5 Ways to Take Responsibility for Your Career Development

Career development is often talked about in companies as they seek out ways to increase employee engagement and prepare current staff for greater responsibilities and promotions. Often this is thought of as training or mentoring opportunities and is considered the responsibility of the employer.

However, employees should take responsibility for their own development and find ways to add value to their career.

Here are five alternative and creative ways to take responsibility for your own career development.

Learn as much as possible about your company. You don’t need a formal mentor relationship or job-shadowing program to seek out information about your company. Set up your own meetings with people from various departments to expand your knowledge. Read company press releases and industry magazines and news reports. Be an active participant in company-wide meetings or cross-department discussions. Take part in a task force. The more you know about your company (and industry) the better prepared you are for taking on a new role or developing your leadership skills.

Take risks and accept failure. Success requires failure and so if you want to become successful in life you must learn to become comfortable taking risks and experiencing failure and rejection. Put yourself in position to try new things, such as learning to play an instrument, expanding your foreign language skills, or planning to give a presentation to your colleagues. These opportunities will stretch you to grow.

Attend conferences and meet people. Find an industry conference or two and register. You might also seek out a conference or workshop focused on some aspect of personal growth, such as weekend meditation retreat. These experiences will not only expand your knowledge and recharge your batteries, but they will provide an opportunity for you to expand your network by meeting new people and deepening relationships with those you already know.

Travel, read widely, and be curious. Cultivate a spirit of curiosity and inquisitiveness by traveling, exploring new regions and cultures, and reading widely on subjects that may be new to you. Consider checking out a foreign film from your library or seeing one at an independent theater you’ve never been to before.

Apply for other jobs. Even if you have no intention of leaving your current job you can sharpen your interviewing skills and gain valuable industry knowledge by applying for other positions, and interviewing at other companies. These experiences can strengthen knowledge of your field and increase your awareness of future opportunities.  

5 Things to Do on Your First Day at a New Job

Congratulations, you got the job! Perhaps you’re filled with nervous excitement as you plan for your first day and imagine what it’ll be like in your new position. Perhaps your new employer has a formal new employee orientation or maybe you’ll just be thrown into it.

Regardless, there are some things you can do on your first day to set the tone for your new work experience and to ensure that you get off on the right foot.

In addition to planning what to wear on that first day, consider how you might fit the following into your first day plans.  

Get organized. There is no better time to figure out the best system of organization for your work style. By day two you might already find things to be a chaotic mess and struggle to catch up. Talk with your supervisor and co-workers about the methods they use to keep things organized and under control and begin to implement your own system immediately.

Eat lunch with others. Sure, you might need some time alone to catch your breath and refocus your energies but do that over a short break. Do not eat lunch by yourself. If no one invites you to join them, take the initiative and extend the invitation to your colleagues. You’ll feel more comfortable on the job the quicker you get to know the people you work closely with every day.

Familiarize yourself with the layout of the building. Take a few minutes to get the lay of the land. Some companies will take new employees on a tour of the workspace and even if you get this tour, take some time to wander around on your own. You’ll become more easily oriented when you look around at your own pace and stop to situate yourself. Even if you work in a small office you’ll want to know where the kitchenette and rest rooms are located. 

Meet the person in charge of technology. Regardless of our work, we usually end up needing to use some form of technology to get the job done. And our tech eventually breaks down or malfunctions. On your first day take some time to seek out the person you’ll need to contact in this situation. Understand the best way to contact him or her and how you submit a request for help.

Be friendly and curious. This should be obvious but might be difficult if you’re overcome with anxiety. Make an effort to smile, be friendly with those you meet, and be curious about the work. Everyone you come in contact with does something of value to your new company and your job will be more enjoyable if you understand what it is that they do and how it relates to your new position.

Enjoy that new job and congrats!

4 Ways to Become Essential at Work

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, people stay in their job an average of 4.5 years, with the number of years on a job lower for younger workers. These stats suggest you are likely to move on or be forced out of a company several times in your career. Change is unavoidable as companies look to improve processes and save money.

If you want to remain at a company for the longer term, your career strategy should always involve a plan to make yourself essential. 

Of course, there’s no way to ensure that you don’t experience a layoff, but you can take some steps to mitigate the likelihood while helping you land on your feet if a layoff does come.

Here are four ways to become essential at your workplace:

Be curious and learn new skills. Change is a constant in the workplace today and to thrive you need to cultivate your curiosity. Strive to understand your market, the company you work in, and how new ideas and technologies are changing the way people utilize your products or services. Develop the skills necessary to stay ahead and understand how best to apply them to your work.

