purse strings, just remember, you hold the skills that they are wiling to pay for.

Future employers will want your CV to demonstrate how you used your skills in your most recent position. Otherwise you will not even get to the interview stage.

If your employer is paying you less than what your skills are worth, then they may not actually need the skills that you have. It is time to reevaluate your options and your expectations. What changes do you need to make?

It could also be the case that you don't actually have the skills that your employer thinks you do, and you are an imposter. In that case, this article is not for you, but you need to skill up ASAP!

You Are Responsible For Your Career - Make It Happen!

Another thing worth remembering is that, although, in an ideal world, your employer will facilitate your career development, you cannot relinquish your responsibility for your own development. If they won't pay for that course, and it really will further your career prospects, then you need to find a way to make it happen! This is not (as the Americans call it) a pity party!

Take #Control of Your #Career & Your #Future! Don't Be A #Busy #Fool! https://t.co/w7UCZvSDrg pic.twitter.com/gVDNnbGmTx

— Danielle Curio (@DanielleCurio) December 17, 2015

Programming. It's Less About Maths Than You Think - But maybe Maths is not what you think it is?

I really enjoyed Maths when I was at school. I liked puzzles and mysteries, and Maths is both of those things! I didn't pursue Maths beyond GCSE, but I have always enjoyed documentaries, programmes and books about the application of Maths to areas of science and discovery - such as astronomy, cartography, art, engineering, physics, and - you guessed it - computer science!

Eventually I was no longer content with just knowing about Maths, I wanted to 'do the Math'!

My Journey Into Numberland

After [many] years away from school I had done nothing more complex than working out prices, so I thought what better place to start than Maths GCSE... again! I did an intensive correspondence course in Higher Level GCSE Maths, and it was intense! (You can read more about it here)

Logical Thinking

Before you panic, I'm not suggesting that you go back to school and do Maths GCSE! You really don't need to. What struck me the most about doing the Maths course (as a mature student) was the realisation that Maths is mostly about thinking in a certain way. It is very logical. So, if you don't panic, you can work through the questions methodically and get the right answer. There are no surprises! You are not required to make discoveries! All you have to do is follow tried and tested steps!

Programming is the same in that respect, because it calls on existing resources and requires logical and organised thought. There's no reason why you couldn't go on to make amazing discoveries in the future, or invent something new, but you don't need to reinvent the wheel just yet.

You really don't need to be a Maths whizz to do programming! It's all about getting your thinking right.

When you are faced with a programming task / problem, if you can identify and understand the possible methods that could be used to solve it, then you are well on your way! It's all about getting your thinking right, and learning what the available resources are, as opposed to knowing everything in detail.

Programming Makes Maths Easy!

The great thing about programming is that most of the Mathematical methods for solving problems, such as performing searches on data, have already been turned into easily reusable code that you can pretty much copy and paste into your programme. Think calculators, but way cooler!

Knowing too much can sometimes be a disadvantage, and self-doubt can be very healthy in programming.

If you already know a lot, you may miss some important details and steam ahead, only to find that you've reached a dead end! If, however, you take a more analytical approach, by constantly asking questions as you go along, you will engineer and create a solid solution. So don't worry if you think you don't know enough. That's ok, and it could be an advantage!

Want to know more?

See my beginners' guide to Binary Search Algorithms for an insight to programmatic thinking and problem solving. I'll be blogging regularly about my journey through programming, and sharing as I learn new things.

Websites and Resources

Kingsley Ijomah
Khan Academy
Codecademy
Virtual Nerd

Please do leave a comment below if you have any questions. I'd love to hear from you!

#Programming is Less About Maths Than You Think. Or maybe #Maths isn't what you think it is? https://t.co/LBZb4cwykA pic.twitter.com/RzuXE6crFW

— Danielle Curio (@DanielleCurio) December 9, 2015

Getting from A to B with Algorithms... Don't Panic! Code On!

So, I set myself a bit of a crazy challenge a week ago. I decided to learn Javascript from scratch, and then use it to create a Binary Search Algorithm of a Sorted Array... Simples!

