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Source: www.responsewebrecruitment.co.uk/

Ever seen the CV where Philippe Dubost created what looked like an Amazon listing?

So clever – and this kind of creativity and ingenuity will almost certainly guarantee a long and prolific career. It certainly helped Monsieur Dubost. Since posting it on his website it has been liked by tens of thousands of people and he has received hundreds of job offers from Asia, Europe and around the world.

There seems to be a proliferation of this type of CV as people try to think of new and innovative ways to get themselves noticed ahead of the pack.

While there will probably always be a place for the traditional CV, cleverly conceived, well written and humorous job applications may just land you that dream job.

Of course that is just one end of the scale. On the other end are CVs written by the semi-literate, poorly educated and downright dim-witted.

McDonald’s CV

The following job application for a position at McDonald’s turned out to be an urban legend. It was actually created by a guy called Greg Bulmash on his humour website back in April 1997.

Had it been a real application, do you think he might have got the job?

CV Spelling Errors & Typos

• ACHEIVEMENTS: “Instrumental in ruining entire operation for a Midwest chain store.”
• KEY SKILLS: “I would like to assure you that I am a hardly working person.”
• HOBBIES: “enjoy cooking Chinese and Italians”
• JOB HISTORY: “Career break in 1999 to renovate my horse”
• SKILLS: “Fantastic ability in multi-tasting.”
• SKILLS: “Speak English and Spinach.”
• HOBBIES: “My interests include cooking dogs and interesting people”
• KEY ACHIEVEMENTS: “Received a plague for Salesperson of the Year.”
• KEY SKILLS: “Quick lerner, good at mats amd speling”
• KEY SKILLS: “I am very used to working with thigh schedules.”
• COVERING LETTER: “looking for a party-time position.”
• WORK EXPERIENCE: “Dealing with customers’ conflicts that arouse.”
• WORK EXPERIENCE: “Responsibilities included recruiting, interviewing and executing final candidates.”
• COVER LETTER: “Dear Sir/Modem.”
• KEY SKILLS: “My qulifications include close atention to detail.”
• WORK EXPERIENCE: “Worked in a office where I carried out my own accountant.”
• COVER LETTER: “Sorry for any incontinence.”
• DESIRED POSITION: “Profreader.”
• KEY SKILLS: “Grate communication skills.”
• COVER SKILLS – “Thank you for your consideration. Hope to hear from you shorty!”

Extracts From CVs

• Wholly responsible for two (2) failed financial institutions.
• It’s best for employers that I not work with people.
• Let’s meet , so you can ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ over my experience.
• I was working for my mom until she decided to move.
• I have an excellent track record, although I am not a horse.
• I have become completely paranoid, trusting completely no one and absolutely nothing.
• My goal is to be a meterologist. But since I possess no training in meteorology, I suppose I should try stock brokerage.
• I procrastinate, especially when the task is unpleasant.
• PERSONAL INTERESTS: “donating blood. 12 litres so far.”
• REASON FOR LEAVING LAST JOB: “They insisted that all employees get to work by 8:45 am every morning. I couldn’t work under those conditions.”
• REFERENCES: “none. I’ve left a path of destruction behind me.”
• ACHIEVEMENTS: “I came first in the school long distance race”
• HOBBIES: “Horse rideing,like going pub when havent got my kids.looking after kids and doing stuff with them when they anit at school.”
• EMAIL ADDRESS: Lazysod@……
• ACHIEVEMENTS: “Being sober”
• REASON FOR LEAVING: “It was hard work”
• PERSONAL PROFILE: “I be no stranger to double-entry. I loves numbers, and my wife and I loves journals and ledgers! Can also do tricky sums when I puts my mind to it. Computor litrate.”
• PERSONAL PROFILE: “I do have convictions (drug offences) which are spent some 30 years ago for when I was 16-18 and have a caution for 4 years ago for criminal damage”
• HOBBIES: “Space Travel”
• EMPLOYMENT HISTORY: “Whilst working in this role, I had intercourse with a variety of people”
• SIZE OF EMPLOYER: “Very tall, probably over 6’5″.”
• SKILLS: “I have technical skills that will simply take your breath away.”
• MARITAL STATUS: “Celibate”
• EMAIL ADDRESS: hotsexyluv@…….
• KEYS SKILLS: “keeping family home clean, tidy and hygienaic undertaking basic DIY.operating domestic taskslike cleaning,washing,cooking.dealing with emerengencies smoothly.dealing with health issues,superivsing,supporting,guiding and organising children.”
• SKILLS: “I can type without looking at thekeyboard.”
• JOB HISTORY: “Left last four jobs only because the managers were completely unreasonable”
• SKILLS: “I am a rabid typist”
• COVERING LETTER: “I am extremely loyal to my current employer….Feel free to ring my office if you are interested in my CV”
• HOBBIES: “donating blood – 12 litres so far.”
• WORK EXPERIENCE:“ I’m working today in a furniture factory as a drawer”
• KEY SKILLS: “I have extensive experience with foreign accents.”
• COVER LETTER: “Please disregard the attached CV; it’s totally outdated”
• REASON FOR LEAVING: “After receiving advice from several different angels, I have decided to pursue a new line of work.”
• WORK EXPERIENCE: “Night stalker in Tesco”
• HOBBIES: “painting my toenails in varying colours”
• KEY SKILLS: “I am relatively intelligent, obedient and loyal as a puppy.”
• COVER LETTER: “I have guts, drive, ambition and heart, which is probably more than a lot of the drones that you have working for you.”
• AWARDS: “National record for eating 23 pancakes in 2 minutes”
• KEY SKILLS: “Good people skills, except when people get on my nerves. Which is hardly ever, no more often than once every ten minutes. ”
• REFERENCES: “Clare”
• KEY SKILLS: “I am quick at typing, about 30 word pers minute, 45 with strong coffee.”
• NUMBER OF DEPENDENTS: “40″
• REASON FOR LEAVING: “Company insisted that all employees get to work by 8:45 every morning. Couldn’t work under those conditions.”
• WORK EXPERIENCE: “Dispensed medication and passed out.”
• JOB TITLE: “Ass. Manager.”
• KEY SKILLS: “Being bilingual in 3 languages.”
• KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: “Keeping a watchful eye on my female colleagues”
• GAP IN CV: “Any interruption in employment is due to being unemployed.”
• COVER LETTER: “Please don’t misconstrue my 14 jobs as ‘job-hopping’. I have never quit a job.”
• KEY SKILLS: “I supervise employees with the iron fist!”
• KEY SKILLS: “Excellent memory; strong math aptitude; excellent memory.”
• PERSONAL PROFILE: “I wasn’t born – my mother simply chose ‘eject child’ from the special menu.”
• REASON FOR LEAVING: “Responsibility makes me nervous”
• WORK EXPERIENCE: “Whilst working in the hairdressers I had to deal with a lot of old biddies”
• SKILLS – “I have a lot of integrity so I promise not to steal office supplies and take them home.”
• EDUCATION: “Have repeated courses repeatedly.”
• COVER LETTER: “Why should you employ me? I bring doughnuts on Friday.”

