An average person would spend one third of his/her life working and within that period, they would meet a hundred to a thousand of professionals through meetings, conferences and other colleagues. Somewhere along the way, we would create connections with these individuals and form a professional network with one another.

The bonds that we create with them plays a crucial role in the overall success of our career life. Hence, it’s important for us to be consistent in building our professional network – no matter what industry we are from. Anyone you meet can be of help to you and your career in the long run.

But to say that networking is your singular goal whenever you start a conversation with someone can present a negative connotation towards your personality. Connections done the right way create authentic bonds, giving the impression that you’re not after what that person has to offer but rather, you’re simply interested in knowing another like-minded individual.

And as the new year starts, it’s only apt that we find ways to improve and develop our communication skills. Here are the different ways we can maintain authentic connections be it in informal or formal occasions.

When taking part in social gatherings, it helps to start by looking for someone you already know and start catching up before making your way to the new faces around you. CEO of professional networking company Voray, David Olk suggests in a Business News Daily article to have a genuine conversation with someone familiar about things that you have in common before working your way around other people who look lost. Stick out a handshake as conversation starter.

Inspire Human Resources CEO Jaime Klein adds that one should mingle around when there are no assigned seats. These relaxed environments can be used to one’s advantage and make several connections.

Olk also notes that spending ample time with people to get to know them better is the true meaning of “networking” – not pushing a certain agenda or idea.

He adds that we should avoid seeing it as a chance to sell your business or you yourself but rather view it as a chance to be in the same room with interesting new people that you’d love to meet. During work gatherings, try and sit with a member for another team that you haven’t spoken to. Keep things brief to spark a more intricate conversation when the gathering is over.

In order to keep the relationships you have made after a party or a gathering, it’s important to keep up with them. Send them a thank you note through email and maybe send them a request in LinkedIn. Add in a little note to someone new that you met during the recent gathering. One can also make smart use of their other social media accounts to stay in touch with them.

Other than the aforementioned ways we can create and maintain relationships, the newest way of working have also provided us with a platform wherein we can meet, collaborate and learn through other professionals coming from different industries.

These shared offices commonly known as coworking spaces were designed to improve collaboration and communication. Breaking through the traditional cubicles, its open plan layout allows its members to switch from private desks made to help them concentrate to communal areas made for socializing.

It prides itself in the community it curates and makes it their mission to continue cultivate and enhance the relationships it has built between its members through workshops, events and even parties.

Investing time and effort in building authentic connections within your network will not only help you build your career in the long run, but makes work worthwhile.

Become part of something greater and inquire today to join our very first coworking space!

No matter the age, ethnicity or social class, we’ve all had to go through days of insecurity.

These are the days wherein we feel like we’re not enough – that what’ve done amounts to nothing. We carry around this irrational anxiety that a day will come when the people around us will find out about the façade that we keep wearing every day and they’ll see how much of a fraud we actually are.

We may have felt it when we were younger, when our parents pushed us to do better in our studies and may still find ourselves sinking in the same feeling at work. The accomplishments and successes we’ve earned are underserved. We convinced ourselves enough that we start to debate whether we deserve the rewards we are receiving.

Imposter syndrome makes us doubt our competence and intelligence. It disables us to internalize the achievements we’ve earned and gives us an irrational fear of being found out to be double dealing. And this happens to almost everyone.

A study from the International Journal of Behavioral Science reported that 70% people suffer the same feelings. Individuals who challenge themselves more often – CEOs and entrepreneurs – are more susceptible because of the unstable nature of the industry.

The younger generation of the workforce could also be prone to Impostor Syndrome due to the undeniable fact that they are entering the market during a time of appalling technological advancements and the persistent comparisons in social media.

And because of the rapid growth of technology, majority of us are constantly learning something new on each project that we work on – this could potentially result to people feeling lost in their field of expertise.

People may use their Facebook accounts and LinkedIn pages to make it seem like they’ve got everything together. But there’s a huge possibility that it isn’t what it is in actuality.

Chances are, when a person is going through that point of their career, shaking it off won’t be easy. They’ll probably recover from it and slowly go back to their normal routine, but there’s a big chance that they may never be able to rid themselves of it but there are ways that can help us manage these doubtful thoughts.

Start by identifying what is bothering your confidence. Could it be the new job title or the pressure that came with the new project you recently got? And though each explanation may differ from one another, most cases provide obvious answers; we are simply underselling ourselves.

After doing so, try and confide to someone about it. Call up someone you trust and talk to them about your dwindling self-confidence. It’s best to choose a person who sees you outside of the normal working environment, they can help figure out whether those feelings of dread are irrational and could help remind you of all the achievements you have done.

You can also remind yourself of all the little successes you have made by having your very own accomplishment box. Recount your most recent achievements and write them down in a piece of paper or a bunch of post it notes. Take a look at everything that you’ve earned and reflect on the hard work you’ve exerted just to get to where you are now.

Be part of a supportive network in the office. Psychologist Dr. Pei Han Cheng at the Center for Counseling and Consultation of St. John’s University in New York City says that the worst thing people with impostor syndrome can do is isolating themselves from receiving validating feedback from other people.

