Add These 5 Habits for Lifelong Career Success

It’s never too late (or too early) in your career to instill good habits into your work routine, and there are some basic habits for success that apply to any job or work environment you might encounter in your career.

Here are five habits to will help you build a track record of success in your life and career.

Focused, hard work. If you don’t have a practice of working hard, you’ll have a difficult time finding career success. Hard work should be the cornerstone of your work habits and should, obviously, be a given. But you can also work hard on the wrong things and it’s important to develop the ability to focus on a single task rather than allowing the distraction of multitasking.

Continuous learning. Regardless of the position you’re in, there is always room to learn more and to expand your knowledge, deepen your skill set, and expand your tool kit of expertise. This requires an attitude of humility and a commitment to seek out opportunities to learn more about your job and industry.

Positive approach. Taking a positive approach to your life by developing a habit of positive thinking and seeking out the best in others and every situation will enable you to create more success in your life and career. Others will want to work with you, and you’ll instill a sense of trust in your relationships that will build an effective and lasting network.

Seek out mentors. Successful people realize that they can not do it alone and they seek out mentors and others who they can learn from and who can be a support system along the way. Strong and successful individuals have a strong system of support, starting with a mentor who has their best interests at heart and isn’t afraid to be honest.

Attention to purpose. Lifelong career success comes from developing a clear sense of your purpose and seeking out work opportunities that fulfill that purpose. Successful people are not driven by the accumulation of wealth but seek to serve others through their skills, interests, and knowledge, and want to make a difference in the world.

Work to cultivate these habits in your work and life and you’ll be closer to having the successful career you want.

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.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 35 Things You Need to Give Up to Be Successful

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

• 35 Things You Need to Give Up to Be Successful: "Just as we deceive ourselves into believing something will make us happier than it will, we also deceive ourselves into believing something will be harder than it will."

• How to Start Your Mornings Right: "The key is to identify habits that resonate with you. Be playful and try different things until you find a groove that works. If the effects wear off or you get bored, switch it up with abandon."

• 6 Things Great Mentors Do Differently: "But it's the mentors who follow through with actual action that stand apart from those willing to offer advice alone."

• The 5-Step Guide to Funding Your Small Business: "Whether you’re a millennial making your first foray into business, or a seasoned entrepreneur looking for a fresh start, here’s five steps to raise the funds you need to launch your venture."
• 8 Crucial Steps to Negotiate a Higher Salary: "If you can explain why a salary bump for you will also benefit the company, you’re setting yourself up for a successful negotiation."

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: How to Find a Mentor

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

In the video below from Forbes, company founders talk about the best ways to go about finding and approaching a potential mentor.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Your Career Needs Many Mentors

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!

• Your Career Needs Many Mentors, Not Just One: "Many professionals have had success with creating mastermind groups, which are a curated mix of peers who meet regularly to discuss professional challenges and hold one another accountable."

• 13 Must-Read Books on Success and Being Successful: "Thanks to the stories we read, we know we aren’t alone in our doubts, fears and limitations. That provides us with a level of comfort and peace of mind—and lots of motivation."

• The 2 Impressions that Count in Your Job Interview: "People tend to remember both the first and final impressions they hold of someone whom they meet for the first time. So make certain you are well aware of how you are coming across during these two critical periods of your meeting."

• 5 Steps to Rock Any Networking Event: "If your biggest fear is getting stuck in a corner with your plastic cup and a business card while everyone else chats away, be an early bird."
• The Employee Burnout Epidemic and How to Fix It: "The survey also found that the bigger the company, the more likely it is to burn you out. Larger organizations are more likely to have exhausted employees."

3 Things a Good Mentor Will Do For You

A mentor can help you at any stage in your career but not all mentors are created equal. You don't want a mentor that simply listens to you complain about your job, or your supervisor, or the dream job that got away. You could, after all, simply see a counselor if you just want someone to listen to you talk.

An effective and useful mentor will do the following:

1. Make you uncomfortable. Your mentor will inspire and challenge you to move outside of your comfort zone and do something you might find difficult, such as accept that public speaking request or taking on that assignment you feel unqualified for. A good mentor knows that doing the thing you fear will produce incredible growth in you as a person and will bring great benefits to your career.

2. Challenge you to act. An insightful mentor will allow you to share the things that are bothering you or frustrating you about your work and career. However, your mentor will move you to take some course of action rather than being immobilized by fear or anxiety. Simply taking one step can go a long way toward becoming unstuck in a difficult situation.

