
9 Positive Things to Come Out of the Coronavirus: COVID-19’s Silver Linings
For when you can't read one more bad-news story.
I would never argue that the novel coronavirus is a good thing. COVID-19 has or will cause many deaths, a long-lasting global economic slowdown, and rampant general stress and anxiety.
But as many an inspirational Instagram post has already said: maybe this virus has a silver lining.
We're all finding new ways to connect with ourselves, with our families, and our loved ones.
We're realizing how important community is and doubling-down on investing in it.
We're deepening our appreciation for the people—the teachers, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, grocery store workers, garbage collectors, bus drivers, janitors, and more—who are the foundation of our society and keep us well in body and mind.
We're realizing that we can do things that seemed impossible and we can make sacrifices for the greater good. Maybe after learning how to come together to fight this virus, we'll carry that spirit to fights against racism, sexism, inequality, and climate change. We'll have to wait and see.
In the meantime, I'm gathering hope and fighting against anxiety with the following good-news stories and positive outcomes from living in a time of coronavirus. Will you join me?
1. The dogs of the world are very, very happy indeed. I'm loving the newly-minted @DogsWorkingFromHome Instagram account, sharing posed photos of our furry friends working alongside us (complete with reading glasses and noise-canceling headphones, natch). I get genuine joy from imagining how happy they must be to have their humans home all the time.
2. Our neighbors are low-key musical phenoms and we get free concerts. Is it just me, or is it surprising how many talented musicians are hiding out in apartment buildings? The videos from Europe of dozens of people out on their balconies listening to musicians and/or singing along tugs at every last one of my heartstrings. The one that truly broke me was this one, of a pianist in Barcelona playing "My Heart Will Go On" from his balcony as a neighbor saxophone player accompanies him and the whole neighborhood breaks into cheers. I'm telling you now, you shed tears.
3. Library story time is getting a celebrity makeover. How would you like to tap out of your kids' reading time this afternoon and have Jennifer Garner swap in for you instead? The best of the American sweethearts—I'm taking Garner and Amy Adams, mainly—led the #OperationStorytime charge, with famous voices like Josh Gad and children's authors joining in. Literature truly does bring us all together.
4. Virtual birdwatching is officially a thing. Last weekend, a tweet from professional birder (who knew those existed!) Nick Lund asked people to send in photos of the birds in their backyards. Hundreds of people complied, sending in everything from bluebirds to bald eagles to your common duck. Long live nature and our appreciation of it.
5. We might be discovering the next Broadway stars from the comfort of our homes. Empathetic to student performers who rehearsed for months for shows that are now canceled, Broadway legend Laura Benanti invited performers to share their talents with the #SunshineSongs tag. Billboard has gathered some of the best here, if you're ready to break out into spontaneous applause in your apartment.
6. Generosity and community-mindedness is spiking. From soccer's Premier League club Chelsea offering British National Health Service workers free accommodations in their Millennium Hotel, to LVMH using its perfume factories to produce hand sanitizer and deliver it for free around France, to cable companies offering free wifi for homebound students, companies are stepping up and lending a hand to those in need. Individuals are showing what generosity in action looks like, offering to shop for older neighbors, performing wellness checks on loved ones, dropping off care packages and casseroles, and looking out for each other.
7. Pollution is down. Venice's canals are clearer than they've been in decades, two months of pollution reduction in China has probably saved over 77,000 lives, and New York researchers found a 50% drop in carbon monoxide levels. Once we've saved ourselves from the virus, let's keep on saving the planet from ourselves, please? We're clearly able to do it.
8. We're leveraging technology to let us keep creating and connecting. A New York Times journalist mentioned some of the invitations piling up in his inbox: "Zoom art classes, Skype book clubs, Periscope jam sessions." We've got people picking up video game consoles again, taking live-streamed yoga classes, joining virtual dinner parties, and teaching their grandparents how to use FaceTime. From that NYT article: "It may be that the virus is forcing us to use the internet as it was always meant to be used — to connect with one another, share information and resources, and come up with collective solutions to urgent problems." I'm into it. See you on Zoom?
9. Hobbies, baby, hobbies. I started learning French yesterday. My friend stuck in her London apartment is planting an herb garden. A friend in San Francisco is perfecting her bagel-making. A coworker has started crocheting her own household goods: washcloths and pads to remove makeup. The life-altering reality of waiting out a global pandemic has included lots of free time and mental energy that's best dedicated to something (anything!) other than constant worry. I am not telling you that you need to be productive or active or constantly learning in this time of crisis, but I am telling you that if you find yourself curious to try something new, go right ahead and do it. The stakes have never been lower. Some hobbies to start out with: reading (write me if you'd like a book recommendation!), yoga or workout classes (try this roundup of studios offering free online classes), baking (Bon Appetit's collection of core baking recipes will give you beautiful finished products that aren't too hard to make), or knitting/sewing/crocheting (making something with your own two hands, no matter how lopsided it turns out, is such a high—you could start off with this crochet granny square tutorial and turn a bunch of them into a scarf or a blanket).