In the past recent years, experts and other scholars have put an emphasis on the importance of cultivating a culture that promotes encouragement amongst colleagues. Moreover, the work force itself has emphasized their desire to have a support network at work.

One proof of this growing need is the sudden boom of the coworking movement. Though admittedly, it is commonly known to cater freelancers and other solo entrepreneurs in the industry, its known benefit of creating a tight-knit community appeals to both remote workers and normal employees.

The relaxed environment present in majority of these shared offices help in creating strong affiliation within its members. The trusted bonds that they have created amongst one another helps alleviate impostor syndrome. In addition to this, social gatherings and other events are also held to strengthen the relationship of teams and the whole community itself.

The term coworking space is often associated to digital nomads – commonly known as remote workers – freelancers and startups. Pioneered to cater to the needs of the independent workers of today’s labor force, these unorthodox work areas ensure them flexibility and stability by offering them the functions of a traditional office without being tied down to long term leases or expensive rates.

But as the previous years go by, experts have noticed an expansion on its target market – gone were the days when home-based entrepreneurs ruled these open spaces. When the movement’s popularity skyrocketed and the then preposterous idea became a global phenomenon, it caught the attention of the public, from budding enterprises up to well-established corporations.

It was during last year when tech giants and other large companies started experimenting with the options of flexible office space solution and other new workplace models. Whether it’s incorporating open layouts to their respective headquarters to acquiring coworking membership for selected employees or teams, the big players have joined in on the bandwagon. By the end of 2017, there’s no denying that they have now made their presence known to the community.

A recent Occupier Survey have reported that 44 percent of corporations in the US alone utilize some type of flexible workplace strategy. In addition to this, judging by the data the researchers have gathered, they expect the demand and usage for these shared offices to continue to increase in the next few years.

The important question now is, what made these big players and conglomerates move?

Coworking spaces are widely known not only for their creative and innovative work areas but is also sought after for the seemingly endless opportunities that they provide to their members.

Startups and other independent workers flock these open spaces not only to secure a desk of their own. Almost every coworker have chased after the opportunity of expanding the reach of their professional network through its community as well as having the chance of finding prospective clients within the office.

Costs are cut without forsaking the need for the right address to do business. Its environment is inspired by the praised modern headquarters of Google and other tech giants – with pool tables, bean bags and other features that appeals to today’s young generation of professionals constantly in search for stimulating workspaces.

But the big players of the industry have finally realized that maybe they can learn a thing or two from these small enterprises – that sometimes, less is actually more.

Companies who are planning on entering new markets would make use of these shared spaces to cradle their small teams. With this option, costs are kept under control and logistics are easier. Moreover, the uncertainty surrounding budding teams drives the management of these enterprises to settle for flexible workspaces so that they can give them the equivalent treatment of a traditional office environment.

The demand for shared offices is surging not only in the US but around the world as well. Mega corporates such as Apple, Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, GE, SalesForce and American Airlines have all made the move last year for the opportunities the movement offers such as recruitment of top talents, forming partnerships with startups as well as the advantage of keeping their eyes open to new – and potentially – disruptive technology.

Realistically speaking, we spend majority of our life time in transit. Almost everyone is a commuter.

Every day, millions of people globally commute to work and though we do it as often as we can imagine, it doesn’t necessarily mean we have grown fond of it.

Our commutes to work are growing longer and longer as we know it and we’re nowhere near to actually liking it. In the US alone, over 25 million employees spend more than 90 minutes each day going to and from their jobs, and approximately 600,000 of what the U.S. Census Bureau calls as “mega-commuters” travel 90 minutes each way. And in the UK, the average round-trip travel takes 24 minutes. To make things worse, professionals from most of the world’s major cities such as Milan and Manila suffer through awful traffic for over an hour.

Instead of warming up more to the activity like how one would usually become after long exposure to it, our distaste for it grows and grows.

These brewing feelings of loathe – though seemingly insubstantial – can result to serious implications in the long run. According to a 2014 British government survey, workers with lengthy travel time felt more anxious and less satisfied with their lives compared to those with shorter commutes. In addition to this, they are more prone to feeling indifferent about their daily activities. Other research suggest that they become even more exhausted and less productive at work. Moreover, they tend to have lower job satisfaction than those who live near their workplaces.

But experts believe that there’s still hope. We can still improve our individual experiences by trying out certain strategies that can make our travels happier.

The duration of your trip to the office can be utilized to condition yourself to get into your professional zone.

Majority of us play a specific role within the walls of our home. Some of us are a parent or a partner – maybe even both and the moment we step into our workplaces, we suit up and get down to business. After 8 hours, we’d revert back to our personal lives and would sometimes even shift back to our work self before going to bed.

Each of the aforementioned alteration requires a shift of mindset. Without it, worries and other concerns that come from one role will carry over into the next one and could possibly pull us down.

Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles suggest incorporating small routines such as checking the news or looking through at one’s calendar for the day on their way to work. Studies says that those who maintained little regimens felt more happy about excited about their day, had more satisfaction in their jobs and were less stressed out compared to those who do not have one. In addition to this, these rituals were known to produce all sorts of benefits. It aids in lowering anxiety before engaging in vital performance tasks, increases enjoyment in activities at hand and could possibly aid us in recovering faster from failure or loss.