Become an expert. Use your curiosity and the new skills you’re learning to do your job better than anyone. Become known as the person to seek out for knowledge and training about your position and demonstrate leaderships skills by offering to lead training sessions or mentoring others in your workplace.

Have a good attitude. No one wants to work with a person who complains every day and is difficult to work with. A positive attitude at work will make others want to be around you and collaborate with you, increasing the chances you’ll be asked to be part of new projects that come along. Use your positive attitude to encourage and inspire others.

Be involved. Volunteer to join workplace committees or get involved in other efforts to improve company processes or the overall culture of your workplace. Volunteer to chair the committee or take an active leadership role.

One thing you can be sure of in the work force: things change quickly. So take some time to develop a specific plan to get more involved at work, ensuring that your valuable contributions are noticed and essential to the success of the company.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: The Most Important Skill for the 21st Century

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 Most Important Skill for the 21st Century: "
  When people embrace lifelong learning, assimilating new skills isn’t a source of fear and stress—it’s just another part of their career journey
  ."

• Free Online Courses That Will Boost Your Career: "there are some that can help any entrepreneur or aspiring entrepreneur, teaching you such valuable skills as how to create a product, get a startup off the ground, or perform app marketing."

• The Unbelievable Power of Belief Systems: "If you are convinced that something is unattainable, you will be unable to reach it no matter how hard you work."

• How to Prevent Burnout: "Burnout happens when people aren’t given enough time to disconnect, rest, focus on other aspects of life and recharge."
• 5 Secrets of Success According to Jeff Bezos: "Make a list of your big-vision items. Frame it and keep it accessible. Those are your uncompromisable items. Everything else is negotiable."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 6 Nonverbal Signs That Guarantee You Made a Great First Impression

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!

• 6 Nonverbal Signs That Guarantee You Made a Great First Impression: "We all like people who like us. If you show me you're genuinely happy to meet me, I'll instantly start to like you.
  And I will smile, make eye contact, laugh, and extend the conversation, all of which will help you relax and be yourself."

• 4 Reasons Why You Should Start a Business When You're Young: "Failing fast and failing often is important, but failing early is key. After your first big failure, the next few will be easy."

• Why Curiosity is the Greatest Leadership Trait of All: "While other people seem to think that once they have found a solution, they can stop looking for new ideas, great leaders tirelessly go on pursuing the new and the better."

• Investing in Yourself--Hobbies That Can Help You Get Ahead: "I’ve had the opportunity to sell some cutting boards and have had a few pieces commissioned. The hope is to use the sales to fund more projects and tools."
• 5 Ways to Refresh Your Mid-Career LinkedIn Profile: "Optimizing your LinkedIn profile means taking a hard look at your online presence as a whole. Are you giving the impression you think you are? Do you come across as competent?"

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.

4 Ways to Take Your Career from Good to Great

It can be easy to coast in a job or feel stuck in our careers but if we want to take our career from good to great it will require action.

However, it might be easier than you think to move your career toward greatness. Implement the following four simple tips and your job and career prospects will be soaring above average.

Get organized. Put the power of technology to work for you to organize your email and other electronic files you use. Develop a system to handle any paper and hard copy documents that pass through your hands, and utilize any effective strategies to reduce waste or eliminate attention spent on time-sucking and energy-draining activities. The more organized you are the more effective you'll be in your work and the more you'll enjoy it, too.

Get positive. Your attitude goes a long way toward determining your success in life and in your career. And the good news? You can largely control your attitude and response to life's curve balls. A positive attitude also increases your energy level and makes you more attractive to your boss and other potential employers. One way to be more positive is to start your day with some exercise and meditation. Even a brief practice of 20-30 minutes can be highly beneficial.

Get a mentor. You can't do this alone and succeed without the support of others. Seek out a supportive mentor who can provide honest feedback and guidance. And meet regularly with your mentor in order to move forward in your life and career, and avoid settling into mediocrity.

Get curious and learn as much as you can. People who attain greatness want to know as much as they can and never stop trying to better themselves. They continually learn new things and seek out unique experiences. A curiosity about the world, other people, and new technology will help you get out of a rut, avoid average, and move your life and career from good to great.

Five Qualities to Demonstrate at Your Next Job Interview

Making the right hire is a tricky business and some managers are better at it than others. It can seem that too often hiring becomes a popularity contest or is all about who you know, rather than about what you, the candidate, have to offer.

