High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 5 Strategies for Your Most Productive Workday

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!

• 5 Strategies for Your Most Productive Workday: "Because of the constant distractions, we have forgotten how to truly engage in 'deep work'—that is, focused thinking where we make meaningful progress on our most impactful projects."

• Reinvigorate Your Career By Taking the Right Kind of Risk: "Figuring out what no one else is doing, and then doing it well, offers the greatest possibility of success, rapid acceleration, and hyper-growth."

• 18 Ways for Digital Nomads to Make Money: "Over the next decade, it’s predicted that 38 percent of the full-time workforce in the U.S. will be remote, and there’s a crop of job sites dedicated to serving this shift to remote jobs and those seeking them."

• 8 Ways Leaders Waste Valuable Time and Energy: "Develop habits and strategies to minimize your access to distraction, keep your focus on the task at hand, and improve your overall ability to concentrate."
• How to Foster a Lifelong Passion For Your Industry: "Magazines and blogs are other resources to help you stay sharp. Even if you know more than the basics of your industry, they'll keep you updated on trends, technology, and news."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How to Be Bolder and Take Risks

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 Be Bolder and Take Risks: "Even if you’re not contemplating a risky new move, you’ve probably taken a few risks to get to where you are today, and chances are you’re not done taking them."

• 10 Things Never to Reveal When You're Job-Hunting: "Never tell a recruiter or prospective employer that you're not having luck with your job search or that you've pursued opportunities that didn't pan out."

• What You Should Really Be Learning During Your Internship: "when you’re immersed in your internship, here are six skills you should be adding to your repertoire in addition to job-related skills."

• Get More Out of Your LinkedIn Profile: "Stand out by optimizing your profile to be easily read. If prospects don't see what they're looking for quickly, they will move on."
• Motivating Employees is Not About Carrots or Sticks: "When we step away from the traditional carrot or stick to motivate employees, we can engage in a new and meaningful dialogue about the work instead."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 5 Ways to Grow a Side Business While Keeping Your Day Job

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!

• 5 Ways to Grow a Side Business While Keeping Your Day Job: "There’s an app for systematizing almost every aspect of your business. Your goal should be to free up as much time as possible to work on revenue-driving tasks that net the highest return for the limited amount of free time you have."

• 7 Ways to Become a Better Person this Week: "Instead of wasting even a second considering the opinions of future people—people who are not even born yet—focus every bit of yourself on being the best person you can be in the present moment."

• 10 Harsh Lessons That Will Make You More Successful: "When all is said and done, you will lament the chances you didn’t take far more than you will your failures. Don’t be afraid to take risks."

• 4 Steps to Building Your Dream Career: "There’s no point spending time planning out a dream career in an industry or occupation that you are just not passionate about."
• How to Steer Clear of Office Gossip: "My own preferred tactic, which I used successfully over the years, involved a combination of ignoring the conversation and instead going on to inject a business-related subject that had no connection to what was being gossiped about."

5 Steps to Build Confidence

If you don't have confidence in yourself and in your skills you will not attain the success in life or in your career you are striving for. If you don't believe in yourself no else will.

It's normal to go through times when you struggle with self-confidence and it can be difficult to break out and restore your confidence.

Here are 5 steps you can take to build (or re-build) your confidence.

1. Pay attention to your appearance. Do what you can to feel good about the way you look. Get a haircut, shave, get a new cologne or perfume, invest in some contacts, or purchase a new outfit. If you feel good about the way you look you'll likely feel more confident.

2. Get sleep, eat well, and make time for exercise. Your health plays an important role in how confident you feel so be sure to get enough sleep, eat healthy foods, avoid alcohol and nicotine, and take some time to stay physically fit.

3. Work on positive self-talk. Your voice is the one you hear the most throughout the day so focus on positive and encouraging messages.

4. Surround yourself with people who believe in you. Try to arrange regular conversations with friends and colleagues who support you and build you up.

5. Take small risks. Find some successes. Take on a new project. Start small and begin to have some success and you'll find your confidence increasing.

Want more? Check out this list of 25 killer actions to boost your self-confidence.                      

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Is Job Hopping Really Just a Basic Human Need?

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!

• Is Job Hopping Really Just a Basic Human Need?: "Many people in the workforce have seen their parents and older colleagues reach the end of their careers only to wonder what the sustained effort added up to. So they make career changes to stay engaged, clear space for the personal lives, and pursue side projects and passions outside of work."

• Three Ways to Bounce Back After Adversity: "Failing can open up the chance to improve the skills you currently have and gain insight into what makes you unique."

• How to Get Better at Dealing with Change: "Reminding ourselves of what’s important to us — family, friends, religious convictions, scientific achievement, great music, creative expression, and so on — can create a surprisingly powerful buffer against whatever troubles may be ailing us."