The challenge is from Khan Academy, and it assumes prior knowledge of Javascript. I wasn't going to let that little assumption get in my way! I started off with Codecademy - learned the basics, and then skipped straight to 'for' and 'while' loops.

I thought this would be a good topic for a blog article because I am relatively new to the practice of coding, and I wanted to share my experience with other budding beginners out there. If you are new to programming, or you would like to give programming a go, I hope you find this article interesting and useful.

So, what is an algorithm?

An algorithm is literally just a set of steps that you follow to get something done. Your daily routines are algorithms, for example, getting dressed, going to work, cooking a meal. That's not so intimidating is it!

The first step to coding an algorithm actually requires no coding at all. You just need to work out how to get from A to B. Sketch out the steps that need to be followed in order to get from A, which is your input, to B, which is the output (or result). Get a pen and paper, and start sketching out your ideas.

Plan your route before starting the journey!

Now, for experienced programmers, it is easy to jump straight in and start coding. The Khan academy tutorial has the task written out in plain English, with a tiny bit of pseudocode, so they've done all the thinking for you right? Wrong! It is still best practice to map out your own process. That way you can ask questions and get a complete understanding of the task at hand. But if you're ok with buggy code, go right ahead!

I'm going to show you how I did my planning, and then I will share my code at the end.

The Task

We have an array of prime numbers from 2 to 97.

Feed a random number into the binary search algorithm.
If the number is present in the array, the programme will return the index position of that number.
If the number is not present, the programme will return '-1'.

Binary Search

Binary Search is a really efficient way to find an item in an ordered list of data. In this case we have the list of prime numbers above. The search is a process of elimination. You narrow down the possible options by dividing the data in half over and over again, eliminating all the possible options until you are left with just one, which will be target.

Our minimum value is 2, which is at minimum index position 0.
Our maximum value is 97, which is at maximum index position 24.

Note: Because our array starts from index position 0, and ends at position 24, that means there are 25 values in the array.

How it works

To illustrate how this works, I am going to choose a random number and show how the algorithm will 'guess' my number.

Step 1

The programme starts by guessing the mid-point of our array, which is index position 12 in this case.

The algorithm establishes the mid-point in the following way:

My number = 67

Is my number equal to the first guess, i.e. is 67 = 41? No. My number is 67, is at position 18, and the first guess was 41, which is at position 12.

Step 2 & 3

We want the programme to compare the value of our number, 67, and the value held at index position 12, which is 41.

If 67 is greater than 41, we know we can eliminate all the values to the left of and including position 12 in the array, because they are all less than 41, which in turn is less than 67.

If the our number had been less than 41, we would do the opposite and eliminate the values to the right of and including position 12.

Step 4

Step 5

We now need to find our new mid-point, so we repeat Step 1 as follows:

We have arrived at our number!

This programme will keep running until it finds our number.

But what if we choose a number that is not present in the array?

We simply say to the programme, if the number we choose does not match any of the values in the array, it will give us an output to indicate that. In this case, I have asked the programme to return the value '-1'.

Edge Cases

Something I will touch on very briefly is Edge Cases. The programme that I have written above does not factor in what happens if I were to choose the values held at index position 0 or 24, which are the prime numbers 2 and 97. They are what is referred to as 'edge cases'. The values at the edges of an array.

So, I had to write a couple of extra lines of code to deal with them. I gave the programme specific instructions about what to do if I choose either number 2 or 97 as my random numbers. As with all programming, there are different ways to do everything. I will not go into detail, but here is my solution:

If my number is 2, return the value: index minimum;
but if my number is 97, return the value index maximum.

The Code

The Main Challenges

1. Getting to grips with for loops and while loops required a lot of repetition. I completed the exercises on Codecademy and revisited them a few times to make sure that I fully understood the flow.
2. The code performed really well when testing the mid points of the array, but some extra code was needed to test the edge cases.
3. Although the code is neat and tidy, it could do with a bit of refactoring, so that's my task for another day!

Long story short, I finished it yesterday! Hooray!

It was a really fun process because it's like solving a puzzle. Who needs sudoku when you can code!

