High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Incredibly Successful and Happy People Consistently Do These 6 Things

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!

• Incredibly Successful and Happy People Consistently Do These 6 Things: "Most people are scared to attach their identity to their performance. High performers are willing to put themselves out there and place their identities on the line."

• 6 Mistakes Job Hunters Make While Employed: "Tell your friends about your job hunt one-on-one or over the phone, and emphasize the confidential nature of your search."

• 5 Tips for Building an Online Presence that Employers Love: "It also helps to build a website with your name in the domain. This way, when they search your name, they will find your optimized website where you can include your current resume and a portfolio of your work."

• Go to the Gym and Become a Better Boss: "It may sound obvious that effective managers need to cultivate that one-on-one mind-set, but it’s easy to lose sight of as your team grows and your responsibilities threaten to divide your attention. A little bit of individualized focus goes a long way."
• 9 Phrases Smart People Never Use In Conversation: "there are some phrases that emotionally intelligent people are careful to avoid in casual conversation. The following phrases are nine of the worst offenders. Avoid them at all costs."

How to Handle Rejection

“Thank you for your interest in the VIP position at ABC corporation. I want to thank you for applying for the position and let you know that we are moving forward with another candidate. Other positions open regularly and we invite you to keep an eye open for future job postings.”

You might have received a similar message by email or over the phone sometime and even if the position didn’t seem right to you or you had concluded that you weren’t a good fit, it can hurt to experience rejection.

So, how best to manage the disappointment that comes from rejection and move forward?

First of all, accept how you feel. It’s perfectly normal to feel down or disappointed by the rejection. If you’ve received multiple messages like this you might be feeling very discouraged and wonder if you’ll ever find the right job. Allow yourself to experience these emotions, acknowledge that it’s okay and normal to feel them but decide on a time (say 48 hours) for you to move on.

Then reevaluate your strategy. Perhaps you need to be more targeted in your job search, or maybe you can gain more support and leads from your network. Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback, both from those close to you and from a prospective employer that you interviewed with. Take some time to gather feedback, revise your job search strategy, and refocus your energy.

Reenergize by gaining a new perspective. Look at each rejection as an opportunity to learn something new about your field, to develop strength and grit, and to work on taking a more positive and optimistic approach to your career. Every door that shuts makes possible another door to open, leading to a position that will best utilize your strengths and skills. Or perhaps it’s even time to consider taking the path of an entrepreneur. 

Finally, continue to apply for jobs, experience rejection, and get back up. You’ll learn a lot about yourself, other companies, and gain valuable experience and knowledge about your industry by interviewing for many positions.

The resilience you develop will eventually lead to the right position in the best company for you.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: How to Handle a Horrible Boss

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 Fast Company provides some some humor on a Monday morning, along with a few helpful tips for dealing with a difficult manager.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Do This Ritual at the End of Each Week to Become More 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!

• Do This Ritual at the End of Each Week to Become More Productive: "They keep a sacred, non-negotiable meeting with themselves every week to re-sync, get current, and align their daily work and projects with their priorities."

• 10 Happiness Practices From Around the World: "It is based on the observation that harboring resentment toward others mostly harms ourselves. Instead, it’s wiser to take a deep breath and figure out your own feelings before discussing them with someone you feel has done you wrong."

• How to Be Brave Enough to Change: "Here are three ways to build your courage, so you and your colleagues can move successfully to the new reality."

• 5 Ways to Build Resilience: "A growth mindset entails maintaining the belief that we can grow our strengths and talents through hard work. It attributes growth to the investment of time and energy, not the idea that growth is given to us as an innate gift."
• A Practical Guide to Achieving Any Goal and Living Beyond Fear: "if you're willing to do the hard interior work of living a life of trust and emotional freedom, there are absolutely no limits to your growth and potential."

Four Tips to Build a Network if You're an Introvert

At whatever point you happen to be in your career you likely understand the importance of building a supportive, encouraging, and challenging network around you.

This network can be made up of former college roommates, colleagues, your ex-boss, best friends, and family.

Some of us, however, are introverted or shy and might find it more difficult to work through the anxiety to build a network that can support us as we look to achieve our career goals and dreams. What do you do then?

