visual economics presents a neat infographic about the state of the 40 hour work week. technology has increased work efficiency and decreased working hours around the world. here’s a look at the average number of hours people are working each week:
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based on a report by research company “fast future” and the u.k. department of business, innovation and skills – fast company casts a glimpse into the future job market. in behalf of fast company, fast future asked a network of futurists to imagine how advancements in science and technology will shape the job market in 2030. while their findings sound somewhat futuristic, fast future ended up with a wide array of “future jobs” – some of which might surprise you:
Does your visibility in social media influence your professional life?
People are debating on whether your online appearance does more harm or more good to you – regarding work life.
One side is arguing:
The stronger the social web gets integrated into our daily life the better it is for your career to actively participate in it. In some professions your visibility in social media is essential for getting hired. In others it is not requisite but still an asset. You can use social media for purposes of self portrayal. All in all appearance in social media is inevitably growing more important.
The other side saying:
Letting the online world participate in your daily life can’t be helpful for your career. If your future employer is able to find your last holiday pictures online it can only influence your professional life in a disadvantageous way. Even if you wouldn’t be sharing information which is all too private you are still leaving more and more digital footprints through social media. In the end this will leave you traceable and therefore transparent digital user.
Is there a way to strike the balance between those two opposing views?
What are your opinions on this matter?
fast company compiled a nice list of very interesting business books: “…the works offer fascinating tales of innovation, and you’ll learn everything from the secret underpinning some of the world’s fastest-growing companies to strategies and insights for building a more sustainable society in the wake of the recession.”
(image by fast company)
this is another interesting post on timesonline about the benefits of variable work schedules, in contrast to traditional work arrangements requiring employees to work a standard 9am to 5pm day.
are freelancers happier than permanent employees? this post suggets some good reasons why this might be true.
the wsj reports that although the overall economy is ailing, the freelance industry is growing steadily. in addition to work that is typically traded online, offerings interestingly now even include occupations ranging from radiology and nursing to auditing and teaching for example. this shows that not only the amount of work that is traded online is increasing, but also the complexity. the only draw-back to this expanding online-work-market seems to be the increasing competition that it brings to the industry. utilizing freelancers is lucrative for companies for a variety of reasons, such as cutting costs or improving customer service – just to name a few. according to recent market research, the number of full-time, home-based freelancers in the u.s. is expected to grow another 200000 workers to 11million by the end of 2009! although these are only small improvements for the economy as a whole, yet, the developments are great for the work 2.0 generation. analysts suggest an annual growth rate of at least 30% for the freelance industry. companies are increasingly feeling comfortable with allowing people to work from anywhere via the internet. as more and more firms are planning to recruit freelancers, the expansion of home-based freelance work is likely to continue. many are convinced that this is the new model of work… and so is projektwerk! 
link: the five-second commute
to avoid tons of applications and find the best candidates, some companies are turning to innovative and creative recruitment methods. not “speed dating” but “speed interviewing” is an interesting new development on the job market. read the full article on wsj.com.
image by paula kwan
this is a really interesting article about current working environment developments. the wall street journal reports that the u.s. labor department has identified a recent surge in temporary hires. according to the data, the demand for resources in the technology sector is especially high. particularly noteworthy is the “try before you buy” attitude that companies display, initially recruiting workers on a temporary or project basis in order to avoid paying health care and retirement while evaluating performance and cultural fit.