If you are thinking about coding, stop! Don't think about it anymore. Just get started!!! Codecademy is a great resource to start with, or you can check out these amazing tutorials from +Kingsley Ijomah He starts with html & css, moves on to Bootstrap, and then Ruby on Rails. The great thing about his tutorials is that he assumes that you have absolutely no prior knowledge of coding. The tutorials are for absolute beginners! Get started today!

About Me

I am not a programmer, I am a dabbler, with a curious interest in Mathematics. I have not worked commercially as a programmer, but I co-founded a software company back in 2008, and I have worked with programmers since then. The bulk of my experience is with html and css, but I have studied Ruby and a bit of Python, so I understand the key concepts and I can hold my own. I have recently made a foray into the world of MVC (Ruby on Rails), which is a whole new experience, but I did not have a project that I had coded from start to finish before, until now! So when I did my first git commit yesterday, it felt good!!!

So, I set myself a bit of a crazy challenge last week! https://t.co/LMg6zSwWI5 #Algorithms #JavaScript #Girls #Code pic.twitter.com/R9zMOB7anp

— Danielle Curio (@DanielleCurio) December 6, 2015

Are You An Infinite Monkey?

Do you remember tackling Maths problems at school, and the teachers would always say, "Show how you worked it out!" I thought that was a pointless exercise, because if I know the answer, then I know the answer, right? If I don't know the answer, then I'll have to work it out. Showing what I already know is a waste of time. Or is it?

When one of the teachers explained it to me, it made perfect sense. They want to know how you arrived at the answer - the steps you took to get there. It's not so much about having the correct or incorrect answer, but if they can see your workings, they can help fix your process. You can then apply your thinking more effectively to future Maths problems and improve your chances of getting the correct answer.

Those same principles have a much wider application than I originally realised when I was at school. If you can show your workings, when it comes to work, hobbies, relationships, you can solve a lot of your own problems.

Well, that's how it's always been done

Very often in life, as children in school or adults at work, we are told 'what' to do without really knowing the 'why'. That's because the people in charge probably don't really know why. The answer, 'Well, that's how it's always been done', is a particular favourite! As is the case with middle-management, they don't know why you are being asked to do things a certain way, which can be very frustrating for the workers, but it can also make the job of the managers very difficult.

It's easy if you have a fixed set of steps that you must follow every day, which have fixed outcomes; but what if the instructions vary from day to day, with no clear goals or vision? It would be very hard and stressful to work in such a place.

A broken or dysfunctional process produces varied results of poor quality. As with Infinite Monkey Theorem, it is likely that they will produce something of quality at some point, but it will not be by design.

Why rely on such random odds?

When revolutionary new business practices are developed, they are often very intuitive and look like common sense. But that's because they asked 'Why'. Why have things always been done a certain way? Do those practices suit the modern tools or workforce, or are they from a different era?

Bad processes are scary because they're like a tangle of wires. You don't want to change anything because you're afraid it might break!

Continuous Improvement

Processes that have clear reasons behind them are easy to follow. They take into consideration the end goals, the tools available / needed to complete the tasks effectively, the skills of the workforce and expectations of the clients. Good processes are easy to review and change, because they are clear. You can see how everything is connected - the flow - and the impact of each stage in the process. Arguably, a good process is one that is under constant review. The thinking behind it is being improved and reviewed.

Kaizen is a very old principle, but it is one of eternal youth. A process that is continually improved for greater quality, efficiency and productivity will keep the workforce inspired, and it will certainly keep your competitors on their toes!

4 Reasons to Scrap Your 'TO DO' List & Get Stuff Done!

'TO DO' lists can fill even the most organised person with dread!

Your TO DO list can act as a depressing reminder of all the things you haven't done!

1. The first fatal flaw of the TO DO list is that it is potentially endless!

You can keep adding more and more tasks until you lose sight of the end, and your senses!

When we start a fresh TO DO list, we're full of optimism. We visualise executing each task with efficiency and ticking them off with smug satisfaction. In practice, however, that is not how it happens. The list gets longer, the ticks get scarcer, and we get stressed! Why?

2. We write down all the tasks we want to START, but we haven't thought ahead to how we're actually going to FINISH them!