Here are five qualities that are irresistible to employers and will have you in demand if you can effectively demonstrate that you possess them. And if you're a hiring manager keep this qualities front of mind when making hiring decisions and you'll find more success at making the right hires.

Initiative. Be prepared to provide examples of situations in your career when you identified a problem and went about devising a solution without being told to do this by someone else. Great employees identify needs in companies and find ways to meet those needs. They don't wait for someone to assign a task to them. If you can demonstrate a track record of taking initiative you'll have one foot in the door.

Curiosity. Every good business owner or manager wants employees and staff who take an interest in the company and its processes. Are you someone who gets to know colleagues in other areas of the company and regularly seeks out opportunities to learn more about the business? In addition, show how your curiosity about the field you're in leads you to stay on top of news in your industry, related industries, and with competitors.

Communication skills. In your interview you want to demonstrate how to effectively communicate with everyone you meet. This starts with the first person who greets you at the door and continues after your interview with effective follow-up, including a gracious "thank you" note to your interviewer. Your communication skills should be on display in every interaction, whether verbally or in writing with your resume, cover letter, or follow-up emails.

Project management. Your next manger or supervisor will want to know that when you are assigned a simple task or a complex project that you can effectively manage it and complete it on time and according to any specifications you've been provided. Be prepared with clear examples of how you successfully manage projects of varying complexity, and utilize some of the skills and qualities mentioned above.

Stress management. You might be great at completing tasks and projects but you drive everyone crazy with the amount of stress and anxiety you place on yourself and others. Provide some examples of how you manage self-care, work-life balance, and deal with the everyday stresses and anxieties that come with work in a fast-paced environment.

Be prepared to show how you demonstrate these five qualities at your next job interview and you'll be closer to landing that new job.

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.

4 Things to Bring to Your Next Job Interview to Set You Apart

You've been called in for that job interview you've been hoping for and have spent hours preparing for it. You've considered the questions you might be asked, identified your strengths, and role-played the interview with a friend.

Well, what else can you do to prepare and stand out?

Bring the following 5 things with you to your next job interview and you'll be sure to shine, even if you don't get the job.

1. A positive attitude. When you head out for the interview be optimistic and friendly. Greet everyone you meet at the company with a smile and a warm "hello". Meditate before the interview and repeat a positive mantra to yourself on your way to the interview, while you wait, and even during pauses in the interview. Simply repeating something simple like "I've got this" can boost your mood and help relax you for an effective interview.

2. Confidence. If you've spent some time preparing for the interview and you've brought a positive attitude then you should feel confident. Sit straight while waiting for the interview and don't fidget. Avoid staring at your phone or playing with a ring or other piece of jewelry. When in the interview room lean slightly forward to show interest in your interviewer and be sure to look them in the eye.

3. A compliment. Be prepared to share something you like about the company you're interviewing with. Demonstrate your knowledge of their work by complimenting a recent innovation, product launch, policy, or practice. But be sure to make it specific, accurate, and heart-felt.

4. Curiosity. Use this opportunity to learn everything you can about this possible employer. Pay attention to the place from the moment you arrive, observing the parking lot and landscaping. What does that tell you about the company? If they have a lobby, is there art work there or is it boring and sterile. Observe how the people dress and interact. You can learn a lot about a company by simply observing its employees converse and the design of the work place. Of course. bring your curiosity into the interview and ask relevant questions of the interviewer.

Five Characteristics of Successful People

When you take a look at the lives of people who are successful in their careers and personal lives you can see some common characteristics, whether your talking about world-class athletes or billionaire entrepreneurs.

Let's take a look at a few of these traits and consider how to implement them into our lives in order to experience more success and improve the quality of our lives.

1. Curiosity. To be successful one must have a curiosity about the world, about people, about experiences, and about how things work. A successful person will consider the traditional knowledge of a subject and turn it on its head, looking at things from different perspectives and coming up with new and unique solutions.

2. Resilience. Failures, mistakes, and slip-ups will come and the most successful will understand this and find ways to get back up and move forward.

3. Positive attitude. You cannot control your circumstances, how others will respond to you, or what you experience in life and the workplace, but you can control how you respond to these things. Individuals who maintain a positive attitude and response to things outside of their control are more likely to be at peace with themselves regardless of events and circumstances.

4. Desire to serve. Life is not about taking and the most successful people understand that to be at their best they need to serve others. They consider the needs of their audience, their teams, their companies, or their clients and figure out the best way to be of service to them.