Here are four tips an introvert can take to begin to build a strong and supportive network.

Begin with one. Don’t be overwhelmed. Start simply and work to develop a single relationship. You might find yourself more comfortable communicating with someone one-on-one, rather than attending a group. Identify someone from your job or school and invite them to join you for coffee for a few minutes. These simple interactions are the first steps in forming deeper bonds that can lead the relationship to a place of mutual support. In addition, this simple step can motivate you reach out to others or take on some of the other ideas noted below.

Use Social Media. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn can provide a great, low-anxiety, way to develop relationships with some of your contacts. You have time to carefully craft a message to someone or to consider a response to a post or a question by someone else. Social media also makes it easier to reach out to others and expand your network, starting with a simple initial “friend” request or follow. With social media it’s never been easier to expand your network beyond those you are already close to.

Start a small group. There are many opportunities to join groups, both in-person and virtual, through a variety of sources but for the introvert it might make good sense to start your own group with a few people you already know. You could start a book club with a handful of friends and open things up for them to invite others. Soon you’ve expanded your circle and widened your network while also making some new friends and building community.

Enlist the help of friends. Finally, of course, let your friends know that you are interested in building your network. Ask them to introduce you to others in their networks who might share similar interests with you. Again, the power of social media can help ease the anxiety around introductions and facilitate getting to know someone a little before meeting up in person.

If you’re an introvert or experience social anxiety these suggestions can help ease the way to building an effective network to help you attain the success in your career that you’re looking for.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: How to Deal with Criticism

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 Entrepreneur, Ben Angel provides some helpful tips for handling criticism and making the most of difficult feedback.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: The Art of the LinkedIn Profile Picture

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 Art of the LinkedIn Profile Picture: "LinkedIn members who include a photo on their profile receive 21 times more profile views than those who don't, and profiles with a photo are 36 times more likely to receive messages."

• The Connection Between Emotional Intelligence and Mindfulness: "Mindfulness has become the corporate fad du jour, a practice widely touted as a fast-track to better leadership. But we suspect that not all the benefits laid at its feet actually belong there."

• 10 Things to Add to Your Resume and 10 to Drop: "To put your power into your resume, you have to get rid of the Corporate Zombie Speak language in it and replace it with your own human  voice."

• 10 Tips to Motivate Employees Without Resorting to Money: "People want to have control over their own work. Instead of being a “helicopter boss,” give your employees the chance to make decisions."
• 9 Straightforward Ways to Achieve Big Things: "In order to avoid the unknown, most people bail on their dreams. Which is why you’ve got to find clarity and understanding to achieve your biggest goals."

To Be Successful in Your Life & Career Get to Know This Important Person

Success in your career depends on many factors but one factor that is underappreciated is the need to get to know an important person in your life. Your knowledge of this person will help you gain some clarity, focus, and direction in your career.

So, you might be wondering, just who is this important person you should get to know? Perhaps it’s the CEO of your company? Or the Human Resources Director?  

It’s a good idea to know the decision makers in your company but the person you need to know before all others is yourself.

When you have a clear sense of who are, the strengths and skills you possess, and your interests and mission in life, you’ll have the ability to make focused and healthy career decisions for you and your family.

To get a better understanding of yourself consider the following.

Check out the Myers-Briggs test. The Myer-Briggs Type Inventory (or MBTI) is a popular test that provides you with some information about your personality. The results of the test will place you in one of sixteen personality types that can help you better understand yourself, how you interact with others and perceive the world, and provide some insight to help you communicate more effectively with other personality types. There are also versions of the test you can take online.

Take a skills assessment. You can find many tests to assess your skills and these can be beneficial to help you better understand what it is that you are already good at and how you might apply those skills to a career. Many tests will link up your skills with relevant jobs and this can be a great way to consider a job or career you hadn’t thought of before.

Meet with a therapist. Sometimes meeting with a therapist one on one can be the best way to come to a better understanding of ourselves and to figure out what is holding us back from success in our life and career. We might carry with us negative patterns of behavior or thought that we don’t even realize and a good therapist can help us work through these issues.

