High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 22 Microhabits That Will Change Your Life

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!

• 22 Microhabits That Will Change Your Life in a Year: "if you want to have a completely different life in a year or two, you need to start now, and you need to start small."

• 5 Steps Mel Robbins Followed to Radically Transform her Career and Life: "Support others, because another person's success does not limit your ability to achieve your own."

• 11 Ways to Achieve True Work-Life Integration: "Rather than trying to keep things separate, it’s about finding a way to integrate the two. Do a little work from home, build in some remote work time, find ways to efficiently handle personal errands and tasks while at work if it’s easier."

• 4 Common Misconceptions About Networking: "Building real relationships is about investing in them first, figuring out what they want and love, and then helping them get it."
• Don't Set an Agenda Before Important Meetings:"The group needs an agenda, but the group members need to decide how to spend their time together — whether that’s a few hours or a few days. Below are the steps we recommend."

High Five Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 8 Paradoxical Habits of Successful People

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!

• 8 Paradoxical Habits of Successful People: "Successful people are passionate about their work, but they don’t let it skew their thinking. They have the ability to step back and look at their work with a critical eye and to accept their mistakes."

• A Revolutionary New Approach to Time Management: "When stress rises, the need to feel in control rises too. Often that leads to reaching for the time management tools to cram more in to already loaded to-do lists. Which only leaves you feeling more depleted."

• Why Women Are Still Making So Much Less Than Men: "The idea that I could ask for more, that my skills and talent were worth more, never crossed my mind."

• 5 Skills Critical for Success & Career Advancement: "In fully committing to choices which serve your career advancement first, your personal brand will start to take shape. You’ll start being deemed as someone to watch and follow."
• How to Talk With a Coworker Who's Having a Tough Time:"For as long as negative emotions show up at work (which is probably forever), you’ll be better off if you have some strategies to help your colleagues through it."

Five Areas to Be Grateful for in Your Career

As we approach Thanksgiving Day it’s good to think about our career and the parts of our work lives that we’re grateful for. We’d also recommend a daily gratitude practice but that is a story for another time.

There are many aspects of our career that we might be thankful for but for now let’s focus on the following five areas.

The opportunity to do work that benefits your community and the world, while utilizing your strengths, talents, skills, and interests. It’s fulfilling to find work that interests you and enables you to use your strengths and skills to make the world a better place through your company’s products or services.

Working with good people. You’re fortunate when you work with a competent and dedicated team that you enjoy working with toward a common goal. You earn bonus points when there is one or two co-workers you consider a friend or enjoy socializing with outside of work.

Flexible work arrangements. Be grateful for opportunities you to work from home, leave work early to attend to family matters, or benefit from a four-day work-week.

A mentor. We should always be thankful for those people who have taught, guided, and mentored us along the way in our lives, education, and in our jobs. A good mentor should not be taken for granted, and he or she likely played an important role in where you are now in your life and career.

The occasion to advance in your career and to develop your skills. A great workplace enables you to gain new knowledge, enhance your skills, and provides opportunities for advancement. Be grateful for these opportunities at work.

These five areas can offer you the chance to reflect on your current job, be thankful for the positive aspects of your work, and can help you consider whether a change in scenery might be better for your career.

5 Ways to Get Ahead at Work

Instead of focusing on ways to move our careers forward it can be easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day of the job in ways that distract us from getting ahead, or worse, sink us into career despair and dissatisfaction.

There are some habits and traits we can instill into our daily work routine that will help propel our careers onward and lead us to more enjoyment and accomplishment at our workplace, including:

Making your boss a success. When you strive to make your boss successful you make yourself essential to your companies’ success. It is likely your manager will recognize these efforts and offer you greater opportunities and responsibilities as he or she learns to rely on you as someone that can be trusted to get the job done.

  

Owning mistakes. We all mistakes, however, and a successful person is often one who can recognize mistakes and take ownership for them without blaming others for the failure or diminishing their responsibility for it.

Supporting the team. To get ahead in your career demonstrate that you are a team player and can support others and step in to help when needed, especially before the help is requested. A good leader recognizes a need and makes a proactive attempt to be supportive and helpful without making others feel they are not holding their own.

    

Being optimistic. Let’s face it: work is not always fun but to move your career forward you should be known as someone who takes an optimistic view of the challenges of your work and the potential of your company. That doesn’t mean you are unrealistic but that you recognize what is required to succeed, both individually and as a company, and cheerfully embrace the challenge.