What have I missed? What is keeping you happy, healthy, and sane during these trying times? Leave suggestions in the comments!
What Are You Passionate About? Answer Interview Questions Effectively And Succeed!
💎 “What are you passionate about?” In an interview, you may have to answer this and other personal questions. Watch the video to the end to succeed in your job interview at Ribbon.
📼If asked “what are you passionate about?” in an interview you need to show how your passion can make you a good candidate for a job position. Ryan Key, Talent Partner at Ribbon, shares some tips and tricks for you to stand out!
📼Answering what are you passionate about in an interview is not the only thing you need to know how to do to succeed. You should try to make sure that you express your experience in a way that shows your interest in Ribbon’s mission. Also, prove that you did your research and demonstrate to the recruiter that you understand exactly how your role affects Ribbon’s purposes. Don’t forget to share some ideas on how you intend to fulfill the company’s mission!
📼 You are asked what are you passionate about in an interview, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t ask as well. You should feel empowered to ask any question you want during your interview process. It may be helpful to save certain questions for certain people. If you're in an interview with your potential manager, you should take that time to ask about their assessment metrics for the role and their management style. If you're speaking with a potential peer, this would be a great time to ask about their experience during training and to learn a little more about the team and culture.
What Are You Passionate About? Show In Your Interview That You Are Aligned With Ribbon's Values
The mission at Ribbon is to make homeownership achievable for everyone, especially communities traditionally left out of the homeownership story. One way Ribbon addresses diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace is through its support of employee resource groups. Remember to show that your passion is aligned with these core values!
🧑💼 Are you interested in joining Ribbon? They have open positions! To learn more, click here.
Get to Know Ryan Key
If you are interested in a career at Ribbon, you can connect with Ryan Key on LinkedIn. Don’t forget to mention this video!
More About Ribbon
Ribbon is a first-of-its-kind real estate technology company transforming the real estate transaction by delivering certainty, transparency, and joy to the home buying process. Consumers and realtors deserve a better experience, and they have designed an open platform that welcomes everyone in the ecosystem to participate.
Careers in Web Development: Which One's For You?
We all have our favorite websites– the ones we frequent, bookmark, and recommend to others. You might even enjoy some website features so much that you’ve found yourself wondering why they aren’t more popular. Or maybe you’ve experienced times where you were frustrated with a website and wished you could add features or even design your own!
If you’ve ever found yourself intrigued at the prospect of designing and developing your own websites, then a career as a web developer might be just for you!
As a web developer you would be responsible for coding, designing, optimizing, and maintaining websites. Today, there are over 1.7 billion websites in the world and, in turn, the demand for web developers is on the rise. In order to figure out what kind of web development work best suits you let’s start with an introduction to the three main roles in web development that you can choose from.
The Three Types of Web Development Jobs
Front-End Web Development: The Creative Side
Think of front-end development as the décor of a house. The color scheme, furniture, manicured lawns, and overall aesthetic. In terms of a website, front-end development is laser-focused on the appearance of a website and its presentation on different devices. If you’re considering a role in front-end development, it’s important to learn programming languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These three languages go hand-in-hand. HTML allows you to create user interface elements, CSS helps you with stylistic elements, and JavaScript allows you to incorporate online tools and connect your website to back-end functions.
In addition to programming skills, front-end developers need to be detail oriented, creative, willing to keep up with the latest trends in web development, cyber security conscious, and geared toward user-friendly designs. The median salary for a front-end developer can reach well into the $90,000 to $100,000 range.
Back-End Web Development: The Logical Counterpart
While a house can be beautifully decorated, it’s incomplete without a solid foundation and efficient infrastructure. Similarly, a well-designed website depends on logical and functional code to power the features of that website. Back-end web development is code-heavy and focused on the specifics of how a website works. If you enjoy the analytical challenge of creating the behind-the-scenes code that powers a website, then back-end development is for you.
Since this role is more code-heavy, it’s important that you learn numerous programming languages and understand algorithms and data structures. Some languages that are essential to back-end development are Ruby, Python, SQL, and JavaScript. Back-end developers also ensure that users can successfully retrieve and access data. This requires creating and using APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) which act as messengers that relay data related requests. Additionally, developing the code for the inner workings of a website also requires back-end developers to be conscious of the user interface features designed by front-end developers and to internally mitigate potential security risks. Due to the increased technical aspect of this position, back-end developers normally earn higher salaries than front-end developers. The average median salary for this role is around $118,000 per year.
