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How secure is working from home?

For nearly a year many of us have been embracing a new way of working. While staff are in the office it is generally accepted that the systems they are using are secure. However, what happens when your people work away from the office, on networks you have no control over, what are the risks, or it as safe as being in the office.

What are the risks?

• Working on insecure networks, such as shared Wi-Fi;
• Staff using machines without latest software update, or virus protection
• Home Wi-Fi lacking firewall

 How can these be mitigated?

• Encourage staff where possible to use private networks where they can, and ensure their Wi-Fi key is kept secure.
• Ensure software is up to date on their machines, most will prompt updates, don’t keep snoozing these, they often contain crucial updates in order to keep your device both secure and performing optimally

Below are the top considerations for safe home working:

1. Antivirus Software
2. Keep family members away from work devices
3. Invest in a sliding webcam cover, or even simple masking tape which can be peeled back easily when required.
4. Ensure your company VPN is as strong as it can be
5. Use a centralised storage solution
6. Secure your home wireless network with new strong passwords
7. Be aware of videoconferencing security risks
8. Make sure your passwords are strong and secure
9. Maximize security around online banking
10. Pay attention to email security

 

 

Here at Code iT, a company co-owned and run by a woman, we encourage more women to make the move into Tech and are ready to support them throughout their job searches. Many of our clients are continuously seeking to diversify their teams and allow the opportunity for new ideas to grow and develop.

The journey towards a more equal representation within tech has to start by inspiring young women to pursue their passions within STEM fields and to be true to themselves by never compromising on their beliefs or standing down against a challenge.

International Women’s Day should be an opportunity to drive forward and celebrate the success of women across all industries but we must continue to take pride in each other and ourselves by making every single day about furthering the cause of equality for all.

Just as all companies should, Code iT has always offered the same opportunities to female candidates and employees as their male counterparts and will continue to do so as we all drive towards a brighter future.

Kind regards

Amanda
Founder & Director at Code iT

Finding the best way to resign from a job can be challenging, especially if you are unhappy in your current workplace. Maybe you’ve dreamt of dropping a cake on your manager’s desk with your resignation letter inscribed on top, or telling your boss you are leaving while a marching band plays you out of the office.

Though it’s tempting to go out in a blaze of glory, taking a more measured approach to resigning from your current position will ensure you leave your reputation intact as you embark on your next venture. In fact, a 2015 study by the staffing firm OfficeTeam revealed that nearly 90 percent of the human resources managers surveyed said the way employees quit a job has an effect on their future career opportunities and professional reputation.

“Doing a great job when you start a new role is expected,” said Robert Hosking, former executive director of OfficeTeam, in a statement. “Doing a great job as you leave cements your reputation for professionalism.”

If you want to quit your job without burning bridges, consider following these tips.

Tell your boss first

Once you decide to resign, schedule a face-to-face meeting to inform your manager of your decision.

“This is the person who gave you a chance – give them the courtesy of knowing about your resignation first,” said Janet Lamwatthananon, recruiting coordinator at ZipRecruiter.

It may be tempting to tell a close colleague of your decision, but it’s imperative that you resist the temptation, said Heide Abelli, a senior vice president with the e-learning company Skillsoft.

“Accept the fact that your relationship with your boss will take on a different tone [after your announcement], but if your boss hears the news from others in the organization first, it will make the situation even more challenging for you,” said Abelli.

According to Abelli, you should work with your boss to determine how to communicate your departure to the rest of the staff.

“Until that plan is in place, you should not make others aware of your decision,” recommends Abelli.

Watch your words

Don’t use your departure as an opportunity to gloat or criticize. Strive to be positive and remain diplomatic when asked about your reasons for parting ways with your employer. Career coach and success strategist Carlota Zimmerman recommends leaving with dignity.

“When people ask you why you’re leaving, even if you want to scream to the heavens, ‘Because I hate you people!’, smile politely and tell them that it was a tough decision, but you’re ready for new challenges, and you were blessed with a wonderful new opportunity,” Zimmerman said.

Additionally, try not to alienate your colleagues by boasting or chattering incessantly about your awesome new gig.

“Bragging about your new job may lead to bruised egos,” said Lamwatthananon. “Just because you may be completely done with the company does not mean your co-workers are. Be respectful.”

Give enough notice to facilitate the transition

Though you may be thinking of greener pastures, the projects you started still need to be completed, so allow yourself enough time to tie up any loose ends.

“Leaving without proper notice can be one of the worst things you could do to your boss and colleagues,” said Lamwatthananon.

It’s standard practice to give at least two weeks’ notice, but if you have a more senior-level position, Abelli suggests staying on longer if your schedule can accommodate it.

“You need to give your organization time to transfer your responsibilities to others, train a replacement, and enable documents and files to be accessible to others,” she added. “Leaving without providing your organization with enough time to handle these basic requirements puts your former colleagues, boss and the organization as a whole in a challenging position.”

To this end, career coach Cheryl E. Palmer says it’s wise to leave detailed instructions for your daily tasks.

“One way to do this is to create a manual that outlines your job responsibilities, schedule, project statuses, committee work, and includes a list of any key passwords, especially those to programs for which you may have been the only one with access,” she said.

Be gracious

Many companies conduct an exit interview with departing employees to gather feedback on their experience with the organization. If you’re leaving due to management or other workplace issues, you may view this as an opportunity to air your grievances and vent some choice comments about the supervisors who made you miserable.