Think about it. The tasks that are 'easy' to complete are easy to quantify. For example, 'Pay the electricity bill', or 'Book an appointment with the hairdresser'. They require a simple set of predetermined set of steps to complete. Tasks like that get lots of ticks very quickly, and we feel good.

Arguably, those are the only types of tasks that should be on our TO DO list. You've heard of S.M.A.R.T. goals. Well, now you've heard of S.M.A.R.T. TO DO's! If something can be broken down into component parts, break it down and put them on your TO DO list.

3. A list of Tasks can very quickly become a list of Projects!

This point relates to the previous one. If you do have a series of big tasks or projects that you are working on, break them down into S.M.A.R.T. chunks. This is especially useful if they are work-related.

Let's say that your boss at has dropped the mother-load of work on your desk and said, "Can you get this done by Friday?" And it's already Wednesday... Don't panic! You could just get stuck in, but how can you measure your progress? If you add the project titles to your TO DO list, you could go a whole day before you tick one of them as complete. Life's too short for that kind of stress!

A project is a set of tasks.

Before you dive in head-first, go through the project and get to grips with what needs to be done. List the tasks and let the ticks roll in! Doing this will also give you a better idea of how long the whole project is likely to take. That way, you can either comfortably get the work done ahead of schedule, or you can manage your boss's expectations.

4. We use TO DO lists as a way of putting things off.

If you look at your TO DO list now, you'll see lots of things on there that you could actually put in your schedule / diary and do them at a set time. Instead, they become 'aspirational' items. For example, 'Write my Christmas cards' could become something that you put off until the very last minute if you don't schedule a set time to get them done!

Put it in your diary and do it at the right time!

You could decide that you are going to write five Christmas cards every evening this week at 7pm. That's great! It's S.M.A.R.T. Put it in your diary. I use the calendar on my phone and that way I don't need to think about it. The reminder pops up a few minutes before the time, so I can finish what I'm doing and then tackle the new task.

So, what should a TO DO list be?

Essentially a great TO DO list will be a list of desired OUTCOMES and it will be S.M.A.R.T. Anything else has no place on there. Don't stress yourself out!

So, think carefully before you add stuff to your TO DO list!

4 Reasons Why You Should Scrap Your TO DO Lists & Get Stuff Done! https://t.co/NfllnuXA0J #TimeManagement #ToDoList pic.twitter.com/pftEHhg5OT

— Danielle Curio (@DanielleCurio) December 4, 2015

'Can I get your advice?' And other reasons why Google is not the last word in Search

In our digital age, where everything is literally just a click away, we are now so inundated with information that - ironically - it can be difficult to make informed decisions.

Does this glut of information mean that we rely on word of mouth now more than ever?

Just a cursory search on twitter for the phrase 'Can anyone recommend' brings up endless results for a diverse array of products and services! From recommendations for holiday destinations and language tutors, to beauty treatments. You name it!

But why do we need recommendations when we can just search the internet?

We build our social networks (both on and offline) in our image. So, when we need information or advice, who better to go to than our networks? We value and trust their opinions, referrals and feedback, because it will be in line with what we already think or feel. When we tweet to our followers, or post a status update on Facebook, requesting recommendations or advice, we value the feedback we receive, and we are very likely to follow it up somehow or another.

Google's supremacy over SEO looks like it may have had it's day. People don't just 'Google' stuff anymore. They share recommendations through messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook messenger, and their social networks - Facebook, twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc..

Google is no longer in charge of who sees your content.

Companies now search for / target you directly based on the hashtags you use in tweets, or if you follow accounts similar to theirs, they can follow you to get your attention. The apps on your phone send you 'push notifications' which are in tune with what you like. Or they send you email updates / newsletters to keep you engaged with their service. They no longer need to wait for you to come to them.

Those are just some challenges faced by Google in its bid to remain relevant. Time will tell whether their plan to introduce 'App streaming' will pay off or not.