Speaking positively about others. No one wants to work with a gossip or with someone who speaks negatively about others. That includes your clients or customers. It’s a small world and your negative comments will usually get back to the person you spoke of, damaging your relationship and your reputation. Strive to avoid critical and negative conversations and, instead, speaks words of encouragement and support to those you interact with.

Applying these basic principles will help you get ahead at work while developing a reputation as a trusted and respected colleague.

5 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Job

Maybe you've been on the job for fifteen years or only 15 minutes. Or you leave the house with energy and enthusiasm or you're like a zombie at work, or operating your career on auto-pilot.

Wherever you happen to be at this moment in your career you should be constantly evaluating your situation and asking yourself a series of questions.

Below are five questions you should ask yourself about your job at least monthly.

Am I challenged in my work? To be satisfied in your work there needs to be some difficulty and some challenge involved. If a job is without a challenge it will become boring, making it unlikely for you to experience growth.

Do I have opportunities to advance at my workplace? Speaking of growth, a dynamic career is one that involves change, development, and opportunities to move up and advance. 

What conferences or workshops should I attend to develop my skills? A great way to gain new skills and knowledge in your field is by attending regular conferences and training sessions. These also provide important networking opportunities that should be cultivated regularly.

Do I experience joy in my job? An underappreciated byproduct of our work is the experience of joy. Work does not have to be (and should not) feel like drudgery. The work can be hard, difficult, and challenging and also provide a great sense of joy. In fact, perhaps the most joy-filled work experience requires difficulty and challenge.

Do I feel a sense of purpose at work? The most successful people, and those who feel happiest in their lives and careers, have a clear sense of their purpose and how their current work fits into that purpose. If you don't have a clear sense of what your purpose or "calling" is, then take some time in the next week to examine this. You will feel a greater sense of engagement, energy, and enthusiasm in your career when your job integrates your purpose with your strengths and skills.

Signs from Your Company That It's Time to Look for a New Job

If you work at a company or business, large or small, you might be getting some signals that its time to look for another job.

You don’t want to ignore these signs, or you might find yourself as part of the next round of layoffs.

Notice the following indicators in your company and it will be time to ready your resume and strongly consider moving on.

The company fails to meet its financial goals, loses money, or loses market share. When your company is not competitive in the marketplace over a period of time there will be difficult decisions to make. Often those hard decisions include a reduction in work force. No one wants to be on a sinking ship. This is a signifier that you should consider looking toward one of your competitors that is succeeding in your industry.

The company lays off staff and does not replace them. A company that reduces its staff frequently and does not replace them is likely in a difficult financial situation and is trying to save money. A company that is cutting costs and reducing staff is often a stressful place to work and the company may not be able to provide you with stable employment and clear ways to develop your career.

The company no longer provides you with an opportunity to advance. Perhaps you’ve hit the wall and there is no way to move forward in your company. This can happen in a small company with a boss that intends to remain long term or maybe you’re in an industry that prefers frequent turnover rather than offering opportunity for slow and steady promotion. If you want to move up in your company, develop new skills, and advance in your career you may need to consider a new employer to acquire the skills you desire.  

The company offers no training, nor does it provide support or funding for continued learning. When your employer does not value your knowledge and skills enough to invest in them with additional training you will need to consider a new position or watch your skills stagnate. Change is constant in business today and you need to have opportunities to continually upgrade your skills and knowledge.

When your company is sending you signals that its future is unclear you might want to take the time to update your resume and LinkedIn profile, deepen your network, and keep your eyes and ears open for another opportunity.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 4 Ways to Advance Your Career Over the Holidays

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!

• 4 Ways to Advance Your Career Over the Holidays: "The holiday season is a major time people reconnect, and see each other socially at everyone's holiday parties. Ask them to open up their Rolodex, and when they see people who can help you, they'll ask."

• 9 Ways to Say No to Negativity: "We collected the best negativity reduction tips from psychologists, coaches and authors to help you identify your look-on-the-gray-side habits and begin to chip away at them."

• Why You Should Always Say Yes to New Opportunities: "Jordan Taylor Wright explains how his passion and personality have propelled him to the success he enjoys today."

