High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 15 New Ideas for Your LinkedIn Profile

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!

• 15 New Ideas for Your LinkedIn Profile: "On LinkedIn, you’ve got more room to maneuver and more space for adding keywords. You can provide more information than you can on your CV. Amplify the things that matter most."

• Do You Have Determination?: "Perhaps you’ve resigned yourself to things being one way. But you shouldn’t give up hope. Enlist a partner who may have a different perspective and energy to get back on track."

• 3 Tips for Re-Engineering Your Office: "An elegantly elevated desk best enhances an employee’s output when it’s surrounded by the right stuff. If that stuff is other desks, consider their arrangement."

• How to Make Gratitude a Way of Life: "There are many ways to cultivate a disposition of thankfulness. One is to make a habit of giving thanks regularly—at the beginning of the day, at meals and the like, and at day’s end."
• 5 Inspiring Books to Give Businesswomen This Holiday:"Among my favorite gifts to give (or receive) are books. And below is a list of inspiring books, many of which I have given or plan to give to the women whose support I can't imaging doing business (or life) without."

5 Things to Do While You Await a Job Offer

After you have a job interview or two the time between the interview and hearing back from the company on a decision can feel excruciatingly long. It can be easy to fall into despair or to be tempted to seek out updates on your application.

Instead of using this time to worry or think about all the things you wish you’d said differently in the interview, focus on the following things to manage the time while you await word back from the interviewer.

Be patient. This can be difficult but resist attempts to contact the interviewer or employer about your application status. Many companies will disregard your application or remove you from consideration if they feel they are being rushed in their decision. Cultivate gratitude for the opportunity to interview for the position and identify some things you might have learned from the process about the company or supervisor that can help you in future interviews or deepen your knowledge of the position should you be offered the job.

Take care of yourself. Don’t sit around the house waiting for the phone to ring. Be active. Take that run or get on your bike. Walk the dog. Eat well, get enough sleep, and avoid excessive alcohol. Meditate or pray. Meet up with a good friend for lunch. See a movie. Do things you enjoy and that are healthy for you and avoid the temptation to become discouraged while you await that phone call or email.

Take a class or sign up for an online course. Continue to develop your knowledge and gain more skills in an area of interest, or simply add a new hobby by signing up for a class or taking an online course. Strive to be a continuous learner and you will find more opportunities available to you. You might even meet someone in a class who is looking to hire someone like you. 

Polish up your resume. Revisit your resume and make any necessary tweaks to highlight your strengths and areas of success. Add information about that class or course you’re taking. Ask for feedback on it from a friend, colleague, or career coach.

Actively seek out other job opportunities. Continue to seek out other opportunities by keeping your eye on job boards and listings such as those on LinkedIn, Glassdoor, or Indeed. You never know when the right opportunity will come along so plan to regularly seek out jobs of interest and attend events where you can expand your network and learn about opportunities.

Incorporating these strategies will enable you to manage the time while you await a job offer more appropriately and productively.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How Upskilling Programs Provide Employee Opportunity

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 Upskilling Programs Provide Employee Opportunity: "[Upskilling] is any sort of education training and development that leads to preparing someone for what’s next in their career."

• 6 Mindset Principles of Successful People: "When successful people chase after a goal, two things can happen: They achieve their desired result or they get feedback."

• 5 Types of Connections You Need in Your LinkedIn Network: "by actually adding your friends and family members to your LinkedIn network you will get insight into their unique professional network that you might not have known about otherwise."

• 6 Essential Things You Need to Do to Land Your First Job: "Your college degree is a great foundation, but it’s also not the reality of what it’s like to complete a process from start to finish."
• How to Work With Someone Who Thinks They're Always Right:"Slow things down to surface what’s really going on. No matter how outlandish their views seem, approach the conversation as if there is some legitimacy to them."

Looking for a New Job? Get in Touch with These People

You’ve decided to take the plunge and seek out a new job.  How do you start and where should you begin your search?

It can be somewhat scary or anxiety-provoking to look for new work and your search should start with those closest to you.

Here are the people you’ll want to get in touch with as you move forward with your job search.

Your contacts on social media. If you’re on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter feel free to post something about your job search, though be as specific as possible about what you’re looking for. Otherwise, you might just get bombarded with tips that have nothing to do with your field of interest.

Mentors. Seek out those who have been your mentors through the years, formally or informally as previous supervisors or confidantes. They likely have a good sense of your interests and strengths and might know of opportunities coming available.

Recruiters on LinkedIn. Be sure to update your profile on LinkedIn and change your settings to indicate you are open to being contacted by recruiters. You never know when you’ll be the perfect candidate for a job out there.

Your book club. That book club you’ve been meeting with monthly? They know and work with people who are looking to hire someone. That someone could be you! Not in a book club? What about the people in your church group, bowling league or softball team? If you’re involved in a social group check in with the members you’re closest to and trust and let them know what you’re looking for.