If you know of any other funny CV extracts that have not been included in this post, please add them in the Comments box below.

I guess it makes compulsive reading for women to discover they have a physiological, psychological or competitive advantage over their male counterparts.

And the reverse is true from a male perspective.

Scientific ‘revelations’ demonstrating gender difference have the power to raise or lower self-esteem, depending on your perspective.

For some, it may even help create a psychological barrier to combat provocative sexism.

Men Can’t Multitask

You’ve heard it said many times before, men can’t multi-task, women can’t read maps, it’s a boy thing, it’s a girl thing etc. etc.

Clearly huge generalisations.

As humans we do tend to generalise our experiences anyway.

For instance, if you have had bad experiences with former partners in the past, you are likely to generalise and assume that you will always have problems with partners in the future.

This may lead you to think that all men or women are bad. An unfair assessment of course but an understandable one based on the experiences of the individual.

Women Can’t Multitask

The truth is no human, male or female can truly multitask. The brain simply cannot process two high level tasks at the same time.

The term ‘multitasking’ actually originated from the computer industry and was a way of describing how a microprocessor used fast switching to apparently process more than one task at the same time.

In reality, these single core computers were not able to process tasks simultaneously. Instead they would rotate multiple jobs at high speed. This is similar to how human brains process tasks.

Goal Shifting & Rule Activation

Most of us are able to shift focus very rapidly from one task to another.

There are 2 stages to this process.

1. Goal Shifting – This happens when you switch your focus from one task to another
2. Rule Activation – This is how your brain completes tasks. It essentially turns the rules off for the old task, and activates rules for the new one

So when people appear to be good at multi-tasking, what they are actually doing is switching very rapidly from one task to another.

Switching can occur in a fraction of a second, but each time you switch, you may be building up a backlog of goal shifting and rule activation. This can cause delays and contributes towards loss of focus. It also explains why we struggle to cope when we have more than one task to do at a time.

In fact, ‘multitasking’ as most people understand it results in tasks taking longer and an increase in human error. According to the Harvard Business Review, attempting to multitask can result in a 40% drop in productivity and a 10-point drop in IQ.

So think very carefully before boasting about your multitasking abilities!

In reality, some men can perform multiple tasks well and so can some women. The differences in ability actually lie within the same gender. In other words some men are better than other men, and some women are better than other women.

Flying helicopters while talking to the control tower, driving fast cars and singing while playing an instrument are all examples of being able to apparently perform simultaneous and relatively complex tasks. And clearly both men and women are able to do these things.

Can We Learn To Multitask?

There is some scientific evidence that the human brain can be trained to improve it’s ability to perform more than one task at the same time.

In a study carried out by Vanderbilt University, seven people were given 2 simple tasks to perform.

All of the individuals struggled at first, but over time and with special training, their ability improved.

Most of us can perform simple simultaneous tasks such as ironing and listening to music. However, driving while talking on a mobile phone requires using the same cognitive functions and therefore performance becomes inhibited. Needless to say, this can be dangerous – for some more so than others.

Younger people in their early twenties tend to be the best at multitasking, but performance declines beyond about thirty.

Scientists have been experimenting with video games for older people and have had some success in improving multitasking ability as a result.

So the key is to keep in mind that multitasking may make you less productive but is perhaps a useful skill to retain. As you get older it’s important to keep your brain active and to find pursuits that will help maintain your high speed goal shifting and rule activation ability.

Are Women Better Than Men At Multitasking?

Please feel free to leave your thoughts using the Comments field below.

]]> http://www.btoffice.co.uk/blog/multitasking-myth-or-reality/feed/ 0 http://www.btoffice.co.uk/blog/multitasking-myth-or-reality/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BtOfficeFurnitureGroup/~3/t9BaDPuN83M/ http://www.btoffice.co.uk/blog/outdoor-furniture/#comments Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:30:52 +0000 Richard Blandford http://www.btoffice.co.uk/blog/?p=7472 Read More]]> BT Office Furniture Add PROTOCOL Ranges

Introducing our new outdoor furniture section

“stunning feature furniture suitable for all office environments”

Leading UK supplier BT Office Furniture & Interiors are thrilled to announce the incorporation of a new section on our website dedicated to furniture suitable for interior and exterior use.

PROTOCOL

Protocol is a UK based company who supply commercial, contract and leisure furniture manufactured throughout the UK and Europe.