• 17 Of the Best Business Books to Give as Gifts This Holiday Season: "This book would make a great gift for anyone, but it's especially helpful for those who have expressed feelings of boredom or disdain towards their career."
• How to Convince Your Boss to Let You Work From Home: "More and more people are working remotely, and many say it improves their productivity and satisfaction — while also saving them time and money."

How to Measure Success in Your Career

It can be discouraging to look around and compare your career standing with that of successful entrepreneurs and career experts touting their accolades and wisdom on social media. You might even be tempted to compare your situation to that of some of your colleagues.

Resist the temptation!

When it comes to your career success you should only look to yourself and measure your success based on the following factors.

Your opportunities to advance or develop in your career. You’ll experience your career as successful if you have opportunities to move up in the company, earn a job promotion, and continue to expand your range of influence. 

 

Your opportunities to develop new skills. A successful career is one that changes and avoids stagnation. It is one where you are able to learn new skills, develop in new areas, and be part of the innovations in your chosen field.

Your opportunities to live a healthy and well-balanced life. A successful career is one in which your career does not prevent you from making healthy choices, getting enough sleep, eating well, spending meaningful time with your family, being physically fit, and enjoying some recreation and leisure time.

Your opportunities to earn a liveable wage. You don’t need to be rich and famous. Resist the desire to base your career success on your paycheck and to compare your things with the things your neighbor owns. Instead focus on ensuring that you can meet your financial obligations and purchase items of value that you need and enjoy.

Your opportunities to live your values. If you are doing meaningful work that is consistent with your values and provides a sense of purpose you will likely feel a sense of deep satisfaction in your work. Strive to find work that brings value to your community and to the world and you will be a success in your career.

When you evaluate your career success don’t focus on status, titles, and salary. Instead, take a look at whether you have opportunities to advance, develop new skills, experience work-life balance, earn enough to live on, and are fulfilling your purpose.

To Advance in Your Career Get to Know These Four People in Your Company

So, you got that new job and you're trying to better navigate the landscape and culture in order to set yourself up for success and a future promotion. There are a few people you'll want to get to know ... in addition to your boss and close colleagues and co-workers.

Take some time and set up meetings with the following people in your place of business. Go in with humility and curiosity to learn as much as you can and to be of service.

Your boss's boss. You want to understand how your company works, what the new initiatives are, who are your biggest competitors, and what are some of the biggest challenges to success, and developing a relationship with your boss's boss is a great way to gain some of this knowledge, while also demonstrating your knowledge, skills, and commitment to an important decision-maker and influencer.

Your Human Resources representative. Get to know how your Human Resources department works, how promotions are handled, and how and when they post new jobs by meeting your representative in the department. When you have a good relationship with your with HR you can be on the inside track for new job postings, and get detailed information about what skills a hiring manager is looking for. You also place yourself in a position to be first in mind when a position opens that you might be qualified for.

Your intern. Be sure to become a helpful resource to interns in your company. As they leave and take on jobs elsewhere they help to expand your network and can be an excellent source of information and resource about your industry. In addition, interns often have exit interviews with managers and HR and if they comment on your assistance during their time at the company this reflects positively on you to the leadership in your company.

Your IT support person. Things often go wrong when it comes to technology and by getting to know your tech support team you can often bypass some of the red tape and bureaucracy that can often come with getting help through the official channels. You can also get some patient hands-on training and instruction in some of the new technology that becomes part of your new processes and the quicker you become skilled at new technology the better off your prospects for promotion.

No matter how far along you are in your career you can benefit from getting to know the individuals in the four roles described above.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 3 Types of "No" You Need For Your Career

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, Rich Bellis from Fast Company, discusses how to say "no" in different situations at work to put yourself at an advantage.

5 Things to Consider Before You Take a New Job

Each person has some specific criteria they consider when looking for a new job, and sometimes we feel like we can't afford to be picky so we take the first thing that comes along. Bills are mounting or we've been turned down for other opportunities.

However, when possible, consider the following five things before taking a new job:

1. Advancement: Do you have opportunities to advance in this new position or will you quickly feel stuck? You might not want to take a job that will soon have you needing to look elsewhere.

2. Training. Does the new job provide opportunities for additional training or education? The world of work is changing rapidly and you'll want to be in a position that affords you the opportunities to keep up with the latest trends, technologies, and ideas.

3. Commute. Are you taking a job that will require you to drive for an hour or two, or can you take public transit to get there? You might reconsider taking a job that will require you to spend long hours in your car, not to mention spending large sums in gas.