Has #SEO had its day? Find out why #Google is not the last word in #search https://t.co/Sjpu7QVZkL #socialmedia pic.twitter.com/pHmwgmY3X4

— Danielle Curio (@DanielleCurio) December 3, 2015

Hedge Funds Join the Clamour for Tech Talent. Old World, New Tricks. Can They Keep Up?

Software technology is developing at lightning speed, and everyone wants a piece.

Tech companies are doing whatever they can to entice and retain the best software engineers, but they are not the only ones vying for this specialist talent. Many non-tech companies have jumped on the bandwagon too. Rather than outsource their software projects to specialist software companies, they are bringing programmers in-house to create their own bespoke software systems.

The demand for programmers is growing faster than supply.

There's an interesting article by Robin Wigglesworth in the FT which highlights the interests of another party in this clamour for tech talent. Historically, engineers, physicists and mathematicians have been recruited by financial institutions, but they are now shifting their gaze to computer scientists.

Software engineers already make great money, and according to a survey of 10,000 programmers conducted by Stack Overflow, 90% of them would accept an offer that pays 10% less than their current salary if the new opportunity fit their other criteria. So, money alone will not attract computer scientists to the shiny skyscrapers of finance.

When the programmers were asked if they would ever decline an offer based on their perception of the office quality or management structure, 59.7% of them said yes! When the money is already good, people shift their expectations to more qualitative issues.

The working environment offered by the likes of Google or Uber (companies mentioned in the FT article) are so vastly different from those of financial institutions that they may as well be in different dimensions of space and time. For financial institutions to be able to attract and retain software engineers, the whole culture would have to change.

Amongst the other things cited in the Stack Overflow survey as being important to programmers, there was a clear emphasis on the team, management, autonomy, creativity, being aligned with the company's products and services, and the company's goals. The financial markets, when put in that context, are not so attractive. It's not an impossible task, however, and people often do different jobs at different points in their lives for different reasons.

The comments made on the FT article are fascinating! Many of the people commenting seem to come from a tech / programming background, and they have some great insights.

A theme that seems to emerge from the comments is about the worthiness of the cause. Programmers have a great talent, and they could be using it to further society in more meaningful ways, rather than the simple pursuit of money. Money is great, and I like it, but the pursuit of wealth can be all the more satisfying when it is the by-product of great ideas, as opposed to the end goal in and of itself.

We could all benefit from a more collaborative approach to technology and programming. Just think about the massive advances in medicine, farming, sustainable technology that could be possible! Things are moving so fast that businesses, schools and governments are still playing catch-up when it comes to software technology. It's doubtful that we will ever reach a plateau, but we can all jump aboard for the ride.

A whole new way of working is needed. Society will either shape those changes or respond to them, but traditional ways of doing things are becoming more alien to what is needed in today's world - or rather - tomorrow's world.

References:

Hedge funds poach computer scientists from Silicon Valley, by Robin Wigglesworth, Financial Times US markets editor (22/11/2015)

Joel Spolsky's Guide to Standing Out & Attracting Top Talent

#HedgeFunds Join the Clamour for #Tech #Talent. Old world, new tricks, don't mix? https://t.co/qdprVg6joA #FinTech pic.twitter.com/4Wa2BHtkIg

— Danielle Curio (@DanielleCurio) November 24, 2015

Take the Fear out of Negotiation - Remember: You Have Choices!

I had a summer job in an engineering firm when I was at school. I worked for an engineer, and I was really interested in learning about what he does, but he was not interested in teaching me. He preferred to recruit men into roles that had career progression opportunities, because he had very old fashioned views about women in the workplace (that he was quite open about). I was never going to be anything more than an administrator if I wanted to continue working in that business. So, I decided that I didn't want to work there anymore. I wanted to have options.

The experience of having my gender dictate my role in the workplace was a very early baptism by fire, but it really did prepare me for later life. I did not let it change my character, or my femininity, but it did change the way that I approach things. I learned the power of negotiation.

When it comes to asking for a promotion or pay rise, if you feel that you have taken on more responsibilities, or you would like to, then treat it as a business transaction. There will be times when you hit a brick wall. There could be institutional reasons why you cannot progress (as was the case with my first job), so you need to weigh up the pro's and con's of taking your expertise elsewhere, sticking it out for a bit longer, or pursuing a different course of action.