Their ranges have been used on cruise liners, restaurants, hotels, bars, bistros, hospitals and airports to name but a few.

The products are manufactured to the highest specifications and quality and the designs are exceptionally modern and contemporary.

If you want to make sure your feature furniture stands out, look no further than Protocol.

BT OFFICE OUTDOOR FURNITURE

A recent addition to our website is the new Outdoor Furniture section which includes many Protocol products which are suitable for both interior and exterior use.

Equally at home inside a café bistro or reception breakout area, the stools, chairs and bar counters will ensure your office or leisure facility stands out from the crowd.

PRODUCTS

The outdoor ranges include stools, bar stools, chairs, armchairs, stacking chairs, sofas, tub chairs, tables and bar counters.

In general they are made from polyethylene or polyurethane. Stainless steel epc frames are used for some of the products to ensure durability and weatherproofing.

Below are examples of some of our products:

Apple P0009 Low Stool

This modular stool system will add a splash of colour and style to any reception area or outdoor seating arrangement.

They can be grouped together to form clusters.

Made from polyethylene they are available in green, orange, light grey and dark grey finishes.

Serif 860 Bar Stools

The cutout below the seat allows you to comfortably sit while resting your feet on the lower section.

Made from rotationally moulded polyethylene, these bar stools have a seamless design and are available in red, white, dark grey and light grey colours.

Sunray Chair

This chair looks fabulous indoors or outside.

For exterior use a stainless steel sled frame is available or alternatively you can choose a chrome frame for interior use.

An optional upholstered seat cushion can be specified and matching bar stools can be added for larger seating arrangements.

Sunrise Armchair

The Sunrise is made from polyethylene using a rotational moulding process to create a hollow, seam free chair available in orange, white, red and apple green.

Optional colours are available on orders over 20 – frost white, anthracite, dark brown and sand.

Again, this chair can be used inside or outdoors.

Claire Stacking Chair

This chair has a steel frame in white epc which is suitable for exterior use.

Alternatively a chrome finish is available if you prefer (chrome frame suitable for indoor use only).

The Claire stacking chair has a Technopolymer shell with a striped pattern design. Available colours – blue, yellow, turtle dove, violet, brown & green.

Plus 636 Outdoor Sofa

Made from polyethylene, the Plus 636 outdoor 2-seater sofa is available in white, red, black, and grey.

An optional external seat cushion can be specified for extra comfort.

Dimensions are width 1400mm x depth 740mm x height 750mm.

Syt 200 Outdoor Tub Chairs

Available in anthracite, ice white and orange these tub chairs are made from polyethylene and suitable for exterior use.

Comfortable and stylish, they will brighten up any area and can be easily cleaned.

Also perfect for reception or waiting areas.

Bisou Table

Beautifully crafted and ultra-modern design table in a sleek and pure white colour.

Matching armchair available made from polypropylene and suitable for outdoor use.

The chair has a 4-leg aluminium base and comes in a choice of colours – blue, yellow, red, green, black, white, ivory, orange, Bordeaux and grey.

Tetris Drinks Bar

Multi-functional modular bar system made from white polyethylene and suitable for outdoor use.

Bar units can be linked together to create any length of bar.

Optional lighting kit and colour change LED lighting kit available.

You will find our new outdoor furniture range here:

http://www.btoffice.co.uk/cafe-bistro-furniture/outdoor-furniture/

About BT Office Furniture & Interiors

BT Office Furniture are a national, privately owned company established in 1994. Our employees have over 50 years combined industry experience and we pride ourselves on service. The office furniture products available on our website include classic, executive and contemporary ranges.

We work hard to build relationships with our manufacturers and suppliers so that we can deliver superb value without compromising quality. Our own team of specialist installers are professionally trained and we operate our own fleet of vehicles. This means that your furniture will not be exposed to 3rd party courier companies and is therefore less likely to be affected by damage.

Our prices include delivery, assembly and installation to most UK areas.

(please note a manufacturer’s delivery & installation charge may apply to the Protocol ranges)

For orders, queries or general enquiries, please call FREEPHONE 0800 298 7033 or visit http://www.btoffice.co.uk

Ever had the feeling that you’re a failure? That you’ve achieved nothing yet in your life?

Take heart from the following famous people, all of whom overcame adversity of one form or another to become successful and secure their place in human history.

There is no such thing as failure, only a series a steps towards success.

1. Sir Winston Churchill

The young Winston had an unhappy childhood. He was overweight, stuttered and spoke with a lisp.

He also did poorly at school and failed the entrance exam to the Royal Military College – twice!

Sir Winston was defeated in every public office role he ever ran for and yet at the tender age of 62, became Prime Minister of Great Britain.

He went on to lead Britain and it’s allies to victory during the Second World War.

Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts. 

2. Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison always had a very inquiring mind, but his school days were problematic and brief.

His teacher described his mind as ‘addled’ and had he been alive today, Edison would probably have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

If ever there was a reason not to be too hasty in prescribing Ritalin, Edison provides a perfect example. Ritalin subdues the effects of ADHD and had he taken it, he may never have conceived his inventions.

His mother pulled him out of school after just 12 weeks and taught him from home.

Among his many inventions was the electric light bulb, which took him 10,000 attempts to perfect.

When a journalist asked him what it felt like to fail 10,000 times, he replied as follows:

I didn’t fail 10,000 times. I found 10,000 ways how not to create a lightbulb 

3. Elvis Presley

Everyone’s heard of Elvis right? One of the most influential musical performers of all time.

In 1954, Jimmy Denny who was the general manager of the world famous Grand Ole Opry fired the young Elvis after just one performance.

This didn’t stop Elvis from going on to world domination –  he never gave up.