4. Culture and values. What is the company culture like, and what does the company truly value? Are they committed to their employees and provide them with the tools and the culture to do the job well?

5. Leadership. Does the company have effective and approachable leadership? And does that leadership value input from its employees?

These are some of the questions you might want answered to your satisfaction before taking that next job.

5 Steps to Evaluate Your Career Over the Holidays

Over the last several weeks we've discussed some things you can do to enhance your career and your network over the holidays. Today, we'll think about the current state of your career and job and take some time to evaluate where you stand.

Here are five things to consider:

1. Are you learning? Do you have opportunities to learn new skills and develop the ones you have? You'll enjoy your career much more if you're not bored and have the chance to branch out and learn more.

2. Are you developing relationships? Very few of us have no need to interact with others on the job and so it's important that we're developing effective and productive working relationships. Our job is often a place to develop new friendships, as well as expand our our network.

3. Do you have opportunities for advancement? Work can feel frustrating if we seem trapped in our current job and have no opportunities to advance or to move into other more challenging roles.

4. How do you feel on Sunday night? When you're thinking about going to work on Monday morning how do you feel? Do you feel stressed out or are you dreading going into work? If you look forward to the challenges awaiting you that is a good sign that you're in a good place.

5. Are you applying your strengths? You'll enjoy your work much more when you are able to apply your strength and skills, those things you do well, to your job. If you're unable to utilize your strengths at work it is probably a good indication that you're in the wrong position.

Six Options for Continuing Education and Career Advancement

Every job or career path requires some knowledge or education to be successful. For some careers you might be able to learn on the job. Others, however, require additional education or an advanced degree.

Obviously if you want to be a psychiatrist you'll need to go to medical school. That bachelor's degree in English won't cut it. But there are many others jobs and careers where that English degree can be used broadly and supplemented with other forms of learning and education.

If you need to add some additional learning and education to your resume here are a six options to consider:

1. Local Community College. Many community colleges offer excellent courses to provide you with a specific skill, such as using Photoshop. They also offer associate degrees or certificate programs in many fields that might supplement your career development.

2. Local Government. Most cities and towns offer community education courses in a wide variety of
subjects and fields. You might just find a low-cost course that will help to gain the skill to qualify for that promotion.

3. Local Organizations. Small (and large) nonprofit organizations, along with other local businesses and community libraries typically offer training in the arts, financial management, computer programs, and more at very low-cost and some, like at the library, might be free.

4. Mentors or Tutors. Do not overlook the training and learning opportunities that a mentor or tutor can provide. A mentor might allow you to job-shadow with him or her to learn more about their work and profession. Hiring a tutor can be a great way to enhance those computer skills or to learn a new language.

5. Online Courses. You can learn just about anything online, such as coding or a new language, through free courses at a variety of great online learning sites, including Codecademy. Check out this previous post about online learning.

6. College or University. Of course, you just might have to go back to college or university in order to complete that degree or earn an advanced degree.

5 Ways to Advance Your Career

At times our career or job feels stagnant and we find ourselves lacking enthusiasm for our work. It is during these times that we think about a job change or fantasize about being our own boss.

However, there are usually some things we can do to advance our career even when we're feeling bored or unchallenged.

1. Volunteer. When your boss or supervisor presents an opportunity to take on a new task or coordinate a new project be the first to volunteer to take it on. Often this change can provide the spark you need. It also demonstrates leadership and can provide an opportunity to learn something new.

2. Shadow. Spend a day job-shadowing someone else in your company to get a better sense of the business, learn a new skill, or to expand your network.

3. Train someone. If you have interns in your company or someone new has recently joined your team taking the time to train them in some aspect of your job can provide a new appreciation for your work, stimulate some new ideas to do your job better, and expand your skills.

4. Seek out training. If your workplace offers training classes take advantage of them to recharge your batteries and gain new knowledge and skills.

5. Interview. Don't hesitate to apply for other jobs in your company. It provides good interviewing practice and enables you to meet other hiring managers and learn about other areas in the company.

What other things do you do to work at advancing in your career?

5 Keys to Career Happiness

Are you happy with your career? Unfortunately, many of us spend a great deal of time and energy

complaining about our job or our boss to anyone who will listen.

Instead of complaining let's consider 5 keys to job satisfaction and career happiness.

1. Your work is meaningful. The company you work for and the position you fill helps to bring value to the world. In other words, your work is not unethical or promotes products or services that do harm.

