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It's midweek and I want it to be the weekend again but I'm going to make the most of it and have made a list of ten ways to have a good day, try them out:
I recently attended a conference where there was a load of leading Academics and Architects, all Indian of course, and little foreign me. In these rather daunting situations it is easy to do one of two things; blend into the background hoping no one spots you, or leave. Luckily I did neither, I sat down and listened into each speakers points hoping to pick up on an interesting topic for when I would have to confront my fears and actually speak to these people.
I find networking odd; it’s unnatural so slightly forced. You have to be brave, confident, friendly and able to act a little! If networking comes naturally to you then that’s great. Usually, I have no problems speaking to people, however, sometimes I get a little shy so I tell myself that most people are just ‘normal’ and feel the same way you do. It’s a little forced and uncomfortable at first but as soon as you get past the initial “hello I’m Sonia and I’m...” it is actually painless and you don’t really know what you were worrying about.
Here in India, and a lot of Asia, when you meet someone you introduce yourself, shake hands and then hand over your ‘visiting card’ (business card to the rest of us) using both hands making sure you note their name, company and position before storing it in a respectable place, oh and accepting theirs with your right hand at the same time. This caused many moments of confusion whilst living in Japan. The initial meeting, bowing or shaking of hands went well, cards exchanged and then, ahhh, their name (there is never enough time to smoothly read it, pronounce it in your head and then say it accurately without ‘showing face’). However, if they aren’t too snooty then this becomes the icebreaker in your opening line, and before you know it, you are successful business connections.
I know how important networking is, wherever you are, and I encourage my students. Those who network well carefully and slowly work their way around a room, I admit I have watched them at work. These are the kind of people who can put names to faces, a particular skill I am jealous of. I am not the world’s best networker but I am improving. People tell me I have a friendly face so I smile a lot, this helps.
As for the actual exchange of details, how is this best done? Many people in the West feel that business cards are dying out as modern technology takes over from the drawer filled with little cards. People either have their client/suppliers/etc contacts in their PDA or on places like LinkedIn; a web-based networking site. However, here in the East, you are virtually no one without a visiting card.
My students are starting to show the strain of the end of term, and so I thought I would write a little post on health and looking after number one, ourselves. We are often too busy to think about looking after ourselves but there are simple things we can do to improve this.
Get yourself a nice cup and sip it all day long
Eat fruit or yoghurt, or some warm winter porridge
A fruit salad for breakfast - steamed veg for lunch and a snack of nuts and seeds throughout the day
Make the bed a warm and cosy place with clean bedding, a relaxing candle, and lavender pillow spray, and switch your phone off
Breathe, think but not too much!!
Even just a brisk walk, go for a swim, jog
Smile more, it’s a good start.
...positive thinking a year on from becoming a victim of the dreaded Credit Crunch. I was made redundant on the final day of my Professional Exams. Luckily I still passed and am now a Chartered Architect. A Chartered Architect working as a Design Lecturer in India, ironic isn’t it. Don’t get me wrong, I do love my job but after working so hard for almost ten years, coming so close, bitterness is one of many emotions I have felt in the past year.
In a world where it felt like everyone around me was losing their job, I was panicking with them. I was slowly going insane Signing On, some days I didn’t want to go outside in case it cost me money. Many of my colleagues were beating off the competition for minimum wage jobs. Some had started their own business and had some projects but were struggling. Others decided to re-train but I had only just achieved my main career goal and wanted to find a way of using it. I was getting down and had to figure out a survival plan.
I managed to get a temporary contract at an Architect Practise and loved being back in the design world. It was inspiring and picked me up instantly. I started painting and drawing and in a couple of weeks, I had quite a collection of work. I knew being an Artist would never make me much money but it was worth a try and so LAYOUTLINES was started. I decided to have a small exhibition of work and to my surprise, I sold almost all of the work! This was a huge confidence boost but simply wouldn’t work long term. The job hunt was back on...
I would never have guessed it but my survival came in the form of India...noisy, smelly, dusty, cow-ridden, colourful, spicy, so many things but it gave me hope. A whirlwind few weeks saw me being offered a job, getting a visa, renting my flat out, and jetting off. I had a new job, a new career direction, and a new challenge. I was to help set up a new campus for an International University where I would establish and head up the Interior Architecture Faculty.
I came here almost eight months ago and love it, most of the time! Accepting this survival has been trying but I have thrown myself into my new life; setting up the campus, working with the local and international staff, sourcing, outsourcing, and passing on my knowledge to eager Indian Designers of the future.
The Credit Crunch will end at some point but for now, I am making the most of a bad situation. I now live in India where I pass Slums in my Auto Rickshaw on the way into town and meet beggars at every junction living alongside pigs and cows. They don’t have much but they are content. There is always someone who is worse off, wherever you are in the world but you have to find the positive in it.
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Architect & former University Lecturer turned Entrepreneur. I help female Entrepreneurs successfully Design & Build their Creative Businesses in Interior Design, Architecture & Urban Sketching.
I Help Female Entrepreneurs Design & Build Their Creative Businesses In Interior Design, Architecture & Urban Sketching.
Architect & former University Lecturer turned Entrepreneur. I help Students and Entrepreneurs successfully Design & Build their Creative Businesses in Interior Design, Architecture & Urban Sketching.
