Second Life Etiquette Part 4- Good Business Sense- Pandora Drezelan Reporting...

Pandora Drezelan

 

As part four of The Second Life Etiquette series I am going to discuss etiquette within the work place, both as an employer and an employee, conducting business within Second Life is not really that much different to working situations in real life, however this may depend on your virtual job description. There is always a dress code as well as a code of ethics to maintain which also includes basic common sense and good manners. This may come across as a little harsh, but if you wish to relive your real life job within the virtual world or embark on your dream job that you never thought was possible then read on and please leave your comments and feedback.

Retrieved from Second Life Hot News- working from home

Virtual Employers:
I haven’t had much experience within this field, but I did manage a club for a couple of months, so I know the basics. Good dress sense and being a people person is a plus on either side of the field, it is important to make the job description clear as well as manage your employees in a diplomatic, friendly way and not come across as a control freak, there is a right way and a wrong way to handle every situation.


Distributing note cards to staff members or for new applicants should not be a spam issue and the same could be said for group notices, questions or rules note cards should be dated, very specific and either given out to employees individually or sent as an attachment in a group notice, along with any landmarks that are required.

Working Girl- B&W Fashion

Retrieved from The New Yorker- Virtual office work

An appropriate dress code when conducting a meeting or interviewing a new employee is vital and how you conduct yourself  is extremely important also, if one of your staff members needs a fashion overhaul it is not a good idea to discuss the issue in local chat, going into private instant message is a far better and fairer option, unless you are alone with the person, but even then you never know who’s listening in.

Do not come across as though you are better than everyone else, it’s not a good look, it doesn’t work in real life and it certainly isn’t 

going to go over well in Second Life, leave any dramas within real life IN real life and don’t let them leak onto the keyboard and into your virtual conversation.

Virtual Employees:


When filling in a note card application always dot every i and cross ever T, answer the required questions as well as you can, in my opinion checking your spelling and grammar is important also, (typos are for local and IM chat, but that’s just me being me) Include any resumes or references if you have them and a few photos of your avatar, if asked to do so.

As a virtual employee it is your job to dress and act accordingly in your place of work, if you work in a club or a similar situation then turning up on time is as important as it would be in real life and your dress code is no exception, the right attire for the job at hand is a must.

Always treat your co workers with the same respect in which you would like to be treated, if you are having a bad day you may wish to let your peers know, but keep the drama out of Second Life and your workplace.

Retrieved from Nifty News-vodaphone- inside-out Second Life

If you do need a real life break wearing an AFK (away from keyboard) tag just looks unprofessional and tacky, inform your boss in instant message, excuse yourself in local chat and go and tend to whatever needs doing, no one likes talking to someone who appears to be a bot.

So basically, being punctual, dressing for the occasion, thoughtfulness towards your boss and fellow co workers, conducting yourself in a professional manner and getting the job done is pretty much it, you can still have fun while you are at work, just remember that however virtual, it is still a job and it’s your job to maintain it.



 Overview:

As I stated in the intro to this article, conducting business from either side within Second Life isn’t that much different to a real life situation, sometimes it may seem easier and other times it may even be more difficult, remember in the virtual world that people can’t SEE you so they don’t know if you are not having a good day unless you tell them. We will all have sick days and crappy days and it’s a good idea to let your boss know as soon as possible if you cannot make it into work or meet deadlines etc.

And while working in Second Life can be a lot of fun and rewarding, it can also be mentally draining so taking time out for yourself is just as important as doing your job, have set days that you do not work if you can, and plan your work outfits, save a few in your inventory so you don’t get anxious on the day, don’t stress over re-logging, typos or re- baking, they are just basic Second Life issues.

Like any situation, there is a time for fun and a time to be serious and only you can differentiate the two, it is your job and your Second Life, be proud of it, promote yourself and your place of work along with a description or resume in your Second Life profile and last but not least, don’t forget your work tag, there’s nothing worse than turning up wearing the wrong one, we’ve all had days like that, it’s simply another occupational hazard of the virtual world.