On Job Success Returning to the Office

Returning to your physical office after getting comfortable with your home setup will undoubtedly have challenges. Here are five items recommended to ease your transition to in-person work again.

A HIGH-QUALITY BRIEFCASE OR TOTE BAG

Since you are probably lugging your electronics, notebooks, and essentials back and forth again, a sturdy and spacious bag is a necessity. Try a stylish tote bag or backpack with built-in shoulder padding if you bring your laptop home daily.

NOISE-CANCELLING HEADPHONES

If you didn't invest in a pair while working from home, now is the time to purchase a quality set of headphones. They will block out distractions and help you stay focused in a busy environment.

Portable Charger

At home, you might have a phone charger in every room, but not at work or during your commute. Find a portable charger that meets your battery needs to prevent your phone from running out of juice when you have a train delay after a long day.

Stress Ball Or Relaxation Tool

Sometimes, you must decompress after a stressful presentation, and those short walks around the block may no longer be an option. Find a relaxation tool or technique to help alleviate tension and anxiety in the office. Stress balls, tangle puzzles, and meditation apps are excellent places to start.

A Planner Or Scheduling App

You may be in more meetings and have more chats taking up time during the workday. To protect your time for priorities, find a planner or scheduling app that helps you stay organized with projects and deadlines. Consider if your organization already has systems you can use and if you want the program on your personal phone.

AKPsi’s LinkedIn audience was asked, “Are hard skills or soft skills more important for job success?”

After 714 responses, here’s what our audience had to say:

 47% Equally Important

 44% Soft Skills

 9% Hard Skills

Hard skills are (generally) teachable. Soft skills are harder to develop and can require some habit building.

—Jessica Roper, CPA, American ’05

Hard skills will give you the ability to know what needs to be said or done. Soft skills will give you the ability to identify the best way to do it. Knowing the solution to a problem is important but so is the ability to communicate it in a way that others will be receptive to.

—Nicholas Irmeger, AIC, Illinois State ‘20

Hard skills get you hired; soft skills get you promoted.

—Jacob Klingensmith, Geneseo ‘18