Denny told Presley:

You ain’t goin’ nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivin’ a truck. 

4. Albert Einstein

Incredibly, the young Einstein did not speak until he was four years old and could not read until he was seven.

In fact, some sources say that even at 12 years old he still could not speak fluently.

He was often disruptive in class and was teased by his fellow pupils for smelling of dill pickles and peanut butter.

His appearance was unkempt and his hair was always a mess. It is alleged that he had kleptomaniac tendencies, and was accused of stealing over 200 souvenirs from celebrities from the New York vaudeville community.

He was expelled from the Rotterdam Academy for releasing a rabid skunk from his lunch box into a classroom and eventually left academia altogether.

Einstein held a lowly job as a clerk in a patents office before going on to develop his famous theories on relativity and other ground breaking ideas.

His teachers said that he was:

below average intelligence and would never amount to much

5. Charles Darwin

In 1818, Darwin was sent to to Dr. Butler’s Shrewsbury School but he didn’t stand out as an academic and showed little interest in studying.

In Darwin’s own words:

“The school as a means of education to me was simply a blank. I learned absolutely nothing except by amusing myself reading and experimenting with chemistry.”

He later went on to study medicine, but was unable to complete his studies and dropped out.

Charles Darwin was also dyslexic!

After giving up on a possible medical career, his father told him:

You care for nothing but shooting dogs and catching rats and and you will be nothing but a disgrace to yourself and all of your family. 

6. Oprah Winfrey

Many people know that Oprah had a particularly tough and abusive upbringing.

What they don’t know is that she was actually fired from her job as a television reporter.

Did this initial setback stop her from pursuing a career in TV?

Of course not. Oprah is now one of the best known chat show icons and television personalities in the US and around the globe.

She is also one of the world’s richest women.

When fired from her TV reporter role, Winfrey was told that she was:

Unfit for TV

7. Steven Spielberg

If I were to ask you to name 3 famous directors, I’m prepared to bet that one of them would be Steven Spielberg.

But did you know that his application to attend the University of California was rejected three times!

Eventually he managed to secure a place at California State University, Long Beach in order to get himself a proper education.

However, he dropped out to become a director. And the rest as they say, is history.

Failure is inevitable. Success is elusive.

8. Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford is well known for numerous film roles including Han Solo in Star Wars, Dr Richard Kimble in The Fugitive and Indiana Jones in the Raiders of The Lost Ark movies.

He was no more than an average student at school, achieving nothing higher than C grades, and not excelling at sport.

He dropped out of Ripon College in Wisconsin and began to take on some minor acting roles with little success.

To supplement his family income, he became a master carpenter. An admirable trade and one which he would perhaps still be plying today if he hadn’t had the tenacity to follow his dreams of becoming a Hollywood star.

He was told by the producer of his first film that his performance was:

Underwhelming and you will probably never succeed in becoming an actor

9. The Beatles

From Decca record label’s perspective, not signing The Beatles has to count as one of the biggest business blunders in history.

Since the early sixties, the band have influenced countless musicians and artists and will continue to do so for evermore.

It is estimated that they have sold over 2 billion records. Only Elvis, who also appears on this successful failures list can claim to have sold close to that many records. Proof enough that you should NEVER GIVE UP!

On New Year’s Day, 1962 The Beatles turned up for an hour long audition at Decca’s studios. They recorded 15 songs which they played nervously and perhaps not as well as they would have done at The Cavern Club.

Faced with a choice of signing The Tremoloes or The Beatles, head of A&R Dick Rowe finally told the Beatles’ manager:

…guitar groups are on the way out, Mr Epstein. The Beatles have no future in show business.

10. J K Rowling

Heard of Harry Potter by any chance?

Thought so.

Before the boy wizard exploded onto the world scene, Joanna Rowling was a single mum living on benefits.

With a failed marriage under her belt and no apparent prospects, she had little hope of escaping her circumstances at that time.

In her own words:

I had failed on an epic scale. An exceptionally short-lived marriage had imploded … and the fears of my parents, and those I’d had for myself, had both come to pass. By every usual standard, I was the biggest failure I knew. 

Not only did she succeed in turning her life around and creating one of the most famous fictional characters of all time, she also is one of the richest women on the planet.

What’s more, she managed to achieve this within a period of just 5 years.

It is rumoured that her first book Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone was rejected by 12 publishers before Bloomsbury eventually picked it up. Even then it was only because the chairman’s 8 year old daughter got hold of a copy and loved it so much.

It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default. 

11. Stephen King

Master of horror, Stephen King very nearly threw in the towel early on in his career.

King threw the original manuscript in the bin because he was so unhappy with it.

It was thanks to his wife, the novelist Tabitha King, that the world got to meet Carrie.

She loved the novel so much that she fished it out of the bin and begged him to reconsider.

The initial advance for Carrie was only $2,500, but the paperback rights eventually sold for $400,000.

Stephen King has since gone on to sell more than 350 million copies of his novels worldwide and has published over 50 books

As well as writing, he has his own band, has directed, produced, and made cameos in some of his own movies.

His failure hurt too badly for that. It was a bad equation. Best erase it and try a new one.

If adults could put aside their obsessions with such firmness, the world would undoubtedly be a better place. Robertson Davies does not say that in his Deptford Trilogy … but he strongly hints at it.

Stephen King – The Tommyknockers

12. Walt Disney

Imagine this, Walt Disney was once fired as a cartoonist on the Kansas City Star newspaper because he

lacked imagination and had no good ideas

Incredible when you consider the legacy he eventually went on to create.

At the tender age of 22, Walt became bankrupt after a failed cartoon series.

He arrived in LA with just $40 and a small suitcase containing his drawing materials, underwear, a shirt and socks.

Apart from his many film and cartoon creations, one of his greatest achievements was the Disneyland theme park. To this day it is still a place of wonder and fascination for children and adults alike.

Despite many setbacks and a breakdown he eventually managed to find the funding to build Disneyland, even borrowing against his own life insurance to achieve it.

I think it’s important to have a good hard failure when you’re young. I learned a lot out of that. Because it makes you kind of aware of what can happen to you. Because of it I’ve never had any fear in my whole life when we’ve been near collapse and all of that. I’ve never been afraid. I’ve never had the feeling I couldn’t walk out and get a job doing something. 

13. Beethoven

From a young age, it was clear that Ludwig Van Beethoven was an accomplished pianist and violinist.

Although as a violin player, it has been reported that Beethoven held the instrument awkwardly and preferred to play his own compositions.

Although his musical ability was recognised relatively early on in terms of his performances, Beethoven’s music teacher reputedly once said of the young man

as a composer he is hopeless

An astonishing statement when you consider that Beethoven went on to become one of the worlds greatest ever composers.

Even more incredible is the fact that Beethoven composed some of his best known symphonies and other works while completely deaf!

14. Sir Michael Caine

Maurice Joseph Micklewhite’s acting career began at 20 when he answered an ad for a stagehand. The job also involved some small walk on parts.

However, despite this early success, his life soon began to crumble around him.

He met and married a young woman when he was 22, while at the Lowestoft repertory company in Suffolk.

They had a daughter, Dominique together.

In Caine’s own words:

I walked out of the marriage and Pat took Dominique back to her parents in Sheffield. They were marvellous and brought her up. The marriage breakdown was entirely my fault. I was too young and immature to take on the poverty and personal and professional failure.

I collapsed like a house of cards. I was out of work, had no money and was forced, at the age of 23, to return to the council prefab where I’d lived with my mum and dad and rely on their generosity again.

The headmaster of Michael Caine’s school once said to him

You will be a labourer all your life.

Despite his humble background and this derogatory comment, Caine never gave up on his dream of becoming a world renowned actor.

15. James Dyson

The easiest way to highlight Mr Dyson’s story is to allow him to do so in his own words:

“For me, it started with a vacuum. When my bagged vacuum lost suction, I came up with the solution — cyclone technology. But having an idea is just the beginning. With a few rudimentary materials I mocked up the first prototype. Crude, but it worked (sort of).

 From cardboard and duct tape to ABS polycarbonate, it took 5,127 prototypes and 15 years to get it right. And, even then there was more work to be done. My first vacuum, DC01, went to market in 1993. We’re up to DC35 now, having improved with each iteration. More efficiency, faster motors, new materials.

 It’s a never-ending process that is enormously rewarding, and endlessly frustrating.

 There are countless times an inventor can give up on an idea. By the time I made my 15th prototype, my third child was born. By 2,627, my wife and I were really counting our pennies. By 3,727, my wife was giving art lessons for some extra cash. These were tough times, but each failure brought me closer to solving the problem. It wasn’t the final prototype that made the struggle worth it. The process bore the fruit. I just kept at it.”

An inventor’s path is chorused with groans, riddled with fist-banging and punctuated by head scratches. Stumbling upon the next great invention in an “ah-ha!” moment is a myth. It is only by learning from mistakes that progress is made. 

“create an acoustic room within a room in your office”

Leading UK supplier BT Office Furniture & Interiors are pleased to announce the arrival of their fabulous new range of free standing acoustic office pods.

This type of modular system is becoming increasingly popular in the modern day office environment.

They are easy to assemble, expandable and allow varying degrees of visual and acoustic privacy.

The pods come in a range of different sizes and shapes as outlined below.

Round End Rooms

These allow you to create different spaces including half round pods, circular pods, half round/half square rooms, lozenge shaped rooms, and presentation pods in various sizes.

Square End Rooms

Square and half square pod configurations also allow you to create rectangular and corner room units. These modular units can be expanded to suit practically every requirement.

Configurations

Round, square and half square pods can be combined to make round end modules with party walls, square end modules with party walls or open sides and round rectangular end modules with party walls.

Size Indicator

As a general guideline, use the following dimensions as an indicator of typical usage.

• 2200mm (Height) x 6000mm (Width) x 3000mm (Depth) rectangular pod will comfortably accommodate a boardroom table with 10 chairs
• 2200mm (Height) x 3000mm (Diameter) circular pod will comfortably accommodate a meeting table with 4 chairs

Accessories & Optional Extras

Airea

Our Airea office pods come with the following as standard:

• An acoustic ceiling
• A service hoop including 3 x power sockets. Larger pods have more than one service hoop to provide power for all occupants. The service hoops have independent lighting and ventilation control
• Automatic and scene setting control for lighting
• Automatic and manual control for air circulation
• Sliding/hinged door and combination of clear & fabric panels

A number of optional accessories are available including fans, intake cowls (to connect to existing 125mm duct size air con units), power & data modules, adjustable monitor arms and fixed monitor brackets.

A selection of manifestation strips are also available. These include dots & barcodes. These strips prevent people from inadvertently walking into clear panels or doors.

The coloured acrylic panels come in frosted, teal, mushroom, olive green, lime green, red, orange, amber, purple, royal blue and magenta.

Upholstery comes from the Lucia or Xtreme Plus Camira ranges.

Doors are available in frosted, clear or coloured acrylic.

Acoustic performance can be maximised by placing the pods on a carpeted surface.

The Airea range also includes phone booths (with or without doors) and optional cove interior architecture which allows you to install straight and curved screens within your pod in addition to power/data modules, shelving, desks and workstations.