2. You have work-life balance. The job you do allows you time to relax with family, engage with your hobbies, and does not cause you to be in a constant state of stress.

3. You are fairly compensated. This is obvious but you'll feel better about your work if you feel that you are valued and paid appropriately for the value you bring to your job.

4. You have valuable relationships at work. Many long-lasting friendships start as co-worker relationships. It's much easier to enjoy your job if you enjoy those you work with.

5. You have opportunities to advance and develop your skills. It's easy to feel stuck in a job or career if we see no opportunity to advance or move up. A satisfying job allows you to continually grow, learn, and develop.

Consider these keys to help evaluate your current situation and determine whether it's time to change your job or change your attitude.

6 Resources to Learn Something New

If your are looking to advance in your career, develop new skills, or learn something new

you are living in the golden age of free, online educational resources. You can learn just about anything for free online through many great resources or MOOCs (massive open online course). 

Below are 6 resources to get you started with enhancing your skills and knowledge for fun or to help you get that promotion.

1. The School of Life is "devoted to developing emotional intelligence through the help of culture." 

2. Coursera is an "education platform that partners with top universities and organizations worldwide, to offer courses online for anyone to take, for free." 

3. Codecademy is "teaching the world how to code." 

4. MIT OpenCourseWare is "a web-based publication of virtually all MIT course content."

5. Khan Academy"offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom." 

6. Open Culture offers "high-quality cultural & educational media for the worldwide lifelong learning community." 

Do you have a resource to recommend?

Three questions to ask before pursuing an advanced degree

You have your bachelor's degree but are considering pursuing some kind of advanced degree: a master's or even a law degree. The conventional wisdom is that there are significant benefits to your career by pursuing an advanced degree. But the decision to do so should not be made lightly. Before pursuing an advanced degree, reflect on the questions below to become more clear about whether the decision is the right one for you.

What is your goal in pursuing an advanced degree? When you embark upon an endeavor like obtaining a master's degree or another of its kind, think about what it is that you are trying to accomplish. Do you hope to earn more money? Those with advanced degree do earn a higher income over the duration of the careers according to the Georgetown University College Payoff report. However, some industries value higher education more than others and an advanced degree may not make a difference. But money might not be your goal: perhaps you pursuing one for the sake of learning or growing your professional network. You may have other reasons; get clear about them before filling out any paperwork.

What is the value of a degree to your organization? If you are working for a company or organization, learn how they value degrees. Some employees think that obtaining an advanced degree will lead to an automatic promotion or pay increase...only to be disappointed to find out that it does not. Your role in the company may make a difference as well: if you are in a sales position, an advanced degree might not mean a pay increase (though it could be factored in to promotional opportunities). And while some companies provide a tuition reimbursement benefit, it may require you to commit to working there for a certain number of years (typically one to three); if you leave before then you will have to pay back all or a portion of your schooling. If you work for an organization, ask around or check your company's policies to learn more about the impact an advanced degree would have.

How will pursing the degree affect your life? Pursuing a degree will take time and dedication: are you willing to make sacrifices in order to see it through? If you have a family, are you willing to spend less time with them and more time studying? Same question if you do not have a family but have an active social life; pursuing a degree will affect it. You should factor in two to three hours of studying for every hour that you are in class. Further, if your organization provides a tuition remission benefit, it is highly likely that there are things it will not cover (e.g. books, lab fees, gas to travel to classes, etc). Is your budget in line to be able to take on this extra burden? 

While there are many benefits to advancing your education, a level-head and some serious consideration are necessary to ensure if this is the right decision for you. 

Five Reasons to Plan a Professional Conference

I was recently named registration chair for a regional coaching conference to be held this summer, and I couldn't be more thrilled with this opportunity. See, I love attending conferences: networking with other professionals, engaging in informative education sessions, learning new skills, staying abreast with industry trends...they serve to "light my professional fire." But being on the planning team for a conference boosts this even further. Why should you consider helping to plan a professional conference?

In-depth networking: It's one thing to meet someone at a conference and have a series of nice conversations over lunch or during an educational program. But planning a conference enables you to get to know a set of professionals sooner, longer, and the quality of your interactions are more in-depth. They get a sense of you as a professional: your interests, your drive,  your passion, and your experience. The relationships you make can last you a lifetime, and those relationships can result in wonderful career opportunities for you and for them.