3. Encourage you to think differently. Not only will your mentor encourage you to step outside your comfort zone and do something, he or she will also help you disrupt unhelpful or harmful ways of thinking and challenge you to consider things from a new perspective.

A mentor who can help you challenge you in the above three ways is definitely one worth keeping, or seeking out.

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.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 5 Keys to Being a Great Mentor

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

• 5 Keys to Being a Great Mentor: "The goal of coaching is to help your mentees build up confidence in themselves... most people do not succeed because they have a great deal of self-doubt and therefore they self-sabotage."


• The 10 Commandments of the New Economy: "We need to have a longer time-horizon than the next earnings call. The communities we live in and the earth we inhabit both demand our attention and investment."


• 5 Steps to Improve Your Networking Skills: "No matter whom you’re trying to build a relationship with, treating that person as a friend rather than a business contact will take you much further with the relationship. So, think about how you would approach a potential friend."


• How to Brag About Your Accomplishments: "What these results seem to suggest is that when deciding whether to (honestly) brag or (deceptively) humblebrag, would-be self-promoters should choose the former — and at least reap the rewards of seeming sincere."


• Sending Professional Emails: "Getting into the habit of writing business documents more formally – even if they are only emails – will help you establish a professional image in the long run."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 12 Things Confident People Do

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!

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• Taking Your Career to the Next Level: "Only work with inspirational people that you can learn and grow with."


• 12 Things Confident People Do Differently: "People who brim with confidence derive their sense of pleasure and satisfaction from their own accomplishments, as opposed to what other people think of their accomplishments. They know that no matter what anyone says, you’re never as good or bad as people say you are."


• 5 Signs it's Time for a New Job: "If you are stagnated, cruising in autopilot, and could do your job while asleep, then you’re almost certainly underperforming. Sooner or later, this will harm your resume and employability."


• 5 Ways to Spring Clean Your Career: "If you currently have a mentor, how can you tweak this relationship for your biggest advantage? Perhaps meet more often, or meet face to face once a quarter instead of only via the phone or email chats."


• Too Much Mindfulness at Work?: "[His] biggest concern with mindfulness is that it can lead to avoidance in thinking through overwhelming situations and having difficult conversations. Instead of pushing through internal barriers to change thoughts and behavioral patterns, people accept them."

How and Why to Find a Mentor

An important (and often overlooked) way to increase knowledge, develop skills, and advance in your career is to find and regularly meet with a mentor.

Mentors can often provide an objective view and eye to your strengths, weaknesses, and can offer suggestions for improving your skills and knowledge, revising that resume, and getting a new job.

How to find a mentor?

Look around you. Often that person is someone you already interact with. It could be a boss, local

business owner, someone from your place of worship, a speaker from a conference you attended, or even someone you connected with online through LinkedIn or Facebook. You want to find someone who is successful and at a place in their life and career that you want to go.

Identify what you want. Are you planning to start your own business and need guidance on how to get started? Are you looking for a new job but don't feel you have the right contacts? When you identify what it is you need then you'll be better able to determine the qualities of the right mentor for you.

Ask. This is often the most difficult part but it really should be the easiest. Good mentors are usually very gracious with their time and eager to help others out. You'll likely find that he or she feels honored that you asked. So go ahead!

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Interviewing 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!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• The One Essential Element of Every Job Interview: "People appreciate honest, specific and personal stories that foster a connection and show some human vulnerability."


• 4 Ways to Use Facebook to Find a Job: "List not only your current but your past employers, your job title, a description of your role and the years you were with the organization. If you want to make yourself known to all of those recruiters who troll for job candidates on Facebook, take a few minutes to fill out this information."


• How to Build a Meaningful Career: "Invite four or five people to serve as your informal board of directors. You might tell them, 'I’m doing some exploring about what I want from work and I’d love to talk with you on occasion to get your feedback on my direction'."


• 5 Tips for Instant Interview Success: "The best interviews are a give and take. Come prepared to discuss the company, the role, your background, current trends in the industry, the reason for the opening and any recent business events that may impact the interviewer, role, company or industry."


• Social Media and the Job Search: "A key principle of marketing is to generate interest without giving away the whole story. Your resume and your LinkedIn profile are advertisements and their purpose is to pique someone's interest enough to get you a first interview."

