Newsletter June 2020

Recruiters for the Copier Channel® for more than 30 years, Copier Careers® has been the only recruiting firm exclusively dedicated to connecting Copier Channel employers with experienced service technicians, copier sales representatives, sales managers, service & operations managers, controllers, support staff, and MPS/MNS experts. Start your month off right with the Newsletter June 2020: Copier Channel news and career advice. Search copier jobs now.

IN THIS MONTH’S NEWSLETTER
In Stressful Times, Mindset Counts
News from Copier Careers  
Sound Off: Predictions for reopened offices
Poll-of-the-Month: How are you doing?

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In Stressful Times, Mindset Counts

It is a truth universally acknowledged that stress is bad for you. Stress leads to high blood pressure, lowered immune responses, relational difficulties, etc., etc. So in these especially stressful times you’ve really just got to RELAX for the sake of your health, right?

But what if we’ve been looking at stress all wrong? In a 2020 American Psychological Association study, researchers suggest that we should be focusing on optimizing our stress rather than reducing it.

If you’re convinced that stress will kill you, you’ll spend your energy avoiding stressors and worrying about the negative affects of the stress you can’t avoid. But this is an overly negative view on stress, completely ignoring the motivating drive it can provide. As the APA study states, “when people are invited to reflect on the times in their lives when they have learned, grown substantially, or performed at exceptionally high levels, they often report those times having been deeply stressful.”

So how can we use our stress to help rather than harm? According to the study, it’s all in our mindset.

Stress in Neutral, Your Attitude Is Not

Stress is not inherently good or bad, it is a neutral “response of the body to any demand made upon it.” Stress responses can range from the stomach drop and racing heartbeat when you make a mistake, to the thrilling excitement you feel before a big game. Both examples show your body kicking into high gear when presented with an important task, from fixing an error to outplaying an opponent.

The key to stress optimization is to shift from thinking “stress is bad for me” to “stress can be good for me.” This takes your focus off of the stress and its potential negative effects and has you thinking instead about the “underlying goals and opportunities associated with the stress.” 

For example, say you have an interview that you’re nervous about. You could worry about how worried you feel, maybe watch a movie or two to get your mind off it. Updating your resume and researching the company just brings your stress to mind so you delay the work or rush through it. Any time you feel that worry rise up, you slap it back down and tell yourself to RELAX already.

Or, you could ask yourself why this interview matters to you. Maybe the job offers better salary or benefits, is better located or offers opportunities for advancement – all things that can improve your quality of life. Reframing your stress into excitement about the opportunity can focus your energy into motivation and drive. Rather than wasting your time trying to forget your worries, you face them and use your time and energy preparing for your interview.

One choice traps you in passive avoidance while the other fuels active engagement with your goals. Which will you chose?

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Copier Careers Delays 2020 Salary Surveys

Copier Careers will be delaying the publication of our annual salary surveys this year. We are still collecting data, still working with our clients and candidates, still talking to industry professionals about their experiences during this crisis. We will be better able to offer useful, big-picture industry analysis in the new context when  biggest upheavals of the pandemic have passed. Until then, visit our News & Resources page and keep an eye out for our monthly newsletters for industry updates, COVID-19 news and careers advice.

Read more news from around the industry on our News & Resources page.

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Sound Off

Our readers respond to last month’s poll question

Last month we discussed what potential changes we may see in the post COVID-19 office. So we were curious to hear what changes you expect for reopened offices. We had a record-breaking turnout of 13,641 votes this month!

The majority of you (58%) expect social distancing policies to become the office norm as businesses reopen. Based on what we’ve seen in China, that seems like a reasonable prediction. 16% believe it will be business as usual – depending on your state, that may be the case. Another 14% expect reduced hours, which jives with how we’ve seen companies manage reduced business and the need to socially distance their people. Only 8% expect to continue to work from home – many in our industry are just not able to work remotely, so this makes sense too. 3% predict staggered shifts which will aid in social distancing. The remaining 1% (31 votes) are starting new jobs in new offices after this employment shakeup.

We received a lot of comments this month as well. Many are letting us know how y’all are doing (feel free to elaborate in our June poll, folks!). Quite a few wished for everyone to stay safe and healthy. Others clarified what their expecting for the reopened offices such as cleaning policies, mask and PPE use, etc. We love to hear from you – especially right now – so keep ’em coming!

POLL QUESTION: