High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 7 Ways to Make Yourself Indispensable Without Being Overworked

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!

• 7 Ways to Make Yourself Indispensable Without Being Overworked: "Being enthusiastic and energetic about new tasks and challenges is also empowering, and may help coworkers embrace challenges with more energy as well. Supervisors consider the employees who empower others as valuable parts of a team."

• 3 Signs You've Outgrown Your Job: "
  Acquiring new skills not only keeps your job exciting, it also allows for growth and new possibilities. 
  Ask yourself: Did I learn something new today? If not, when was the last time I learned something new?
  "

• The Only Way to Engage and Retain Millennial Workers: "
  You want to keep millennials? Don't allow them to get bored. 
  Millennials love to learn
  ."

• 10 Ways to Become a More Charismatic Person: "Make your conversations relatable to those you’re speaking with. Use stories that position you as an average person in whom others can see themselves."
• 7 Core Beliefs of Great Bosses: "Exceptional bosses see change as an opportunity for improvement. They constantly adapt their approach and embrace change to stay ahead of the curve."

4 Ways to Develop and Demonstrate Leadership Skills

Perhaps nothing is more necessary to advance in your career than the development of leadership skills. Sure we've all worked for bosses and managers who were not effective. They had the title but they were not leaders. No one wanted to follow them in anything and it's likely their influence was limited, along with their opportunities for further advancement.

So, how does one develop or demonstrate leadership skills? Consider the following four points as basic steps to get started.

Be curious and inquisitive. Leaders are not afraid to show they don't have all the answers. They are interested in learning as much as they can and so they become good at asking questions and taking advice and suggestions, without becoming defensive as a way to mask insecurity or lack of knowledge.

Become good at listening. To supplement their curiosity, good leaders are good listeners and they hear what others are telling them without the need to interrupt, correct, or express their own opinion. They take a genuine interest in how others view a situation or a problem and integrate these opinions to formulate their solutions or to take action.

Try new things and fail well. Effective leaders are not afraid to take risks, tackle new opportunities, and experience failure. Success in your career, and in all areas of life, requires the ability to understand that failure is simply one of the steps toward success and your ability to respond to failure will greatly influence and lead to future success.

Become clear about your values and take a stand. Great leaders are clear on the values, priorities, principles, and ethics that guide them and are willing to take a stand, even when it's unpopular. The strength and courage to do so increases the respect others have for you and makes it more likely they'll want to come alongside you and join the effort.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 6 Things Millennials Need to Know About the Modern Workplace

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

The video below from Entrepreneur presents six things that millennials should know about the contemporary workplace, including the understanding that promotions and advancing in a career takes patience, hard work, and time.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Why You Should Make Time for Self-Reflection

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!

• Why You Should Make Time for Self-Reflection: "The most useful reflection involves the conscious consideration and analysis of beliefs and actions for the purpose of learning. Reflection gives the brain an opportunity to pause amidst the chaos, untangle and sort through observations and experiences."

• How to Thrive When Feeling Stuck in a Rut: "Courage is something we can develop and build throughout a lifetime. Think of it as a byproduct of all that life presents to you -- the victories and the losses."

• What to Do When You Love Your Job But Hate Your Boss: "Think about the role you want after this one and strategically work to gather the experiences, contacts and training you'll need to step into that position."

• Here's When You Should or Shouldn't Listen to Feedback: "You’ll benefit from negative feedback if you’re sure about your commitment and you’re an expert—you know what and how to do it, but need the extra push to get going."
• 3 Scientific Reasons Clutter Can Stress You Out: "An excess of physical clutter can overload the visual cortex, competing for attention in your brain and interfering with your ability to focus and process information."

How to Bring More Balance to Your Life and Career

Research shows that more men and women are reporting increased levels of stress in their lives, despite the ways technology has made many of our daily tasks quicker, easier, and simpler to perform. This increased level of stress is taking a toll on our health, our personal relationships, and our careers.

There are, however, steps we can take to bring more balance to our personal and work lives, and if you struggle with maintaining a healthy and stress-free personal life consider the following ideas for achieving a healthy work-life balance:

Unplug and turn off your laptop and mobile. 

Make a plan to turn off your work phone or log off your email at a specific time each day. This will make it easier for you to succeed, rather than distracting you with your email when you want focus on personal time. In addition, consider setting aside at least one day each weekend to go without your electronic devices.

Get physical and move. 

Incorporating some physical activity throughout your day will help alleviate stress and increase your energy levels. If you work at a desk all day try spending some time—if even only 10 minutes—standing while you work, and take regular walks, if possible.

Spend time outdoors. 

Regular time outside, among clean air, grass, flowers, trees, lakes, and streams has been shown to reduce stress. Take a walk or run before work in the morning or bike through a nearby park in the evenings.

Become energized by your food. 
An important way to gain balance in your life is to eat food that energizes you rather than ingesting foods and drinks that have too much sugar, caffeine, or alcohol. Drink a lot of water and snack on nuts, fruit, and vegetables throughout the day.     

Reduce stress with meditation and sleep. 
Even a simple and brief practice of meditation in the morning can bring significant benefits to your work and personal life, and can greatly reduce stress, while helping you focus on what you’re grateful for in your life. The importance of adequate amounts of sleep cannot be overstated. Focusing on those two areas—adequate sleep and a meditation practice—can set you up for greater success throughout your day.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 5 Books Mark Cuban Says Every Entrepreneur Should Read

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

The video below from Inc. presents five books recommended by Mark Cuban for those interested in being a successful entrepreneur. These books are useful for anyone wanting to start a business or find more success in their career and business life.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How Positivity Makes You Healthy and Successful

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!

• How Positivity Makes You Healthy and Successful: "Pessimism is trouble because it’s bad for your health. Numerous studies have shown that optimists are physically and psychologically healthier than pessimists."

• Stop Reading Lists of Things Successful People Do: "Most of the advice these lists contain is based on subjective interpretations of personal accounts, not on systematic, scientific analyses."

• How to Know if a Potential Workplace is the One for You: "The most effective businesses know who they are and use their values as a yardstick in making decisions from who they hire, to who they want to partner with, to what kind of culture they want."

• The Best-Paying Jobs for Women in 2017: "Several health care positions made a showing on the list. For women, nurse practitioners were the third-highest earners."
• 4 Actions You Can Take Right Now to Improve Your Prospects in Life and Business: "Look up new activities that you can try in your area for a small amount of money. This could be a free concert, free class or just a cheap movie. Participate in different activities so you can find out what you might love."

How to Get More Out of Your Work Environment

If you work in an office or a cubicle it can often feel like there is little you can do to enhance your work environment to support your productivity and enjoyment.

There are, however, several small steps that you can take to spruce up your work area to make it more effective for you. Try implementing a few of the following ideas and you might find yourself looking forward to coming in next Monday.

1. Add color to your work area. Many of us work in offices with white or off-white walls, or with dull colors that make one think of sleep. Color can energize and bring joy so find some opportunities to add color to your work station by putting up photos or posters with lots of color. Nature photographs work well and can help relax you during a particularly stressful day. You might also tape up swaths of wall paper or colorful wrapping paper to add a burst of color to your space.

2. Bring in the outdoors. A plant can do wonders to improve your mood while also improving the air quality in your work area. It can also, as mentioned above, contribute to stress relief. Add some flowers to the mix for some color and you might just find yourself working with a smile on your face.

3. Reduce and de-clutter. Some of us have too many things on our desks—papers, clips, rubber bands, folders, post-it notes—and by removing some of this clutter and being better organized we can be more productive, reduce distractions, and increase our satisfaction while at work.

4. Clean your work area. If your company doesn’t hire a cleaning staff to come in and wipe down your desk and clean your work area be sure to do this regularly. Schedule some time each week to wipe down your desk and filing cabinets. Eliminating dust build-up will keep you feeling healthy and energized.

5. Light it up. Many offices are poorly lit contributing to eye strain, headaches, and a depressed mood. Consider bringing in your own small lamp or light fixture to brighten up your work station.

6. Get motivated. A final suggestion is to post a motivational quote or two somewhere you’ll see it throughout your day. You might even supplement it with a photo of something or someone who motivates you—maybe a vacation spot you’re saving for, or your spouse and children. Find something that energizes and encourages you to do your job well.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: How to Reframe Your Failures

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

In the video below from Success magazine, Margie Warrell discusses failure and its role in success, noting that "every story of great success" also includes failure.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: The Mindset You Need to Thrive in the Future of Work

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!

• The Mindset You Need to Thrive in the Future of Work: "To stay competitive, we need to get comfortable making difficult, complicated, higher-order decisions more regularly."

• 6 Ways to Rebound from Interview Rejection: "Don’t project thoughts, opinions or impressions onto the employer that they may not even have. Ironically, employment rejection is usually not about you! Accept that a rational business reason was likely the basis for your rejection, as hard as this may be."

• How Incredibly Successful People Think: "unsuccessful people, when they have a big dream and start thinking about what’s going to be required to accomplish that dream, they get very limiting in their beliefs about themselves and what’s possible."

• Why Do Employees Stay? A Clear Career Path and Good Pay: "workers who don’t see a clear progression from their current role to a better position in their company ultimately turn to opportunities elsewhere."
• 4 Habits of Highly Profitable Entrepreneurs: "the most effective entrepreneurs have a method of allocating their time effectively. One strategy is to plan your time in advance by using the bucket system."

5 Ways to Add Purpose and Meaning to Your Career

Many of us move through life and our work career deeply dissatisfied and without any sense of purpose. We might simply follow the paycheck or feel like we're sleepwalking through our work lives. Our career path might seem predetermined by our choice of college major or previous job experience but it's not too late to think about a more rewarding and purposeful direction.

If you want to live a more purposeful life or add more meaning to your career reflect on the following actions and considerations.

Identify your strengths and skills. You'll find the most enjoyment in your work if you're utilizing your strengths and the things you are good at. Spend some time to inventory your strengths and ask your friends and family to help you identify what you're good at.

Identify your passions. Do you love helping others? Or perhaps you enjoy solving problems and coming up with unique solutions. Do you love to travel? Spend some time thinking about the experiences that make you feel most alive and energized. Can you imagine a life or a career where can get up every day and do what you're passionate about?

Do no harm. You’ll feel a great sense of satisfaction and purpose when your life, career, and work choices do not bring harm or pain to the earth, other people, and to plants and animals. It is difficult to feel pride in your accomplishments or your work life when you contribute to spreading toxins or promoting unhealthy habits and choices.

  

Make a difference. Consider work that will make your community and the world healthier, safer, and more equitable for all. Does your company create products that pollute the air or advertise unhealthy food or products to children? Look for a career that contributes positively to the needs of the world, for a company that is solving the world’s problems in ways that don’t bring additional harm.  

  

Pass it on. Be a mentor. Your gifts and skills and talents were meant to be shared with others and provide you with an opportunity to teach someone else what you know. Pass on your knowledge and you can help multiple the good in the world.

You don’t necessarily need to change your job to change the world. There are opportunities all around, starting with your neighbor. If you look for ways to make a difference you will find them and begin to live a more rewarding a purposeful life and have a more satisfying career.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: What Makes a Successful Entrepreneur

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

In the video below from Business Insider, Barbara Corcoran from Shark Tank discusses what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur, and notes that "the minute someone starts feeling sorry for themselves they're not an entrepreneur."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How to Ace a Side Hustle While Working Full Time

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!

• How to Ace a Side Hustle While Working Full Time: "Similar to performance reviews with your boss, sit down with yourself on a regular basis to evaluate your time and resources. Is the side hustle serving its purpose? How is it impacting other areas of your life?"

• 13 Ways to Take Care of Yourself Every Day: "Focusing on work is a great excuse for not taking care of yourself. I have set specific time slots where I won’t work and will instead spend time on my family and me."

• Stop Doing These 10 Things if You'd Like to Be Happy: "Focusing too much on past events doesn’t allow you to live in the present or strive for the future. You can’t change the past."

• How to Manage Somebody You Just Don't Like: "Your role as their boss is to help them be successful in their role. You don’t need to like them to give them feedback, make sure they know your expectations, and be there to help them develop and perform."
• 5 Essential Steps to Changing Jobs Without Burning Bridges: "Refrain from researching open positions on company time. It comes off as incredibly unprofessional. Use personal time outside of work for job hunting."

5 Ways to Prepare for Your Career While in College

It's never too early to begin to think about your future career while in college and there are steps you can take to put yourself in a good position once you complete school and start the job search.

Here are five steps to take while in college to get a head start on the job hunt:

1. Work and work hard. While in college you want to be sure to work a part-time job, do excellent work, and learn as much as you can. This will provide you with a positive reference and recommendation when applying for jobs after graduation.

2. Become fluent in a second language. The world is getting small and more and more companies are going global. Being fluent in a second language provides you with an advantage over other candidates who only speak English.

3. Volunteer. Get out there and support a cause by volunteering your time. You will demonstrate initiative, learn new skills, widen your network, and add another reference for when the job search happens.

4. Travel widely. Take advantage of study-abroad opportunities whenever possible. Studying in another country provides you with experiences you'll never forget, friends you'll take with through life, and also helps you get immersed in another language.

5. Be friendly and get social. The friends you make in college often become your best friends throughout your life. Be kind, make friends, and you'll end up with a large and supportive network.