3 Steps to a Successful 2015

We are a week into the New Year and some of the "newness" is rubbing off but don't let that diminish your enthusiasm and energy to make 2015 a great year personally and professionally.

This is a good time to assess where you're at in your life and career and begin to develop new habits to ensure more happiness and success. Work on the following three steps in the next week and you'll be off to a productive start for the year.

1. Update your resume and LinkedIn profile: The beginning of the year is a good time to go back over that resume and tweak it to ensure it highlights your strengths and successes, including those from the past year. Also update your profile on LinkedIn.

2. Work on your self-talk: If you haven't yet, watch the video we posted Monday on stopping negative self-talk. You have the ability to be your greatest supporter or your most severe critic. How you view yourself goes a long way toward how others view you and it starts with your self-talk.

3. Find a mentor: If you don't have a mentor, someone you can meet with on a monthly basis to discuss your career plans and goals, use the next week to consider who you might approach about this. It could be your boss, a former supervisor, a professor from school, or a business leader from your community. Once you've identified someone contact them and invite them to meet you for a coffee.

You might also be interested in this article highlighting 6 ways to start 2015 on a high note.

What are you doing now to make 2015 a success?

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Working with a Mentor

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

In this video author Mike Michalowicz discusses how to build a successful relationship with a mentor.

Learn more in the video below:

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Finding a Career Sponsor

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!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• The Key Qualities Every Employer Looks For: "Ask the question and most people will tell you that they are a self starter, but it is actually quite tough to find people who have the right personal drive and can work under their own steam."

• 3 Strategies for Managing Life's Many Big (and Small) Transitions: "By naming that you are in a transition, you are likely to be kinder and gentler with yourself, be open to the fact that 'not knowing' what’s ahead is a natural part of this state, and also attract other people who are in transition or who have made a similar transition who can support you."                                                      
• The Right Way to Find a Career Sponsor: "When it comes to powering your career up the corporate heights, you need a sponsor.... sponsors may advise or steer you but their chief role is to develop you as a leader."


• The Interview Questions You Should Be Asking: "It’s important to not only find someone with the qualifications to do the job, but also someone who is uniquely driven to help make the company the absolute best it can be."


• 9 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Next University Career Fair: "If you are interested in a company, take the time to review their history and current projects. Explore their website by looking for news reports and press releases to find topics of interest to you. These make great conversation starters with company representatives attending the event!"

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Planning and Preparation

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!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• How to Tell People What You Do--And Be Remembered: "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

• How One Day Can Make or Break Your Career: "One day really can make or break a career, but if you are ready to take full advantage then the outcome is more likely to be positive rather than negative."                                                      
• Are You Suffering from Sitting Disease?: "Given the number of workers who perform their tasks on a computer or otherwise seated at a desk, medical experts are starting to become concerned about the health effects of sitting."


• Stop Planning. Start Doing: "The most important part of actually getting things done is trusting your own abilities. Once you let go of your fears, you’re actually going to be able to accomplish the big things on your to-do list."


• Top 10 Tips for Planning Your Career: "If you don’t take any other advice from this list, take heed of this one: to get where you want to be, you’ll get there faster with a mentor."

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Finding a Mentor

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

In this video author and speaker Jack Canfield provides useful advice for seeking out a mentor.

Learn more in the video below

:

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Mentors, Communication Skills, and More

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!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• Want the Best Mentor? One Thing to Know: "The best mentors have no answers. They have only questions, frameworks, multiple open choices, a light to shine and an open mind. They are listeners first and foremost and they bring encouragement, compassion and a soft voice."

• Why Well-Thought-Out Career Choices Still Sometimes Don't Work: "A very common complaint I hear from my clients is that they accepted a job believing it was one thing but it turned out to be another. You have to do your due diligence in the interview process and be skeptical."                                                      
• 6 Tips to Become a Master Communicator at Work: "Be mindful of how you communicate and how your body language and persona either invite or push away people at work. Ultimately, the better your communication skills, the more likely you are to succeed in any workplace, so don't underestimate their importance."


• 8 Crippling Mistakes Job Seekers Make: "A mass email announcing your unfortunate layoff or asking to keep an eye out for a job opportunity will almost guarantee you won't get a response."


