Friday, January 30, 2015

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: The Most Important Career Decision You'll Make

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

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

5 Tips to Stay Motivated During Your Job Search

When you are between jobs it can be difficult to stay positive and focused on the job search, especially if you are regularly applying for jobs and seeing very little results.

Consider implementing some of the following tips to help you stay motivated throughout your job search:

1. Eat well. To remain motivated and positive about your job search it's important to eat foods that promote well-being, strength, and energy. Avoid too much alcohol and foods with a lot of sugar.

2. Exercise regularly. Staying (or getting) in shape with regular exercise will give you the energy you need to attack those daily tasks necessary to the job search.

3. Get enough sleep. In addition to regular exercise and healthy eating habits, getting enough sleep each night provides the daily rest and recharge needed to successfully find new work opportunities.

4. Learn something new every day. Schedule at least 15-30 minutes every day to learn something .
new or enhance your existing skills.You can learn a new language or explore the many opportunities through MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses).

5. Connect with one person every day. Looking for a job can be a lonely and isolating experience. Take some time each day to interact with a friend or meet someone new. You can do this through Facebook or Linkedin but don't underestimate the benefits of meeting someone new in person at the library, the local coffee shop, or even at a planned networking event.

What do you do to stay motivated?

For more check out this list of 20 ways to stay motivated during your job search.

Monday, January 26, 2015

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Habits and Morning Rituals 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.

In the video below, personal and career development expert Brian Tracy suggests some habits and morning rituals to implement into your life in order to get your day started toward success. The first thing he suggests is to start your day by reading something positive and motivational rather than turning on the TV first.

To see his other suggestions check out the video below:

Friday, January 23, 2015

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: The Secret to Career Happiness

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

  • Why All Managers Must be Leaders"Management and leadership need to be taught in schools as interconnected disciplines that cannot exist without the other. Leaders within organizations should be mentored so that they know how to properly manage."

  • What is the Secret of Career Happiness?"If you know you're playing to your strengths, in an environment you can thrive and feel your work is rewarding, that really is happiness at work."

  • 7 Social Media Tips to Boost Your Job Search"As more companies turn to researching their candidates online, it’s more important for job seekers to understand their online presence as well as how to improve it."

  • The Pros and Cons of Doing One Thing at a Time"When you juggle, your tasks interact with each other, and that can be a good thing. As they compete for your attention, their specific problems come into sharp relief, and new solutions present themselves."

  • Improving Communication Skills for Job Seekers"Employers use email to ask for more information, request interviews and provide status updates. This vital business communication vehicle is another chance to highlight your strengths in written communication."

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

5 Questions to Ask at Your Next Job Interview

While preparing for a job interview it is also important to consider the questions you will ask, in addition to the questions you might answer. The job interview is a way for you to decide if this job or employer is the right fit for you.

The five questions below are just some of the questions you might ask at your next job interview:

1. How would you describe the company culture? Understanding the company culture will help you determine if this is the right place for you.

2. What qualities do your most successful employees share? This will help you determine if your strengths are a good fit and if they will be put to good use.

3. What sets this company apart from its competitors? It's useful to know how the company distinguishes itself from its competition.

4. What opportunities are offered for me to develop and improve my skills and knowledge? You want to be in a company that offers you opportunities to grow and develop.

5. How will my performance be evaluated? This will provide some clues about who will judge your performance and what opportunities there are to advance.

For more questions to consider at your job interview check out this article at Forbes.

Monday, January 19, 2015

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Double Your Productivity

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 the video below Sean Cannell shares 5 tips to increase your productivity, including 1) stop interruptions, and 2) get organized.

Do you want to be more productive? Check out Cannell's additional tips below.

Friday, January 16, 2015

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Shaking Up Your Career and Being Productive

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

  • 7 Deadly Sins of a Job Seeker"Planning for your job search enables you to properly target roles as well as manage your time and those you approach more effectively."

  • Building Trust Will Get You Hired"In order to show that you will be reliable in the future, demonstrate how you have been so the past."

  • How to Shake Up Your Career in 2015"Expand your talents and knowledge by signing up for a Mooc (massive open online course). From branding and management to film-making or forensic psychology, there's a huge range of free courses available to everyone."

  • How to Stop Negative Thoughts"Instead of allowing unfortunate situations, unlucky circumstances and foul people to suck the energy right out of you, turn to humor for a levity break."

  • Surround Yourself with Productive People"Productive people tend to organise not only themselves, but systems, schedules, and the other people around them. This is beneficial for the entire team."

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

How to Network Better This Year

It is important to continue to build your network for several different reasons: individuals in your network can help you gain new skills through informal training or mentoring, important members of your network can recommend you for that promotion, and, if you are looking for new work, your network can provide you with job leads.

So, what steps can you take to build your network this year? Take these three steps to start.

1. Never Eat Alone. This is the title of a fantastic book by Keith Ferrazzi and advice to follow. Make sure to eat your lunch in the work cafeteria so you can get to know others in your workplace. Or invite someone new out to lunch on a regular basis. This is a great way to begin to expand your network and be inspired by what others know and are working on.

2. Attend a Conference. Take some time out in the first few months of the year to attend a conference relevant to your career aspirations. Conferences provide a great opportunity to develop new relationships and connections and are also a great place to recharge those batteries and get motivated.

3. Connect on LinkedIn. Set a goal to add several new contacts on LinkedIn every week. Ask those you know to make some introductions, if necessary.

And check out these 10 Networking Tips

Monday, January 12, 2015

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Is it Too Late to Start Over?

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.

Last week's video offered an important question to help you stop negative self-talk. One negative thing we might tell ourselves is that it's too late to start over or to try something new.

In the video below Gail Blanke, motivator and author of Throw Out Fifty Things, suggests that it's never too late to start over.


Friday, January 9, 2015

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Job Interviewing Tips and Dealing with Difficulty

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

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

3 Steps to a Successful 2015

We are a week into the New Year and some of the "newness" is rubbing off but don't let that diminish your enthusiasm and energy to make 2015 a great year personally and professionally.

This is a good time to assess where you're at in your life and career and begin to develop new habits to ensure more happiness and success. Work on the following three steps in the next week and you'll be off to a productive start for the year.

1. Update your resume and LinkedIn profile: The beginning of the year is a good time to go back over that resume and tweak it to ensure it highlights your strengths and successes, including those from the past year. Also update your profile on LinkedIn.

2. Work on your self-talk: If you haven't yet, watch the video we posted Monday on stopping negative self-talk. You have the ability to be your greatest supporter or your most severe critic. How you view yourself goes a long way toward how others view you and it starts with your self-talk.

3. Find a mentor: If you don't have a mentor, someone you can meet with on a monthly basis to discuss your career plans and goals, use the next week to consider who you might approach about this. It could be your boss, a former supervisor, a professor from school, or a business leader from your community. Once you've identified someone contact them and invite them to meet you for a coffee.

You might also be interested in this article highlighting 6 ways to start 2015 on a high note.

What are you doing now to make 2015 a success?


Monday, January 5, 2015

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Stop the Negative Self-Talk

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.

Start the new year out strong by working to eliminate negative self-talk. The constant dialogue running through our heads can be filled with negative and self-defeating thoughts and to fully succeed we need to understand how to replace this negative talk with positive thoughts.

In the video below Tony Teegarden offers an important question that can help you stop the negative self-talk and look at your life and circumstances in a realistic and positive light.

What are your techniques for dealing with negative self-talk?