Era Q.S Free Standing Acoustic Pods

The Era Q.S range comes with a choice of white or silver frames and the following as standard:

• White acoustic ceiling tiles with DB rating of 38db as standard
• Halogen fixed 12V white downlights
• Integral sliding glass door
• All fixing brackets

The panels are 30mm thick and are housed within aluminium posts and cross rails.

Era Square Pods

The square pods are available in 2200mm (Height) x 3000mm (Width & Depth) or 2200mm (Height) x 4000mm (Width & Depth). They can come part glazed or full glazed and with the following optional extras:

• Electric 2.2m post with 2 x power & 2 x data points
• Air circulation unit

Various panel colours include amber, royal blue, red, purple, orange, olive, mushroom, magenta, lime, frosted and teal.

Era Rectangular Pods

The rectangular pods are 2200mm (Height) x 6000mm (Width) x 3000mm (Depth). This is large enough for a boardroom table and 10 chairs. Pods can be fully glazed or part glazed. Optional extras include electric 2.2m posts with 2 x power & 2 x data points and air circulation units.

Era Circular Pods

The circular pods are 2200mm (Height) x 3000mm (Diameter). This is large enough to comfortable accommodate a round meeting table with 4 chairs. Round pods can be fully glazed or part glazed. Optional include air con units and 2200mm posts with 2 x electric power and 2 x data points.

Lozenge shaped pods are also available which comprise a square pod and 2 semi-circular pods (one on each end). These are large enough to fit a boardroom table with 10 chairs.

The Benefits of Acoustic Office Pods

• A pod can be completed within 1 working day in most cases. Occasionally it can take up to 3 days depending on the size, specification, site location and conditions.

• 5 year guarantee on many products

• Because it is classed as furnishing and not fitting, an office pod can be written off against your UK tax liability

• Planning permission is not required

• Fire risk assessment is not required

• If the property is owned by a third party, the landlord’s permission is not required

• It is a self-supporting structure so there is no need to fix to walls and pillars etc.

• It’s a clean build

Read on to discover if you too are an ‘al desko’ diner…

Definition: ‘Al Desko Diner’

A person who eats their meals while sitting at an office desk.

The Facts

A large proportion of the modern day workforce now consider themselves so busy that they forego their lunch hour.

Instead, either through choice or necessity they keep on top of their workload by eating in between key strokes and phone calls.

Even more worrying for workers is that huge numbers reportedly eat up to THREE meals a day at their office desk! The official estimate is around 1 in 10.

Staggeringly, most office snackers don’t even make it until 10am before scoffing their first snack!

It is true that a number of other factors may be involved apart from increased work commitments.

To be honest, I would argue that in many cases it is simply down to laziness and lethargy. We are so addicted to our computers and the Internet that for many it is easier to stay put rather than go out for a walk and a bite to eat.

Many spend their lunch breaks trawling the Internet for cheap bargains, booking holidays, updating social media accounts and responding to personal emails.

And this of course can be detrimental to health as you may well imagine.

Perils & Pitfalls

There is a massive downside to this underlying level of passivity which I’m sure you can guess.

People are much more likely to snack and generally overeat if they remain immobile at their desk.

This is storing up problems for the future in terms of weight gain, muscle fatigue and back problems.

Health experts always advise that workers should get up and move around as often as possible in order to stay healthy.

Etiquette

Although I am unaware of any official etiquette, I would imagine that there are certain unspoken rules about eating at your desk.

These include the following:

1. Avoid smelly food
   Work colleagues will not be impressed by your pickled egg and herring extravaganza!
2. Clear up crumbs
   Unless of course you’re happy to share your workspace with rats and other vermin.
3. Resist using the phone
   Nothing is more likely to annoy the person on the other end than the sound of crunching tortilla chips.
4. Noodles and large crusty rolls are to be avoided at all costs
   It is simply not possible to eat these without creating an unholy mess.
5. Don’t be tempted to wipe your hands on your jeans
   Use moist lemon scented cleansing squares instead.
6. Avoid hogging the office kitchen
   You are not Gordon Ramsay and you should save your artisan creations for your own kitchen.

Food Ideas & Health Tips

While sandwiches and wraps are the most commonly consumed foods in the office, many people are choosing to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat.

This might be to aid weight loss or because of wheat or gluten intolerance.

Whatever the reason, a quick and easy alternative is to wrap your favourite ingredients in romaine (or equivalent) lettuce leaves instead of using bread.

Some people have a tendency to feel sleepy after eating and of course this has an impact on work productivity. To prevent this, increase your protein intake and reduce the carb element.

Be careful not to reduce your carb consumption too much however or you could find that your energy levels dip. It’s all about getting a balance which works for you. To put it simply, use your common sense. Only you will know if you are overeating, eating the wrong things or struggling with energy levels.

As part of your ’5 a day’ you will be aware that you need to eat a good mix of fruit and vegetables.

Many people struggle with the fruit aspect, preferring instead to eat sweet and sugary snacks like chocolate bars. If you find fruit dull and uninspiring, try making your own yoghurt with fruit and nuts for slow energy release.

A good way of preparing this is to get hold of some old jam jars or equivalent. Layer natural low fat greek-style yoghurt with fruit jam, fresh berries, honey and walnuts. If you prefer, granola makes a great crunchy topping.

By doing this it will feel more like a proper dessert and therefore more appealing. You will also be ensuring that you’re getting essential daily nutrients to keep you fit and healthy at work.

On a final note, make sure you drink plenty of fluids, especially water. This can help to stave off hunger pangs and also gives you an opportunity to get up and stretch your legs while you prepare a drink.

Has your get up and go got up and gone?

Here are 10 simple ideas that will help to brighten up your life and the lives of those around you.

1. SMILE

It’s almost impossible not to feel good about yourself if you’re smiling. The more you smile, the happier you feel.