Your family and friends. Of course, this is the group of people you want to start with. Your family and friends care about you and know what your skills are and will be invested in helping you find the right opportunity for you and your future. Spend some time reaching out to your family and friends to discuss your career plans and ambitions with them.

By seeking out the right people early in your job search you can get off to a quick and helpful start.

5 Ways to Prepare for Your Job Search

You’ve recently been laid off or left that a job that wasn’t working out and you’ve begun to gear up for an intensive job search. However, before you get to the point of applying for jobs there are a few things you’ll want to get done in order to be better prepared for the process.

Here are five ways to prepare for your job search.

Identify resources for job openings. Create a list of the job search sites that you intend to follow and review regularly and are most closely related to the type of position you are applying for. You might add LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor to this list, along with sites that offer freelance opportunities such as Upwork. In addition, identify a group of companies you’d love to work at and plan to check out their job postings on a regular basis.

Contact friends and colleagues. We’re not talking about a general Facebook status post or a tweet (though that approach could be helpful) but think strategically about your network and identify those who might have some connections to companies, employers, or jobs of interest, and send them a personal note or give them a phone call letting me know about your needs and what you are looking for.  

Get your references arranged. Identify a few individuals you will ask to be your references and create a document with their contact information, email and phone number, to have readily available when completing applications online or in person.

Prepare info about previous work experiences. In addition to your references, you will want to create a document that lists your previous employers, including address, phone number, and the name of your supervisor. You’ll want to note at least your last three employers, and perhaps more if you’ve changed jobs frequently over the last five to ten years.

Create cover letters in advance. You’ll save time in the application process if you create a cover letter template that you can tweak and revise, as necessary, for each specific job you apply for. Your cover letter should be different for each application and address some of the specific needs identified by the prospective employer as mentioned in their job posting.

Finally, be prepared for silence. It might take some time for the right job to come along and, until then, you will likely face some rejection from prospective employers. Remember that every “no” is leading to the “yes” that will be the best opportunity for you.

5 Ways to Widen and Deepen Your Network

An important, and sometimes overlooked aspect to growing your career is the ability to widen and deepen your network. By that we mean increasing the number of individuals who are part of your network and developing those relationships, so they move beyond a superficial level.

This can seem like a daunting task, particularly for introverts, but there are some strategies we can take to become better at developing a meaningful and helpful network.

Make your plans known to your friends and colleagues. Beginning with your current network is the most effective way to start but it’s important to be clear about what you’re looking for. Once you know what you need and what your questions are, take some time to meet with some trusted friends and coworkers. They will likely be able to refer you to someone they know who could be of assistance. Ask for an introduction, too, and that can help break the ice, especially for introverts.

Then follow-up with a meeting. Get in touch with those recommended contacts and invite them to meet you for a coffee. If you haven’t been introduced by your friend or colleague, be sure to name-drop and let them know that “our mutual friend Jim from XYZ Company” suggested we meet up. Be clear about the purpose of your meeting, though, and state an objective: “I’d love to hear your perspective on starting a business now versus pursuing an MBA.”

Offer some value to your new contact. When you meet up, be sure to prepare in advance to be of service. Bring a product sample that might be of interest to the person you’re meeting or be prepared to refer them some business or help build their network by connecting them with a friend or colleague. And leave the meeting with a plan to stay in contact. 

Be grateful. Be sure to express appreciation to your friends and colleagues for referring you to their network and thank your new contacts for taking the time to meet with you and for providing you with some guidance and advice.

Finally, develop a plan to stay in touch with your network through regular coffee or lunch meetups, or by connecting through Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or other social platforms.

Expanding your network and deepening the quality of those relationships will benefit your career in the long-term, wherever your career path leads.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How to Manage Workaholism

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 Manage Workaholism:"Whatever the definition, the results of an unhealthy work obsession has some pretty serious long-term consequences."

• How Taking Risks Can Lead to the Biggest Successes of Your Career: "in order to get the best out of yourself, you have to put yourself into positions where you're uncomfortable or vulnerable."

• 7 Income Streams that Generate Passive Income: "If you want to build wealth or achieve your long-term financial goals, you have to diversify your income sources with multiple streams of income."

• 5 Mistakes to Remove from Your LinkedIn Profile: "It's no secret that if you want to get a job, hire great talent or network with the best, then LinkedIn is a solid place to start.."
• Office Design Tips That Will Increase Employee Productivity: "Sometimes the secret to getting work done—and motivating your employees to do the same—is in our environment.... Warm temperature, a certain level of ambient noise and natural lighting seem to increase productivity."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 10 Ways Successful People Push Through Adversity

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!

• 10 Ways Successful People Push Through Adversity:"sometimes just stepping back and seeing the humor of the situation can help lighten your mood and allow you to move forward."

• 3 Rules to Setting Goals for Your Business: "base your goals on real facts (addressing a backlog or meeting a forecast, for example) and make each one accomplish-able mostly by hard work--like finishing a project or completing certain tasks that move the company forward."