But Alexandra Levit, a business and workplace consultant, advised keeping your negativity to a minimum. If you’ve managed to keep your cool until this stage of the process, remind yourself that this is not the time to be petty or focus solely on personal hurts, she said.

“When it comes to exit interviews, the general rule is, if you don’t have anything nice to say, lie,” said Levit, author of “They Don’t Teach Corporate in College” (Career Press, 2014). “Stick to official business as much as possible, and if you must provide constructive criticism, proceed with tact and caution.”

That’s because it’s smart to stay on good terms with your current co-workers and bosses –necessity or opportunity could bring you back into each other’s lives.

“It’s a smaller world than you think, and you never know when you’re going to need these people again,” Levit said. “At the very least, you want to be able to count on one person at the company to serve as a reference for you in the future.”

“In many fields, people are very interconnected, so if you leave a position on bad terms, people in other organizations in your same field may hear about it,” added Palmer.

To preserve these connections, you should openly express gratitude for the experiences you’ve had, the skills and lessons you’ve learned, and the relationships you’ve formed.

“Even if you are struggling to find some positives to highlight, there is usually at least one thing that you liked about the job you are leaving,” said Abelli. “Focus on that and express your appreciation.”

This Article first appeared in Business News Daily
Article Source: https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7769-quit-job-right.html

Use power verbs to give added impact to the statements on your CV.

Drove the completion of projects

Targeted new clients

Identified new opportunities

Tip 3: Use keywords

Use keywords and phrases. Many organisations use automated screening of CVs (even for senior roles) so having the right keywords and phrases in your CV is vital. Scan advertisements for jobs in your field and pick out the words and phrases that come up again and again and make sure they are used in your CV. Remember that many recruiters also use keyword searches to find candidates for their jobs on the internet so it’s also very important to have a keyword-rich profile on platforms like LinkedIn.

Tip 4: Keep it short

Keep it short and sweet. I often see CVs of five or more pages (the record so far is 25 pages). Unfortunately recruiters simply don’t have time to read very lengthy CVs so try to get everything on to two pages or three pages at the most. If you have had a lot of jobs (perhaps as a contractor or consultant) then consider referring to your early career for all jobs from more than 10 years ago. Just put the dates, job title and the name of your employer but leave out the details.

For example:

EARLY CAREER

06/02 – 06/04 Sales Manager ABC Company

05/00 – 05/02 Assistant Sales Manager ABC Company

Tip 5: Keep it succinct

Don’t use 20 words when 10 will do. As well as using power verbs you can also use “CV Shorthand” to express your key points in a less “wordy” style.

For example:

Before
Facilitated the training and development of the management and staff of the business to ensure that the business grew and staff turnover was reduced.
After
Facilitated training and development to promote business growth and reduce staff turnover.

Tip 6: Keep your CV focused

Make sure your CV is focused on a specific role. A lot of people have multiple skills and experience and try to show all of these on their CVs, leaving recruiters uncertain what they do. If you are a project manager and a business analyst and you are interested in both types of roles then consider creating two versions of your CV with one focused on project management and the other on business analysis.

Tip 7: Consider changing your job title

Some companies use weird and wonderful job titles that make perfect sense internally but don’t mean much to the outside world. So if you are a “media fulfilment officer” when you actually manage your company’s website, consider changing the job title on your CV to “web manager” which accurately describes what you do and is a title that recruiters might actually search for. Equally if you are a “client relationship manager” when actually you manage sales then consider changing your CV job title to sales manager. Why? Well recruiters often search the internet and job boards for people by job title so if you have an unusual job title your CV may not be picked up in those searches.

Tip 8: Don’t send out the same old CV for every job

It’s a sad fact that most of the job hunters I speak to who claim to have applied for 50 jobs and had no response admit to having sent out the same CV for every job. This just doesn’t make sense. You mustcustomise your CV for every job application. Check the job advertisement (or even better, the more detailed job specification) and see what skills and experience are required. Pay particular attention to the “Essential Skills and Experience” and be sure to include reference to each one in your CV (and covering letter).

Tip 9: List your achievements

It’s important to list your career achievements on your CV. Employers don’t just want to see a job description on your CV, they want to see evidence of what you achieved and how it made a real difference to your employer. You can use the STAR model (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to help you structure your achievements and remember these achievements need to be relevant to the job you are applying for.

Tip 10: Check for spelling and grammar mistakes

Most employers agree that the single biggest reason for rejecting CVs is spelling and grammatical mistakes. Even senior level managers (who should know better) are guilty here. A CV that’s full of mistakes is almost certainly destined for the bin.

Conclusion

Spending some time improving your CV can dramatically increase your chances of getting short-listed for interviews. All you have to do is to use some of the tips described above. If you do, you should see an increase in positive responses from your job applications.

If you don’t have time to make all of the adjustments above, start by making sure that your CV is error free and that it is customised for the job you are applying for. Those two simple changes should increase your success rate.

Jeremy I’Anson is a professional careers coach and the author of You’re Hired! Total Job Search 2013 published by Trotman Publishing. For further details visit www.totaljobsearchonline.com

You can also follow Jeremy on Twitter @totaljobsearch

Article Source:

http://www.articlesbase.com/career-management-articles/what-factors-will-shape-information-technology-careers-in-the-next-5-years-3628010.html