Ask for feedback. We often have people in our lives who know us well: a spouse or partner, good friends, family, a boss. Take the initiative and be courageous and ask for some feedback about your strengths and weaknesses. The more specific the feedback is the more helpful it will be for you.

Get a mentor. A good mentor can support you in many ways, including providing knowledge and wisdom gained from their experience, providing you access to their network, and encouraging you to persevere. Mentors can provide you with a better understanding of who you are and which direction to head in your career.

When you gain a better understanding of your strengths and weaknesses you can become more effective at surrounding yourself with the resources you need to be successful in your career and in life.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 10 Habits of Happy People

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 fun video below from Practical Psychology highlights 10 habits that happy people implement in their lives, starting with gratitude and optimism. Watch the video below to learn about the other 8.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How to Improve Your Life in 8 Steps

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 Improve Your Life in 8 Steps: "A vision forces you to be specific about what you’re going after, and once you have it, it becomes part of your identity and propels you into action each day."

• 9 Keys to a Happy Career Making Millions: "consider starting or joining a company that is socially conscious. Find one that gives back to the community. Alternatively, you can start volunteering."

• 9 Signs an Employee is Exceptionally Productive: "Effort without a genuine purpose is just effort. Effective people don't just know what to do--they know why. They have a long-term goal. They have short-term goals that support their long-term goals."

• Stop Letting Email Control Your Work Day: "In an era of fast-paced offices, instant gratification, and constant access, one of the most important things we can do personally and professionally is take a step back."
• 7 Places in the US So Cheap You Can Afford to Quit Your Job and Be an Entrepreneur: "there's a high-quality of living, good weather and fast internet....These are places where the cost of living is so cheap you can afford to quit your day job and become an entrepreneur."

How to Become a Better Leader at Work

Even if you don’t supervise or manage staff in your current job you likely would benefit from increasing your leadership skills. Becoming a better leader can help you move forward in your career, be a more effective parent, or help you manage your life better.

In addition to taking leadership courses, there are some basic steps you can take in your life to become a more effective leader. 

Consider taking the following steps.

Change a small habit. Leaders walk the walk, rather than simply talking a good game and expecting others to “do as I say, not as I do.” Good leaders practice good habits; the kind of habits that make them more effective in their lives. For example, a good leader recognizes the importance of sleep to their success and ensures they get seven to eight hours each night. If you’re not getting enough sleep work at changing your routine and starting a new habit. Or perhaps you need to eat healthier foods that promote energy and focus. Start small and start one new habit and then move forward.

Take an interest in those around you and allow yourself to be mentored by them. You have much to learn from your colleagues and others you interact with daily. A good leader has the humility to recognize this and gain insights wherever possible. In addition, practice the art of good listening. This will enable you to humbly listen to, and learn from, as many diverse voices as possible.

You can also gain a great deal of insight from books. Many great leaders are also writers and they can mentor you through their works. Leaders are often voracious readers so check out your local library and become a frequent visitor.

Learn to see the good. No one enjoys being around negative or cynical people and the best leaders express gratitude, are optimistic, and help others see the challenges before them in a positive way. See the good in your life and work situation by changing your attitude and daily noting in your journal the things you are grateful for.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: How to Write a To-Do List

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 Fast Company, Gina Trapani provides tips for effectively using a to-do list, noting that a badly written to-do list can actually sabotage your productivity instead of boost it.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: The 5 Worst Things You Can Do On a Job Interview

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 5 Worst Things You Can Do On a Job Interview: "The number one thing to focus on as you approach any job interview is your attitude, or posture."

• 6 Success Lessons You Need to Know to Improve Yourself: "So many people don’t do what they love because of what others say or think. They hedge and settle in life."

• 12 Small Adjustments That Make a Difference Between Failure and Success: "Failure is the key to success. Learn to love and embrace failing, knowing that it will only make you stronger in the long run."

• 5 Lies Mentally Tough People Don't Waste Energy On: "Ultimately, being mentally tough comes down to not wasting your precious mental bandwidth on things out of your control and that doesn't serve your vision."
• 4 Signs That Your Focus Is Holding You Back at Work: "Spend time unfocusing to allow your brain to coalesce this sense of self. A simple way to do this is to break up your workday by going for a walk."