Since leaving that first job, in subsequent positions when, for example, the question of salary came up, I have negotiated. In one case, I negotiated for two months before I got the salary that I knew my male counterpart would be getting. I treated the process as I would any other business negotiation. If you can present a reasoned argument with sound business sense, if you have exactly what they are looking for (or more), then don't give up. Your male counterpart wouldn't give up, because they don't see it as personal. It's just business.

Although the attitude of my first employer is completely different now (we still keep in touch and he's my biggest advocate now!), there are still people out there who are the gatekeepers of the glass ceiling. They may not be overt about it, but they do exist. However, don't let them stop you from achieving your full potential. As the saying goes, you cannot continue doing the same things and expect different results. Get used to negotiating.

One book that really helped me - it was like a lightbulb moment - is 'Getting to Yes: Negotiating An Agreement Without Giving In'. It is based on the Harvard Negotiation Project. I used to carry a copy around with me! It gave me the confidence I needed to hang in there, because it's ultimately about getting the best result for both sides.

Think about it. If both sides get what they want, it's a win win situation. In any negotiation, you are there as equals, otherwise it's not a negotiation. It's a hostile takeover.

Take The #Fear Out Of #Negotiating. #Women & #Careers: #Knowledge = #Empowerment https://t.co/bPKk0P9Dc3 pic.twitter.com/L0sFb4ryVf

— Danielle Curio (@DanielleCurio) November 24, 2015

Work Life Balance - What We Can Learn From The Doctor (Doctor Who of course!)

Even if you're not a fan of 'Doctor Who', episode 9 of series 9, which is intriguingly titled 'Sleep No More', takes a fascinating - and unsettling - look at work life balance. It's reminiscent of the Channel4 series, 'Black Mirror', and explores how technology can be used to scale productivity, but at a cost.

With the Government expecting Junior Doctors to work longer hours, this episode of Doctor Who is especially poignant.

In many professions, working longer hours is often expected, and colleagues could try to 'out work' each other in order to win brownie points in the bid for promotion. However, long hours can be counter productive in terms of work performance, health and wellbeing. A tired, unhealthy and unhappy workforce is not likely to be super productive. In fact, the costs to the business and the individual can be very high.

According to a study conducted by University College London, scientists 'found that those who work more than 55 hours a week have a 33% increased risk of stroke compared with those who work a 35 to 40 hour week. They also have a 13% increased risk of coronary heart disease.' (The Guardian)

'Sleep No More' explores the possibility of a workforce that can go without sleep for prolonged periods of time, by using the 'Morpheus' machine. The inventor of Morpheus believed that time spent sleeping was a waste of time, so he created a machine that would consolidate your monthly sleep into a 5 minute nap, freeing up all that extra time to work! Great aye! But there are side effects... The sleep still accumulates in your eyes, and you eventually turn into a flesh-eating sandman. Yikes!

Sleep is part of the work-life balance. It's part of life. No matter how much we want to be good at our jobs, or how much pressure we are under, something's gotta give. What are your time, your health and your relationships really worth? Is your job really worth losing sleep over? 

Resources

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)60295-1/abstract

Become part of the new generation of wide-awakes. #WorkLifeBalance #lessons from #DoctorWho https://t.co/n9qsMuWp0t pic.twitter.com/V1LcztrjOB

— Danielle Curio (@DanielleCurio) November 24, 2015

Why Your Twitter Campaign is Missing the Mark

Is it just me, or does anyone else get seemingly random and irrelevant suggestions from twitter about which accounts to follow? Within the last couple of weeks 'Slim Fast' has popped up as a suggestion and I couldn't figure out why at first. I don't tweet about diet, weight-loss or anything like that, so that set the little cogs in my brain turning.

Initially I thought that maybe twitter was gender profiling me. If I believe the media, we women are always on diets and worrying about our weight. But surely the twitter algorithms are more sophisticated than that? So, I dug a little deeper.