5. Clear purpose. By clear purpose we mean a clear purpose and vision to live a life that brings value to others, rather than simply living in order to maximize personal profit and fame. The most successful people have a clear vision for how they their lives and work can be of service to others.

5 Characteristics of a Great Employee

Sometimes it feels like being a good employee simply requires us to keep our head down, plug along, mind our own business, and get the work done.

However, that might have been true years ago but today's great employees take initiative and bring a passionate approach to their work.

Below are five additional characteristics of a great employee.

1. Team player. Great employees know that to be successful others on the team need to be successful and so she works well with others in the company, helping them to achieve their goals.

2. Curiosity. To be a great employee one must be curious about the company you work at, curious about all the divisions and areas within the company. curious about the company's competitors, and curious about how to make the company better and more effective.

3. Humility. Instead of glorying in success and taking credit, great employees will deflect praise in humility, understanding that successes require a team.

4. Communicates effectively. Great employees understand the importance of (and practice) good communication. In addition to excellent verbal communication skills, good employees know that effective written skills are important, too. Good communication also means avoiding gossip, and speaking positively about your job and company.

5. Takes responsibility. Every employee will experience some failure in the workplace at some point but it is the great employee who will get back up without blaming anyone else, take responsibility for the failure, and move forward to make things right.

What other characteristics does a great employee have?

4 Practices to Network Your Way to Success

A lot is written about the importance of networking for your career success and much of it is good, solid advice. However, rather than complicate things there are four practices that, if implemented, will help you gain deeper connections that ultimately provide you with lasting resources to support you through all phases of your career--the good, the bad, and everything in between.

The following are four practices to network effectively for lasting and meaningful success:  

1. Be social. This is obvious but is also difficult for those who identify as introverts (up to half the population). The easiest way to be social is to be present: attend the party, the conference, the networking event. Develop a set of introductory questions or statements to break the ice with someone new and show interest in the other person. You don't have to be at a formal networking event to practice being social. You can be social in the work cafeteria or at the coffee shop. You never know when you might develop a last relationship with someone. After all, every one of your friends was a stranger at some point.

2. Be kind. Yes, kindness and compassion win out. Kindness is attractive and others will be drawn to you. But you must make it genuine. Speak words of kindness and encouragement to others and you will find that you are also encouraged and in a better mood, and likely to be more social.

3. Be curious. Take an interest in others and desire to learn what you can about their work, their interests, and their lives. Ask questions. Listen well. Not only will you develop deeper relationships but you'll gain more knowledge, making you a more skilled and valuable employee or entrepreneur.

4. Be a connector. When you meet someone find a way to connect them with someone you know who might be of interest or service to them. For example, if you meet someone who talks of the need to update their web site let them know about the graphic designer friend you have. Or perhaps you meet someone interested in learning more about film-making, introduce them to your friend who directs commercials for TV. When you become a connector others will seek out your advice and suggestions and they will also connect you to the people in their lives who might of interest or service to you.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How to Stay Motivated

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 the Most Persistent People Stay Motivated: "Cultivating more relationships that support your efforts is extremely helpful. We all need people, so cultivating existing healthy relationships and releasing toxic ones will keep you motivated, connected, and supported."
• How to Get Your Confidence Back in 5 Minutes or Less: "Try grounding practices such as power posing, envisioning your future self in the context of overall life and practicing gratitude."
• 10 Troubling Habits of Unhappy People: "So much of your happiness is determined by your habits (in thought and deed) that you have to monitor them closely to make certain that they don’t drag you down into the abyss."
• 7 Essential Habits to Become a Healthy Entrepreneur: "Aside from family, friends, and relationships, there are few things more important in your life than your health and your career. When you passionately pursue both of these things you can experience a longer, more fulfilling life."
• Advice to Aspiring Entrepreneurs: Think Like a Toddler: "There’s nothing like the creativity of young children and their ability to interpret things in a fresh way, ask fundamental questions, and use different ways to get to a solution."

4 Proactive Steps to Take Now for Your Career

I think most of us know that our career belongs to us and that to develop and progress we need to take active steps. However, sometimes we put our career on auto-pilot and let things go. Or we seem to expect that "magically" we'll get that promotion or the right opportunity will just fall in our laps.

Moving forward in your career happens just like that: by moving. It requires effort and it is requires one to be proactive and to take full responsibility.

Here are 4 steps you can take to be more proactive in your career (and life):

1. Find a mentor. We mention this often here and there is a reason: Success requires other people. To move forward in your career find someone who is successful in ways you desire to be a success. Meet at least monthly with that person and be honest about yourself, your struggles, and your hopes and goals.