One of the many frustrating aspects of being a commuter is the scarce amount of control we have over traffic jams, delayed buses or crowded train stations. But amidst this, there is one thing that we have power over; the manner of spending our time during the trip.

Harvard Business Review (HBR) writer Jon M. Jachimowicz used the term Pockets of Freedom in an article he co-wrote discussing how people can reclaim their commute to describe our capability of utilizing the time we spend standing in line or inside cars to learn a new skill or improve our passions.

The phrase originated from his great aunt, Adela, who strived to have one dedicated hour each night for creative activity amidst the dreary Nazi occupation. We can make them bearable by looking at it as an opportunity to recharge.

If all else fails, then maybe its high time to minimize our existing travel time and become less of a commuter.

A large number of us are torn between choosing to live near work or to live in a bigger home. Members of the workforce with large families would of course opt for the latter. But as living expenses in the cities become more and more expensive, it has become harder for them to live close to their jobs.

Moving houses isn’t the only way to fix long travels to work, a much simpler option is promoting remote working.

The idea of working from home or having versatile work hours are becoming more common. The Census said that during the year 2014, 4.4 percent of the workforce now primarily works at home – nearly doubling the population since 1980.

Though admittedly, not all types of jobs can be susceptive to the nature of telecommuting but there remains to be a significant number of work that can be done within the parameters of a home office or cubicle.

Companies are understandably particular about implementing remote working for a number of reasons, but specific organizations are now giving it a try because fortunately, these progressive enterprises are already aware of the discomforts of being a daily commuter. Some have conducted experiments by allowing specific teams have flexible work hours. Their respective managements would have them join coworking spaces strategically located in cities that are not too cumbersome for the majority. These shared offices give teams their own desks or private offices without tying them down to a specific shift – they can go to work any time they please.

Though originally targeted towards freelancers and other solo entrepreneurs, providers are keeping their doors open for teams that want to give teleworking a try.

Census data shows that our commutes will continue to grow longer for the years to come; hence, they advise business owners to take into consideration the concrete ill-effects it has on their workforce.

Twenty years ago, Hitachi executive Tsugio Makimoto envisioned a revolution. One wherein technology would change humankind’s way of working. No more commuting or dull cubicles. The high speed wireless networks of the future will help millions of employees turn their dream of following their wanderlust into reality.

His vision later appeared in a book he wrote together with David Manners during the year of 1997 entitled Digtial Nomad but the public turned a blind eye to it. Years later, the concept resurfaces in a 2007 best-selling book The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich. American entrepreneur and author Tim Ferriss gave the world a sneak peek of globetrotting as they do their jobs over the internet.

Neither of them ever foresaw the impact modern technology could bring to our daily lives nor did they ever predict the rise of a new complex industry that will change what work is for us

An entire industry was born out of the booming sharing-economy. Originating from the remote workers of today’s labor force, digital nomads are this generation’s lucky freelancers who have made the world their office.

It has distinguished itself from traditional telecommuters by combining remote working and travelling – a dream that most Millenial’s have. It’s the ideal lifestyle for those who want to carry on with their usual business while on vacation.

In the US, 43% of employed Americans have experienced remote working last year at least some of the time according to the Gallup post published last February 2017. In addition to this, both the length of time working remotely and that of employees working full time continues to expand every year from 39% during the year 2012.

Its burgeoning industry had made easier for everyone to work remotely from the streets of Greece down to the nearby café in your area. Since its rise to fame, shared offices that allow professionals to rent work areas for temporary use made its rounds around the world. The most famous one being coworking spaces with over 13,800 providers globally.

Digital nomads can now easily transfer from one country to another without sacrificing their efficiency and productivity.

Though often seen as a tourist destination, the Philippines have become one of the most sought after countries by international enterprises and is now considered as a digital nomad’s paradise.

Its booming economy allowed them to take over Mumbai’s position as the second top ranking BPO destination in the world. The local workforce composed of literate young professionals and their competitive labor rates cater to the numerous countries who plan on establishing their offshore sites. Several universities and schools encourage developing skills needed to be part of a competitive global labor force.

Besides the general considerations in terms of doing business in the Philippines, their lifestyle and culture also play an important role that favors the country as a digital nomad paradise.

Foreigners live comfortably in the nooks and crannies of the archipelago due to the hospitable nature of Filipinos, be it in terms of business or leisure. Locals are quick to give out a hand to those in need. No need to worry about getting lost in translation, most of them are good English speakers.

Wanderers would enjoy the Philippine shores and its breathtaking landscapes. Several world-class beaches can even be found 4 hours away from the bustling Metro Manila. Quick getaways are possible because of the several convenient ways to get around.

And when it’s time to start grinding, remote workers won’t have to worry about where to stay. The country’s capital alone is home to several coworking spaces that allows you to avail a membership or simply a dedicated desk that you can call your own for a few months. Most providers offer flexible rates and can accommodate a solo member and a whole team of professionals.

The Philippines is most certainly a country where digital nomads continuously thrive.