When I looked back at my tweets, I could see that I had mentioned the word 'weights' a few times because I lift weights and tweet about it. Bingo! But therein lies the problem. Weight lifting is different to weight loss. It might not sound like a big deal that I'm getting recommendations to follow Slim Fast. I can just ignore them right? Yes, of course I can, and I will; however, there is a wider point that social media marketers should note.

If I am getting targeted suggestions based on misinterpreted data, what other messages are missing the mark?

Another example of a badly targeted twitter interaction was when I tweeted about Stratford upon Avon, someone added me to a list of Avon cosmetics representatives...

Beware of double meanings and mixed messages.

Why Your #Twitter #Campaign is Missing the Mark https://t.co/deMx1V5H3u #SocialMediaMarketing #Hashtags #KeyWords pic.twitter.com/GTfrqiHqGc

— Danielle Curio (@DanielleCurio) November 13, 2015

Make Yourself Investible! What We Can Learn From The Apprentice

Make Yourself Investible - What We Can Learn From The Apprentice

I love a rags to riches story, and Lord Sugar is an inspiration. The tasks that are set for the contestants in The Apprentice are a reflection of the Lord Sugar's personal journey to business success. That's all good and well, and it's a very entertaining TV show, but it took a while for me to figure out the method behind the madness.

If I went to a venture capitalist with a fashion business idea, I'd be shocked - to say the least - if they asked me to set up a food stall in a market for the day. Something that is seemingly so unrelated to the business plan. That's what the whole process of BBC's The Apprentice (or 'Lord Sugar's Wheeler-Dealers & One-man-bandits') looked like to me, until quite recently.

When I need a bit of inspiration, I go to the Playbook, and have it running in the background whilst I work. It's kind of like a bitesized TED Talks, but it's just for business. Now that I am running my own business, and I work remotely most of the time, I like to maintain a sort of business energy to keep me going and keep my mind fresh. Playbook does that for me.

Something caught my ear a few weeks ago, and I wish I knew who the speaker was so I could recommend the video. This person invests in business start-ups and he was sharing the secrets as to how he decides what to invest in. What struck me was that he said it's not really the business that he's investing in. It's not the what, but it's mostly the who. He invests in exceptional people. The business may or may not succeed, but he is confident that the person behind the business will be a success. He will invest in those people time and again because he knows they have the right attitude and the aptitude for success.

Although the winner of The Apprentice will hopefully not be expected to put up shelves or head to France with a random shopping list, they will be expected to get stuck in. Lord Sugar is not looking for an employee, he is looking for a business partner.

When you are starting your own business, you have to know the whole business inside and out. In most cases, you don't get the million dollar investment capital, so you have to be the whole business! The receptionist, the bookkeeper, the van driver, etc. If you cannot get stuck in and do things that are outside of your comfort zone - get your hands dirty - you won't get far. So what looks very silly and entertaining from the outside, is actually a brilliant business and general life-skills bootcamp that anyone would benefit from.

So, venture out of your comfort zone and Make Yourself Investible!

Make Yourself #Investible! What we can learn from #TheApprentice @bbcapprentice @Lord_Sugar https://t.co/kixhu5dz4e pic.twitter.com/H23CJPpR2u

— Danielle Curio (@DanielleCurio) November 12, 2015

Mr. Robot - eps1.9_zer0-daY.avi - Episode 10... The Finale - IT Nut Blog Review

Mr. Robot - Episode 10 - The Finale

Some Reddit threads during the early episodes of Mr. Robot had been speculating that Mr. Robot was just in Elliot's mind, and that the show has a bit of a 'Fight Club' vibe going on. In the early episodes, mainly the first three, the writers of the show were still on the ball, and Mr. Robot only showed up when Elliot did. That fell apart quite quickly later on (as covered in 'Who is Mr. Robot?') and I was not convinced.

The quality of the plot aside, we now know that Mr. Robot is Elliot's imaginary friend and that's that. Or is it? Maybe White Rose is in just in Elliot's mind. We (the viewers) are, so why not any of the other characters? Picking apart the plot won't change whatever random twist the writers choose to introduce in the future. I'll just have to deal with that when it comes, but I know that my secondary school teacher would not have been amused if I handed her an assignment with such glaring inconsistencies. Anyway, moving on!