Solve new problems: In the workplace, the problems you solve can become too familiar after some time, with the same issues being tackled by the same individuals and groups. Planning a conference creates a "shock" to your system where the problems are newer, the environment fresh, and you are challenged in different ways.

Use different skills: Similar to the point above,  you become used to using a certain set of skills in your current occupation. When planning a conference, however, you employ new or different skills to tackle the new problems you are confronted with. In my role as registration chair, I see spreadsheets, technology-issues, and essential communication between myself and other conference attendees in my future. I look forward to doing something different and in a different context in service of my professional community.

Resume booster: Helping to plan a conference should most certainly go on your resume as a professional development activity. The initiative you conveyed, accomplishments you achieved, skills utilized, and problems solved help to show you in another professional lens, one that you want to profile to future employers.

Free or discounted registration: It isn't uncommon to receive free or discounted registration for a conference when on the planning committee. This is a nice perk, but don't let it be the primary driving factor of why you participate: you will be disappointed quickly because the time you put in to plan doesn't begin to cover the costs. Rather, see what you are doing in light of the first three points. You'll be happier for it, and the registration will simply be the cherry on top of the professional sundae you've created.

So what are you waiting for? Contact a professional organization in your field today, find out when their next conference is, and volunteer!

Reinventing Yourself in a New Position

In my last post, I gave tips on what to do when transitioning out of a position and into a new one. The big theme of that post was "preparation," namely to help the work unit you are leaving prepare for your departure through creating a transition plan with your supervisor, documenting procedures, and training your replacement. The Daily Leap is a fount of knowledge when it comes to transitioning into your new position, with great, timely tips here and here and here. There is one aspect of starting a new job, however, that is critical but understated: the potential for reinvention.

In your current role you are a part of a work culture, with certain norms and expectations. You develop practices that meet those characteristics and that fit your style of doing work. A new position provides a moment to reflect on what you are now and who you want to be regarding this new opportunity. In what areas would you like to improve or change? Do you want to develop new work practices, like saying thank you more? Before you start a new position, spend some time reflecting on these questions:

In what ways did I perform in my old position that reflected my core strengths? 

How did I let good and bad habits infiltrate my work in my old position?

If I start my old position over again, what would I change?

What challenges excite me about this new position?

What do I want others to say about me a month into my new position? A year?

What would initiative in my new position look like?

What key relationships do I need to develop to help me become successful in my new position?

The questions  are endless, and the endeavor important. View a new position as a way to create a new reputation for yourself professionally through changing those aspects of your professional character that need changing.

Have any better questions to share? Do so in the comments below!

Top Five Myths about References

Myths exist in nearly every aspect of the job search process, from creating a resume, writing a cover letter, or taking part in an interview. The same can be said about the process of choosing job references, or those who can speak about you as a professional. Read - and heed - the top five myths about references below. 

Anyone can be a reference: There are some job candidates who believe that anyone can be a reference: a friend, a neighbor, or a family member. What these candidates fail to realize is that the quality of the reference matters significantly. A reference should be able to speak directly to you as a professional, not in any other role. Ensure that the references you choose can do so.

A reference will always have positive things to say: Candidates may assume that anyone that they have worked with will give them a glowing reference. Not so. Simply working with someone doesn't mean that they will give you a positive reference. When you are reaching out to solicit references, ask that person if they can give you a positive reference. A response of 'no' doesn't necessarily mean that you were a poor worker (though it could be educational for you to find out why they cannot). Ensure that your references will be able to support your candidacy.

You should only have three references: The standard is to provide three references to speak to your work habits and ability to perform in a potential position. However, consider providing a fourth or a fifth unless specifically asked not to. Providing more than three shows confidence that you have more than three people who can speak highly about you. It also will give the potential employer options for who they want to contact.

You can't direct your references: When you contact someone to be your reference, be sure to send her a copy of the position description and to remind her of certain projects or work that you did together that will reflect positively on your candidacy. Such pre-preparation will give your references something of substance to discuss, making them more comfortable and more effective for you when contacted by a potential employer.

You don't need to tell your reference they are being references: Nothing frustrates a reference more than not being forewarned that they will be contacted by a potential employer. Everyone who you give as a reference should know beforehand that they could potentially be contacted. If you do not direct your references as to what you want them to say about you, they should - at the very least - know that they could be contacted so they are not taken by surprise.

What myths about references have you uncovered? Comment about them below!