Smiling is good for you and helps to boost your immune system and lift your mood. It’s also infectious. If you want to spread a little cheer to all those around you then smile and notice how many people smile back.

When somebody smiles at you, what is your usual response? Instinctively you would normally mirror their actions and smile back too.

If you make a point of smiling as often as you can throughout the day, people will see you as more sociable and confident. This of course has many benefits including better promotion prospects at work and possibly more invites to social events!

Additionally, a recent study claims that 69% of people perceive women to be more attractive when they smile compared to when they are wearing makeup.

Try smiling even when you’re on your own (say driving a car), and see how good it makes you feel about yourself and the world around you. It’s hard to feel down when you’re wearing a smile.

2. Eat A Hearty Breakfast

Obviously I’m not encouraging you to gorge on unhealthy and fat laden products.

However, eating a good breakfast is vital to kick-start your metabolism and set you up for the day.

Surprisingly and contrary to common opinion, eating a proper breakfast can help you to burn more calories than skipping it altogether.

Those that don’t eat breakfast tend to over compensate by snacking on high calorie foods throughout the day.

Have you ever considered why it is called ‘breakfast’?

It is literally break – fast whereby ‘the word fast’ is used in the context fasting (abstaining from food). Think about it logically, you may not have eaten for 12-15 hours, possibly even longer – lucky you if you get more than 6-8 hours sleep a night!

Therefore your body needs to be replenished, in the same way that a car needs refuelling when it’s running on empty.

3. Do A Good Deed

True happiness can never stem from self-indulgence. Selfishness and scrooge-like behaviour will almost certainly lead to misery and bitterness.

Aim to become a force for good in the world – a shining beacon and an inspiration to others.

If you have ever given a gift to a child and seen their eyes light up with wonder and surprise, you will know what I mean.

This is why people often say it’s better to give than receive. The pleasure that can be derived from charity, whether helping someone out or giving up your time and money is immeasurable. Altruism can be a wonderful antidote to stress and will certainly improve your well-being.

It doesn’t have to be much, but the next time you see someone who needs help, don’t be the one that ignores them or pretends you haven’t noticed. Help them out if you possibly can and you will feel better for it in the long run.

When the day is done, you can go to bed satisfied that you have tried to be the best person you possibly can be. Ultimately, you will end up leaving behind a legacy to be proud of.

4. Enjoy The Silence

Take time out every day in a silent place to reflect and listen to your inner thoughts.

I’m not talking about transcendental meditation necessarily (although practitioners will of course extol the benefits).

However, having some quiet time on your own can be enormously beneficial and a huge stress reliever.

You will find that taking time out in a quiet place is energising and helps to encourage self-discovery. It is also a great way of problem solving because sitting quietly helps to focus the mind and provides an inner clarity of thought.

If you are involved in creative activities at home or work, you will find that taking regular periods of reflection will boost and stimulate your creativity.

5. Set Yourself A Daily Challenge

You may not find this one easy at first because the idea is to move out of your comfort zone on a daily basis.

Once you start to do this regularly, your confidence levels will grow dramatically.

Everyday, look for opportunities to expand your boundaries. So if you suffer from shynesss for instance, make a point of speaking to someone you wouldn’t normally talk to.

Even if this simply means flashing them a smile and saying ‘good morning’. Over time you should find that this becomes easier and you will feel good each time you complete your daily challenge.

Other ideas can involve working towards completing your lifetime goals.

• If you want to write a book, write a 100 words a day, or more if you like.
• Smoke one less cigarette each day until you quit
• Train a little harder in the gym

The possibilities are endless, but each completed challenge will make you feel better about yourself and make you a more interesting and dynamic individual.

 6. Listen

This idea has a dual purpose.

Firstly, listen to the world around you. I mean really listen. You will be amazed at all the sounds that you hadn’t noticed before.

Listen to the birds, the gentle hum of traffic in the distance, the sound of waves crashing on the shore. Whatever happens to be in your surrounding environment.

Really immerse yourself in the experience and enjoy the moment. You should feel immensely uplifted and full of positivity.

Secondly, listen to others’ conversation without interrupting and without trying to think of your response in advance.

This enhances your charisma levels and the person you’re speaking with will notice how much attention you’re paying them. You will also find it much easier to build rapport and interact with others.

The main benefit of really listening to other people and the world in general is that you will start to notice things that you used to miss before. This is especially useful when engaged in conversation.

7. Make Someone Laugh

There is a double benefit to making someone laugh. You are improving your own mood while lifting the spirits of others.

If you’re not good at telling jokes then recount an amusing experience. Don’t worry if you’re not a natural story teller, simply rehearse your story in advance.

One of the best ways to do this is to write it down. Some people keep a journal or diary to record their experiences.

If you start doing this, you should find that your story telling ability improves and also your power of recall.

To tell a good story you need to consider the following:

• WHO is the story about

• WHAT is the action that takes place in the story

• WHERE does the action take place

• CONFLICT – this is the main part of the story which explains the conflict, problem or situation and the action that was taken 

• RESOLUTION – how was the conflict resolved

• FINALE – this is often a joke or the moral of the story

Make sure that your tale has a beginning, a middle and an end. A little embellishment is perfectly acceptable and good storytellers will always colour their tales with exaggeration and hyperbole.

You can also try making a baby laugh when you’re waiting to pay for your groceries by making silly faces. If you succeed it will warm your heart (unless you don’t like children – but then you wouldn’t be trying to make them laugh anyway!)

8. Reward Yourself

Rewarding yourself compliments number 5 on this list ‘Set Yourself A Daily Challenge’.

It is important not to dwell on your failures or shortcomings. Instead you should focus on the things that you do well and your achievements.

If the challenges you set yourself are demanding enough, then let’s face it – you deserve a reward don’t you?