Full-Stack Web Development: A Little Bit of Everything
A full-stack developer is essentially the Jack (or Jill)-of-all-trades in web development. Full-stack developers need to be knowledgeable about both front-end and back-end roles. This does not necessarily imply that you would need to be an expert in both roles, but you should fully understand the different applications and synergies they each imply. In order to work in this position, you will need to know the programming languages used by front-end and back-end developers. In addition to these languages, full-stack developers also specialize in databases, storage, HTTP, REST, and web architecture.
Full-stack developers are often required to act as liaisons between front-end and back-end developers. Full-stack developers need to be both problem solvers and great communicators. The end goal for a full-stack developer is to ensure that the user’s experience is seamless, both on the front-end and on the back-end. In return, you can expect to earn a median salary of $100,000 – $115,000 a year for this role.
Taking the Next Step
Web development is both in-demand and lucrative! All three roles described above contribute to specific aspects of web development and the scope of each one can be customized to the industries and positions you feel best suit you. Regardless of which role you choose, all of them need a foundation in programming.
To gain the programming skills needed in each role, you can enroll in courses or learn independently. Coding bootcamps are a great way to boost your skillset quickly and efficiently.
Click here for some of our highly rated programming bootcamp options! Make sure to check out the discounts available to PowerToFly members.
Want To Build Partnerships In Remote Environments? Follow These Tips!
💎 Partnerships in remote environments is one of the most important aspects to construct in a company. Watch the video to the end to get good tips on how to do it successfully.
📼Wondering how to create partnerships in remote environments? Play this video to get three top tips that will help you to achieve it. You'll hear from Olga Shvets, HR Business Partner, and Viktoriia Litvinchuk, People Team Operations at Unstoppable Domains, who will explain the essentials of this process.
📼How to build partnerships in remote environments? Tip #1: Communicate Effectively. Communication is the key to enabling your remote team to be successful. Choose the channel that works best. For this, chat with your employees and see what they use to communicate, that's how you find the best solution. Also, make sure your team is on board with your internal tools and they know what, how, and where they need to use them.
📼A requisite for building partnerships in remote environments is Tip #2: Show appreciation. Appreciation is shown through your actions. Let your employees know that you value everything they do for the company. Create a special gratitude channel where everyone can share their appreciation for their colleagues for some contribution. Celebrate some wins, promotions, and everything that is important for the company. If you appreciate the employees, employees do the same for the company.
Create Partnerships In Remote Environments Using Trust - Tip #3: Give Honest Feedback
Use engagement surveys! They are a quick and effective way to receive honest feedback from your team and you can see what's working well and what needs to be improved. Your main priority is to create spaces where managers and employees can share honest, relevant feedback.
📨 Are you interested in joining Unstoppable Domains? They have open positions! To learn more, click here.
Get to Know Olga Shvets
If you are interested in a career at Unstoppable Domains, you can connect with Olga on LinkedIn. Don’t forget to mention this video!
More About Unstoppable Domains
Unstoppable Domains is bringing user-controlled identity to 3 billion+ internet users by issuing domain names on the blockchain. These domains allow users to replace cryptocurrency addresses with human-readable names, host decentralized websites, and much more.
By selling these domains direct to consumers for a one-time fee, the company is making a product that will change cryptocurrency and shape the future of the decentralized web by providing users control over their identity and data.
Want to join the engineering teams at Workiva? Learn more about them!
💎Want to know what engineering teams are like at Workiva? Watch the video to the end to find out!
📼 Engineering teams at Workiva are constantly hiring. Marie Yue, Senior Engineering Manager at the company, tells you what they look for in a candidate and what the dynamics of teamwork are like.
📼 The typical path in the engineering teams at Workiva is that you grow into a senior, and then you move into a lead role. From there, there are a few different tracks that you can take depending on your interest. You can become a staff engineer, an architect, or even an engineering manager. What are you waiting for to apply?
📼In the engineering teams at Workiva every member should feel empowered to do their job effectively. For this, each has to understand how the work they do day to day solves customers’ problems. Managers will always seek to be aware of members’ career path aspirations so that they can look for opportunities and projects to help each person reach the next step in their career.
Engineering Teams At Workiva: A Safe Space
Marie Yue’s team is a safe space for people to make mistakes and ask for help, and each member feels a sense of belonging and inclusion. She wants to make sure that everyone is individually empowered to lead and make decisions. For this, the team has regular meetings where they do fun things like play virtual games or eat lunch together, and they also like to re-review and add to their team working agreement once a quarter.
🧑💼 Are you interested in joining Workiva? They have open positions! To learn more, click here.
Get to Know Marie Yue
If you are interested in a career at Workiva, you can connect with Marie Yue on LinkedIn. Don’t forget to mention this video!
More About Workiva
Workiva was founded to transform the way people manage and report business data with various collaborators, data sources, documents, and spreadsheets. Today, people all over the world use their platform to seamlessly orchestrate data among their systems and applications for transparent and trusted connected reporting and compliance. At Workiva, they are innovative in everything they do—from how they build their software, to how they serve their customers, to how they treat their employees.