Micheal - or Lenny - the guy who Krista had been dating, tugs on Krista's heartstrings with some nonsense story about him dying, and tricks her into a meeting him again. He was sore about being hacked by Elliot, but now that his wife has found out about his infidelity anyway (thank you Ashley Madison) and his family has fallen apart, Lenny figures he's got nothing to lose by going after Elliot and taking Krista with him. Talk about a sore loser! Rather than taking a good look in the mirror and sorting his life out, he needs someone to blame.

This whole hacking scenario is very convenient for Lenny, because he can now move the goal post from his lying and cheating ways, to Elliot's illegal activities. Lenny even tries to get Krista to break the professional trust that her clients expect from her. "I'm not the enemy here. He is." Really! What a creep! Thankfully Krista does not sink to Lenny's level, and she walks away.

"Who am I?" That is the question! Who are you, Elliot Alderson? Elliot wakes up in Tyrell's car, in some random car park, and he has now idea where he is, or how he got there. It appears that some days have passed, and he doesn't know about the global economic melt down, or anything else really.

When Elliot gets back to fsociety HQ, he finds that he'd been gone for three days, and that the coordinated hack with The Dark Army had been executed at some point during that time, but he has no recollection.

All debt (and financial data) has been destroyed and everybody's happy! Yay! There's no mention of what happened to people's savings, but hey, it's America and everyone is drowning in debt right? Anyway, credit cards are not working, so people have to spend what they actually have. What?! They want people to live within their means? That's the fsociety dream apparently.

"We are finally awake!" Hmm, yes, but what now? Old habits die hard. People will always want what they cannot afford. The loss of legitimate financial institutions has left a void and something has got to fill it. The revolution will open the way for a new regime. But will it be better? Loan sharks and the mafia will undoubtedly make their move. The Dark Army will swoop in.

https://twitter.com/PreviouslyTV/status/658675883725758464

Elliot is retracing his steps in search of Tyrell. He finds a pair of sunglasses in Tyrell's car and one of the arms is also a USB key. Hello Dr Who sonic sunglasses! Maybe Mr. Robot is Dr Who! The USB contains a video file that shows Elliot falling off the railings at the seaside. Mr. Robot is not there. Elliot wasn't pushed. He jumped.

Angela had asked Colby what the meeting was like, when he and the other Evil Corp executives had discussed the industrial accident that lead to the death of her mother. He just described it like it was any other day. And now we see Angela, in a shop, buying shoes, after James Plouffe (E Corp EVP of Technology) has just committed suicide, right in front of her. Like it was any other day. She has blood on her shoes! When confronted by the shop assistant, she shuts him down like a corporate pro. Well done Angela, you are now one of them.

In each of the previous episodes, no one bats an eyelid when Elliot interacts with Mr. Robot. It's only at the end of the last episode, by the graveside, that Darlene asks Elliot who he's talking too. But now, Elliot is in a coffee shop, supposedly talking to himself, and the other customers are all having a good look. They do a 'now you see him, now you don't' thing when they show Elliot pinning himself up against a wall, when he thinks he's having an altercation with Mr. Robot. It's weird. But Mr. Robot does make a good suggestion: "I recommend you get yourself one of those bluetooth headsets. That way people just think you're the local douche."

fsociety throw an open-house 'End of the World' party at their HQ so they can cover their tracks with loads of random finger prints. Only time will tell if that was a good idea.

In Elliot's final hallucination, he sees his whole family. His mum, his dad, his younger self; but where is Darlene? Why does he only hallucinate about her once in the entire series? And we never actually find out where Elliot's mum is.

In Elliot's final scene, he gets home and watches the news. Knock knock Elliot. Who's there? Maybe Tyrell? Only time will tell.

White Rose makes a second appearance at the very end of this episode and has a meeting with Philip Prince of Evil Corp. Prince says he knows who's responsible for the hack, which implies that he knows about Elliot. But does he know about the part played by The Dark Army? White Rose likens Prince's inaction thus far to emperor Nero watching his city burn. Who are the real winners and losers? I'm hoping we'll find out in the next series.