• The Most Effective Ways to Make It Right When You Screw Up: "In the modern workplace, we often operate as teams. So when you fail to meet an important deadline, chances are it's not just your boss that's affected—it's your whole team, and possibly your whole organization." 

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Leadership, Mentors, and How to Send a Networking Email

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!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• 10 Leadership Lessons I Wish I Learned In My 20's: "Always have someone as your coach, your confidant, and your advisor.  This can be formal or informal, but you need a 'go-to' person at every stage of your life.  This person may change and you may add mentors over time."

• How to Send a Networking Email That Won't Be Ignored: "Busy people don't have time to read lengthy emails, and sending five paragraphs when you could have sent two doesn't show you respect their time. Keep it brief."


• Tough Love Tips for College Seniors Entering the Job Market: "You share something in common with thousands of others who have graduated from your college. Sharing the same school name can be a powerful connection and one that can open doors."


• Why You Should Always Do a Little Work For Free: "
  You get to be scared. It’s easy to forget how fortunate you are. Help a person whose business is on the brink of failing and you’ll remember the true meaning of 'urgent.'
  "


• Three Job Truths Parents Can Give Their College Grad: "Should the most qualified candidate always get the job? Absolutely. Does it always happen? Um, not really. Sometimes the candidate who lands the job is actually the savvier marketer, the stronger self-promoter and better networker." 

3 Questions to Ask Before you Seek Out a Mentor

"Get a mentor" is a common exhortation for those who are struggling with creating direction and traction in their careers. A mentor is someone with elevated knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or perspectives that gives guidance to another, and research has shown that a mentor benefits you in terms of promotion, employee engagement, and career satisfaction.

But before you start hunting for a mentor, take a pause. What work do you need to do on yourself before you bring a mentor into the mix? Here are three questions to ask of yourself before you seek a mentor out.

What problem(s) am I looking to solve? Before you consider reaching out to a potential mentor, ask yourself what your end goal or objective is. Are there skills that you are looking to acquire, knowledge you would like to obtain, or would you benefit from a certain perspective that a mentor has? A mentoring relationship will not go very far and will not at all be fruitful if you do not know where you would like to go; you will feel frustrated at the end and your mentor will feel as if she wasted her time. Get clear about your purpose.

Is a mentor who I need right now? Considering the problem you have decided upon solving, reflect on where you want to go in your career and ask yourself if you know the general direction (i.e. you have honed in on a particluar field or company) or if you are still exploring? It could be that - instead of a mentor - you would be better off working with a career coach or counselor. All three - a coach, a counselor, and a mentor - bring different skills and perspectives to your problem. A mentor functions best within a particular career context (like a certain industry or company); a career counselor or coach can help you if you need to be more exploratory and intentionally unfocused in your approach.

Am I willing to put in the work? This is a critical question as a mentor has little time for those who are not willing to put in their time. After you have determined what problem(s) you would like to tackle and that a mentor is the right person with which to work, it is incumbent upon you to take initiative in the following areas:

• Scheduling a meeting
• Preparing discussion topics
• Engaging in dialogue that could challenge your assumptions and beliefs
• Completing assignments that a mentor gives
• Gauging your experience with you mentor to determine if it is meeting your needs

A true mentor relationship should be 90 percent you, 10 percent your mentor. Their role is to help you help yourself overcome that gap between where you are and where you want to be...so long as you properly plan and prepare.

High 5 weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Leadership, Mentors, Networking and More

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!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• Need a Job but Hate Networking? Do This!: "Rather than trying to talk to everyone, make it a goal to establish deeper connections with three to five people. I find this particularly useful at conferences or other multi-day events."

• The Most Effective Strategies for Success: "Focus on What You Will Do, Not What You Won't Do — Instead of focusing on bad habits, it's more effective to replace them with better ones."


• 5 Simple but Strategic Steps for Finding a Good Mentor: "Having a mentor can help you become a better employee, and can help you identify and achieve your career goals. Be open to finding a mentor anywhere, and don't limit yourself to just one."


• The Six Deadly Sins of Leadership: "
  Self-confidence is the lifeblood of success. When people have it, they’re bold. They try new things, offer ideas, exude positive energy, and cooperate with their colleagues instead of surreptitiously attempting to bring them down."


• What Will You Create to Make the World Awesome?: "Ask: What would I do if I could do anything? What would I do if all jobs paid the same? If I could only achieve one thing in my career, what would it be? What do I really want?"