Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Celebrate Success

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

As we come to the end of 2014 it's a good time to recognize and celebrate your successes and wins during the past year. In the following video business coach Tom Ferry talks about the importance of celebrating even the small wins we encounter in our lives.

What successes are you celebrating?

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Building Self-Confidence

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

In our video today personal development trainer Brendon Burchard shares 5 steps to building self-confidence. According to Brendon, “Confidence means you’re being who you are, authentically, for no other reason. Nobody gave you permission; you just decided to be who you are.”

Enjoy the video and become more self-confident today!

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Personal Branding, Social Media, and Innovative Leaders

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• 5 Personal Branding Tips: "They should treat themselves like a brand regardless – day job, home, personal life. They have to put their personal brand in two to five words, and they have to be very honest in what they stand for."


• Tips for Using Social Media to Get a Job: "There are lots of local groups sharing job opportunities on Facebook if you search by job type and location."


• 10 Traits of Innovative Leaders: "These leaders believed that the best and most innovative ideas bubbled up from underneath. They strived to create a culture that uncorked good ideas from the first level of the organization."


• Top 10 Skills to be Successful: "You don’t need to know how to build the next Facebook, but a basic understanding of how the Web works and how software and apps are built can be a game-changing advantage."


• How to Future Proof Your Career: "Future-proofed skills can either be essentials (e.g., health, security, utilities, etc.) or play an important part in facilitating a drastic change in the economy, like technology."

How to Be More Productive

We have a family tradition in our home of asking each other a simple question while we're having dinner: "How was your day?"

Often, when it's my 4-year-old son's turn he will say, with a mischievous smile and a slight wink in my direction, "Oh, I had a productive day."

Apparently I often answer the "how was your day" question in terms of productivity so it seems

appropriate to highlight some tips to help you (and me) be more productive with our time.

1. Having a productive day starts the day before. Before you leave work for the day or later that evening during some quiet time at home, set your priorities for the next day and list the tasks you need to accomplish. You'll find this enables you to focus more quickly on them the next morning.

2. Get enough sleep. You'll be much more productive if you're not tired and using coffee or sugar drinks to provide you with some temporary energy.

3. Start your day with some exercise. Get moving early and you'll find you have the energy to tackle that list of priorities you set the previous evening.

What suggestions do you have for increasing productivity?

For more tips check out this article.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: What Trait is Necessary for Success?

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

Today we focus on the trait most necessary for success. This trait is not social intelligence, high I.Q., good physical health, or good looks. In this video psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth discusses the trait she's identified in research as the most responsible for success. 

What do you think that trait is?

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Networking Tips and How to Start a New Job Right

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• 6 Holiday Networking Tips: "Be curious, and show an interest in others ... ask interesting questions that demonstrate you know something but want to know more."


• 10 Warning Signs You Need a Career Change: "If you lose sleep over the thought of going to work in the morning, it may be time to pack up with the little shred of sanity you have left."


• 3 Tips to Hit the Ground Running at Your New Job: "Your company would not have hired you if you were not exceptional. So be true to who you are, be comfortable being who you are, and be comfortable letting your voice be heard."


• What to do (and not do) at the Office Holiday Party: "Introduce yourself to key players within the corporation and make a good impression by maintaining eye contact, shaking hands and remembering names."


• What to Do When Your Boss Doesn't Like You: "No matter what the situation or the cause of the issue, get stuff done, share the credit, and ask how else you can help—those are tried-and-true strategies for building a solid relationship with your boss."

Tips for Staying Positive During the Job Search

It can be difficult to remain positive and upbeat when you're unemployed and looking for a job. 

The holidays can make it even more difficult as some employers will wait until the new year to fill positions or the end of the year causes you to reflect on your current situation or circumstances.

Your attitude is important during the job search and so we recommend taking some time to check out this article offering 5 Tips for Jobseekers to Stay Positive. 

As the article notes, it's important to provide yourself with the right messages, such as I am qualified: "Cultivate your trust in your abilities and focus on what you can do."

How do you stay upbeat and positive while looking for a job?

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Steps to Creating Your Personal Brand

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

Today we focus on the importance of creating your personal brand, with five tips from career expert Amanda Rose. 

Are you working on your personal brand?

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How to Choose the Right Career Track

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• Choosing the Right Career Track: "The first step is to collect job postings that appeal to you, sorting them by whether you're drawn to the organization ... or if you're drawn to the job description."


• 10 Things Successful People Never Do: "If you’re worried about who did what and getting the credit you deserve, you’re probably not as successful as you could be."


• Can You Be Friends with Your Boss?: "Having a positive, constructive, and trusting relationship with your boss is always a good thing."


• Nervous About That Job Interview?: "Take your time, listen properly to the question being asked, and don't be afraid to pause for a few seconds before you answer while you think of the right approach."


• 5 Things You Must Know if You Want to Live a Happy Life: "You can’t be happy if you are judging the circumstances in your life constantly instead of accepting them."

Your Career To-Do List for a Successful 2015

A recent article noted 35 Things You Should Do For Your Career Before You Turn 35, and while 35 might be a little intimidating, we've broken the list down into something more manageable: 5 Things to Do For a Successful 2015.

1. Understand your strengths. To be successful you should know exactly what it is you're good at and be able to share those strengths with others, including at a job interview.

2. Know your weaknesses. It's also important not to be blind to areas of weakness. However, instead of spending too much time trying to work on your weaknesses learn how to work around them and delegate tasks to others who might be stronger in these areas than you are.

3. Clarify your elevator pitch. Be able to tell someone in 30-45 seconds what exactly it is you do and what your skills and strengths can offer. What message about yourself do you want to leave others with?

4. Clarify what you want. Be sure to understand as clearly as possible what you're looking for in a job or in your career.

5. Build support. There are others out there who can help: mentors, friends, previous employers, current managers. Don't be afraid to let others know what you need and what you're looking for.

What is on your career to-do list for 2015?

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Tips on Making a Career Change

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

At some point in our professional lives we need to consider whether it's time to make a job or career change. There are a lot of factors that go into making a decision like this and in our featured video, Linda Spencer, the assistant director and coordinator of career advising at Harvard Extension School, provides important tips to aid in the decision.