Your choice of reward doesn’t even need to be material. It could be something simple like a hot candlelit bath (see number 10) or a walk in your favourite place.

9. Switch Off Your Phone

Make it hard for people to contact you.

Turn off your phone, and forget about social networks and emails for an hour or two.

There is a certain feeling of liberation derived from knowing you are not contactable.

Enjoy this time and make good use of it. Go for a walk, read a book or just sit in the park enjoying the sunshine for a while.

There is no doubt that taking some downtime from the rest of the world will improve your state of mind.

10. Bath, Candles, Wine!

OK so this one barely needs any elaboration but it is definitely worth throwing into the mix.

What better way can there be to relax at the end of a long day?

Having a bath is like life – the longer you’re in it, the more wrinkled you get!

Fear not, by the time you hit the snack your sense of well-being will more than make up for looking like a shrivelled prune.

It has been estimated that more than 7.5 million work days were lost in the UK from 2010-2011 because of back pain blamed on the workplace.

The most common cause of bad backs at work are poor posture, sitting for extended periods in the same position and not taking enough regular breaks.

In general, back pain caused by an uncomfortable office chair or sitting incorrectly can be remedied in just a few days. Even more extreme back pain can usually be cured in a few weeks if you improve your posture, invest in a suitable ergonomic chair and take frequent breaks away from your desk.

Treating Back Problems

Contrary to widely held opinion, one of the best ways to treat bad backs is to keep active. Some people say that it is not a good idea to use pain killers because numbing the pain might make your back worse due to the anaesthetic effect. In general, this is not true. You are far better off staying active and avoid lying down for long periods.

If you decide to take time off work because of a back problem and spend your days lying in bed, you are likely to make your back muscles even weaker and this in the long term will exacerbate the problem.

So even though it seems contradictory advice to what you may have heard in the past, keep moving and keep active if you are physically able to.

Correct Posture

Poor posture while sitting at your desk will almost certainly cause back problems in the long term. The reason for this is that your body is not designed for remaining in one position all day long. It’s a bit like lying in bed – even while asleep your body will subconsciously adjust it’s position frequently to keep you comfortable.

In very simple terms, you need to make sure that you sit up straight, ensure your lower back is properly supported and if necessary add a neck rest to your chair. You may also need to make some adjustments to your office chair which I’ve outlined in the section below.

Employers have a duty to their employees to ensure that they as safe as possible from risk and harm. Therefore, it you’re unsure how to reduce the chances of back pain occurring or RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury), ask for a workplace assessment to be conducted.

There are a number of factors that can affect your sitting posture and these include the following:

• Positioning of your computer screen 

• Your office desk layout and equipment 

• Your computer mouse positioning and placement 

• Your keyboard positioning and placement 

• The height of your office chair, particularly in relation to your desk and computer monitor 

Office Chair Adjustment

As a bare minimum, your choice of ergonomic office chair should have the following adjustable features:

• Seat height

• Back rest (both height and tilt)

• The back rest should ideally independently of the chair seat to ensure maximum comfort

Make the necessary adjustments so that your thighs are at right angles to your body or sloping slightly downwards.

Additionally, your feet should be firmly planted on the floor. If you find that your legs do not allow this, a footrest should be used. This will help prevent your circulation becoming restricted and protect your back from possible injury.

Some chairs have an inflatable lumbar control which you can manually adjust to add further support for your back. Please call for details 0800 298 7033.

Office Chairs For Back Problems

With over 50 years’ combined experience in the office furniture industry, we are happy to offer complimentary advice and make suitable recommendations depending on your back condition.

Finding a comfortable office chair is a very personal and subjective thing. Although that might sound kind of obvious, this is the advice we would give to anyone who asks if we can recommend a comfortable chair.

If you actually try out a number of chairs you might be surprised to find that a less expensive chair is more comfortable and suitable for your particular needs.

We have a selection of ergonomic office chairs to try in our showroom which is located in Poole, Dorset, BH17 7BD.

In addition, we have a much larger selection on our website.

Advice To Prevent Back Pain

• Make sure you take regular breaks to prevent tense muscles and stiffness. Even if it’s just to make a drink, file some paperwork or do some photocopying. Obviously fresh air will be beneficial and it’s always good to take time away from the stale air that often proliferates through offices. It’s better to take frequent short breaks than extended periods away from your desk. This is because the muscles you use for sitting are given the opportunity to relax while the muscles used for standing take the strain. 

• Try to vary your movements throughout the day. It’s no good taking a break from you office desk only to go and sit in a staff room chair. Stretch your legs, make a cup of tea or go for a walk. 

• Ensure you sit up straight without slouching. Keep your shoulders back and your lower back properly supported. However, it’s also important to change your position and posture periodically because if you sit without moving for too long, you run the risk of developing stiffness and back ache. 

• You’re more likely to suffer from back problems if you are overweight. Therefore, it’s important to exercise regularly and lose any extra weight you may be carrying! 

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Although our showroom is located on the south coast, we make regular weekly trips to London.

In fact, we are one of the UK’s largest office furniture suppliers to the London area.

Some of our previous London clients include Selfridges, Gant, Stringfellows, MC Partners, Data Centre Dynamics and Truth.

In addition, we have also supplied various schools, colleges, libraries and businesses of all types and sizes.

Our service includes FREE delivery, assembly & installation by our own team of professionally trained installers. We also use our own fleet of vehicles where possible which helps to ensure that your furniture is handles carefully and delivered undamaged.

Our fitters are thoroughly familiar with the products we supply and will assemble and install your office furniture quickly, efficiently and hassle-free.

A complimentary space planning and design service is also available for larger projects.

We have an enormous range of products on our website and we are always happy to provide advice at any stage of your project.