• It's Never Too Late for Your Career to Peak: "researchers confirmed that hot streaks are equally plausible to occur at any time during your working lifetime."

• Accelerate Your Career With an Entrepreneurial Mindset: "I can’t stress enough how critical it is to engage with your professional community. It will be one of your strongest assets in finally seeing that big, hairy, audacious goal come to fruition."
• 5 Rules to Make Your LinkedIn Photo Stand Out: "LinkedIn designed the page so that your picture (in the upper left corner) is likely the first thing a visitor sees when your profile appears."

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?"

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.

Do These 5 Things After You Get Promoted

Let’s imagine a big day coming up when you receive the exciting news from your manager that you’re being promoted. Congratulations!

Now what do you do?

Don’t let that first day pass by without doing the following five things:

Be grateful. Let your manager know that you are appreciative of the opportunity and the recognition and that you intend to continue to do your best. If you feel like the promotion is overdue resist the urge to mention this. Simply be grateful for the opportunity that you’ve been provided at this moment.

Give thanks. Let your colleagues, friends, and mentors know about your promotion and be sure to thank them for the role they played in developing the skills and knowledge that brought you to this moment. You didn’t succeed alone, and you’ll continue to receive the support of these friends and colleagues if you recognize them for assisting your career.

Work hard. Resist the urge to leave work early to celebrate. Instead, continue to demonstrate your commitment to excellence by working hard while supporting and serving your colleagues as opportunities arise throughout the day. You likely will feel a sense of pride and accomplishment over your promotion, as you should, but do not let it impact your performance on the job.

Update your resume. Yes, you read that correctly. Now is a perfect time to update your resume with your new job title, along with a description of your new responsibilities, as you understand them. You don’t want to wait until moments of crisis in your career to scramble to get your resume updated. Do it now when you feel enthusiastic about your new position. Also, be sure to update your LinkedIn profile.

Celebrate. You definitely deserve to celebrate your accomplishment. Enjoy a night out with friends and family and be grateful for your new opportunity.

Handle your promotion more and there will be more to celebrate in the future.

5 Ways to Build a Personal Advisory Board

It is the fool who is wise in his own eyes and believes he only needs his own counsel. However, building success in your life and career requires one to be open to the wise advice of others.

An important strategy for success is build a team of trusted advisers around you to provide guidance and wisdom as you face important decisions in your life and career.

But how to go about building a personal advisory board? Here are five ways to develop your own group of advisers.

Your boss and colleagues at work. Start close to home. If you have a good relationship with your supervisor continue to develop it and seek to meet regularly for advice and guidance in your career. This can be particularly useful if you plan to stay in your current job and move ahead. Or you might start a regular monthly meeting with colleagues to share and advise on career challenges.

LinkedIn contacts. You don’t have to meet in person for someone to become a trusted adviser. You can seek out guidance from your LinkedIn connections, along with following influencers and reading great advice from experts. This can be true of your contacts on other social media, as well, including Facebook and Twitter.

Networking group. You can find often find a local networking club, special interest group, or other type of meetup online. Many of these groups will have gatherings near you and can provide great opportunities to expand your network, acquire knowledge about your field or industry, and develop relationships that can turn into a mentorship or advisory situation.

Informal groups. On a local level you might also join a group at your church, a neighborhood book club, or a beer night with the guys. All of these types of meet-ups have the potential to bring you into contact with someone who can become a close adviser.

Selective media. As mentioned before, you don’t have to meet in person with someone, or even know them on a personal level, to gain important advice and wisdom from them. Your own group of personal advisers can include podcasters, authors, filmmakers, and even musicians. You can look to trusted magazines, web sites, or newspapers to provide inspiration and advice for you in your life and career.

Mix it up. Some of your advisers should definitely be people you know and can meet with on a regular basis, or at least, get on the phone with. But you don’t have to limit yourself. Think creatively about how to expand and develop your own personal advisory board.

If you already have a board of advisors or are building one, who is on it? Let us know how you built your personal advisory board.

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.

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."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 8 Ways to Overcome the Fears Blocking Your Success

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 Ways to Overcome the Fears Blocking Your Success: "Build a dream that gives you a reason to stretch outside of your comfort zone and push pass resistance."

• Career Advice from LinkedIn Co-Founder Allen Blue: "I recommend people help the people in their networks freely and without expectation of return, mainly because it’s so rewarding."

• 3 Tips for Starting and Running a Business With Your Spouse: "Try to keep workloads equal and focus on each other's strengths and weaknesses. Determining what you and your spouse excel at can be difficult, but it's crucial."

• 5 Ways I Became More Productive Without TV: "Whether it’s out of boredom or from having more free time, I’ve begun organizing and planning ahead. On Sundays, I’ll draw the blueprints for my week."
• 4 Qualities That Can Help New Grads Stand Out: "you should also emphasize any projects and ideas that you’ve thought up, launched, or scaled."