2. Identify one area to develop. What is holding you back in your career? Do you need to learn to speak better in groups? Are you ineffective at closing the sale? Whatever the area is you identify for improvement make a plan to address it. This might mean signing up for a class at your local community college or attending a conference.

3. Be curious. Learn as much as you can and be open to new experiences and new people. Those who advance their careers and have new opportunities offered to them are the ones who've taken the time to explore new skills, have taken risks, and have met new people at conferences and networking events. This applies particularly to your current position. Get to know other people in your company and develop an understanding of what they do and how you can help them be more successful.

4. Be positive. No one wants to work with someone with a negative attitude or with someone always complaining about the job or the company. Work on your attitude and make an effort to proactively focus on the things you control and can make better. And be sure to smile and be a source of encouragement to those around you.

Your career development is in your hands.  

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How Successful People Manage Stress

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

• How Successful People Manage Stress: "I see a lot of people who should be working way harder than they are using stress as an excuse to become unproductive slackers."


• How to Use Facebook to Land a Job: "As a rule of thumb, if you wouldn’t show it [to] your grandmother or put it on your résumé, you shouldn’t put it on social media."


• How to Deal with 10 Common Workplace Distractions: "If you are working on an important project and are pressed for time, just shut your cell phone off. Only turn it back on when you truly have time to reply to these messages or just wait until the end of the word day."


• 13 Pearls of Wisdom for a Successful Life: "There's a vast, fantastic world out there. Foster your curiosity, and it will lead you to amazing places."


• 5 Strategy Questions Every Leader Should Make Time For: "Of the various activities and businesses that you have moved into, do they make sense together?"

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Bust out of Your Comfort Zone

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

• Bust out of Your Comfort Zone: "Exposing your mind and character to new people, places, and things is its own reward — it helps you become a more interesting (and interested) person. And it makes you more self-aware, which ultimately makes you more professionally effective."


• How to be Unforgettable: "When meeting for the first time, many people fill silences by talking about themselves; turn the conversation around and ask them about their interests. And once they’re talking, be engaged in what they have to say."


• 7 Ways to Succeed in a Video or Phone Interview: "Appearing on screen can feel awkward, so if you don’t regularly use Skype then have a few practice runs with friends to get used to it."


• Networking for Those Who Avoid Small-Talk and Strangers: "When you have a 'wingman' at your side to help highlight your accomplishments at networking events, it can give you the confidence you need to approach others and break into conversations."


• Developing Your Strengths at Work: "You can boost your levels of optimism and self-belief by imagining what might be possible in the year ahead if everything went as well as possible and you were using your strengths each day."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 8 Habits of Curious 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!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• 4 Ways to Create Your Next Career Opportunity: "Notice colleagues' complaints to see if they are things that could be fixed with a new job. Keep a log of your ideas, and review them to decide which one would be best to pursue."


• Getting Unstuck and Thinking Creatively: "The goal is to help you see the difference between facts and beliefs, to reframe the impossible as the possible, and to see problems as opportunities."


• 8 Habits of Curious People: "Curious people welcome surprise in their lives. They try new foods, talk to a stranger, or ask a question they've never asked before."


• 7 Excuses that Prevent Success: "So many people in life get hung up on excuses -- feeling they can't go out for the better job, start their own business, or take whatever risk because of... whatever it might be."


• What Positive People Know: "Positive people instinctively know that adversity is necessary in order for them to grow. We are here on Earth to experience, learn, grow and become the person we are meant to become."

High Five Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

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


1. Why I Like People with Unconventional Resumes
"Disruptive moves can also tell you a lot about potential because they show a candidate's curiosity, insight, inspiration and determination, which in turn indicate a search for learning and challenge."


2. How Hard Are You Willing to Push Yourself?
"The unavoidable truth is that the willingness to endure discomfort and sacrifice instant gratification is the only way to get better at anything, and to achieve true excellence."


3. 8 Reasons You're Not Earning the Salary You Want
"Ultimately, if you don't like your salary, talk to your boss about what you would need to accomplish to earn a raise."

4. Why Women's Networking Groups Fail
"Where too many focus on the strength of numbers, the real sign of a healthy—and helpful—professional networking group is who’s there and how they communicate."


5. 3 Reasons Your Resume Brands You As A Commodity
"So, how did we end up branding ourselves as sheep…describing ourselves just like everyone else?We’ve been taught to describe ourselves this way…and it’s been reinforced so often that it just seems
'right'."