• 6 Tips for Smart Risk-Taking: "What is the worst thing that will happen if this does not go as planned? If the worst thing happens, can I work around it? How would failure impact my other goals? Am I OK with that impact? If I'm comfortable with the answers to these questions, I'll move forward."

• How Complaining Rewires Your Brain for Negativity: "All the extra cortisol released by frequent complaining impairs your immune system and makes you more susceptible to high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and obesity. It even makes the brain more vulnerable to strokes."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 6 Happiness Tips to Boost Your Health and Performance

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 Happiness Tips to Boost Your Health and Performance: "A key habit we developed in daily meetings was to have each team member say what someone else had done to help them that day. Expressing gratitude helped to bring the team together and make everyone happier and healthier."
• 17 Simple Habits That Make You Look More Professional: "Taking risks, and going against the grain is part of growing. Being willing to challenge yourself shows others that you are serious about growth."
• 17 Ways to Get Along, Especially When Negotiating: "Look to their positive intent, especially when they appear to have none, and you are more likely to eventually bring out their more positive side."
• How to Stand Up For Yourself: "Learning to assert yourself starts by understanding that you are not trying to control what other people do, but rather you’re controlling your own actions."
• 5 Smart Things to Do When You're Unemployed: "Volunteering for a charity or local community organization can be a great way to keep your skills up to date or help you learn new ones, expose you to new fields and give you something to put on your resume for this time period."

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Be Willing to Be Uncomfortable

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 the video below Evan Carmichael and T. Harv Eker, author of Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, discuss the importance of taking risks and being willing to be uncomfortable for success in life and in your career.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Growing Your Job and Unleashing Creativity

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

• 6 Ways to Grow Your Job: "When a new project is simply not available, look for roles outside your group or organization that allow you to learn and practice new skills and raise your profile. Teach, speak or blog on topics relating to your interests."

• The Incivility Crisis in America: "Americans are working longer hours as wages stay stagnate and the job market remains weak, so it’s not surprising that tensions in the workplace are running high. The problem is these tensions can often result in frustration and interpersonal conflict leading to toxic work environments."                                                      
• 8 Interview Tips You've (Probably) Never Heard Before: "Experienced hiring managers who have interviewed many candidates will often say they don't get nervous at their own job interviews anymore, because they've done so many interviews from the other side and understand how an interviewer's mind works."


• How to Get Unstuck and Unleash Your Creativity Today: "There’s nothing wrong with strategically mitigating risk, but brilliant bodies of work are built by those who are willing to take the small, calculated risks necessary to take new ground."


• 6 Ways I Find and Hire Hardworking Millennials: "Remember, everyone announces themselves in the interview. I learned this the hard way when I ignored my gut response and hired a young woman who made me feel uncomfortable in the interview."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Taking Risks and Standing Out

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

• Finding a Job Through Networking Groups: "You might not hear about a job opportunity day one in networking, but if you pay attention and make your intentions of finding a job known,opportunities will find you."

• Why Getting Comfortable With Discomfort Is Crucial to Success: "[A]s every successful person will tell you, it’s only by being willing to make mistakes and try something new that you can ever accomplish more than what’s been done before."


• How to Stand Out in a Crowded Job Market--Forget the Traditional Resume: "[F]or those who are willing to stand out, there is still a ton of opportunity. The first step to standing out and getting your dream job is to start thinking of your resume as one of many tools that you may use to get a job. Then, you must find a novel way to approach companies that you’d like to work for."


• How to Get Hired for Your Dream Job: "
  Your employment career will be a journey not a final destination. Furthermore, what may be your dream today may change tomorrow. A dream job is a job that is helping you progress toward your dreams

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• Preventing Rejection at Work: "[W]e all thrive on being connected to others. Don't let your office become a place where people feel threatened by rejection. Instead, bring your conversational intelligence to work." 

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Career Risks, Loving Your Job, 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

• 3 Career Risks That Can Pay Off: "Remember the root of the word 'risk'... It comes from the Italian word risicare, which some translate as 'nothing ventured, nothing gained.' Risk isn't something to take lightly, but you shouldn't let fear inhibit your dreams."


• 5 Ways to Rekindle Love for Your Job: "Whether it's taking on a brand new project or improving the way you do your current job, taking on a new challenge is just what the doctor ordered to break your boring routine."


• Don't Live Your Life, Lead It: "When we lead our lives, we set a vision and intentionally resolve to advance from a lower state to a higher state. We are not resigning to live life as it is."


• Working Less Could Save the Planet: "When Utah decided to close state offices on Fridays in 2008, the result was a 13 percent reduction in energy use. Employees reported increased happiness, absenteeism went down, and state employees were estimated to save between $5 million and $6 million annually by skipping one commute per week."


• 10 Tips for Women Starting Their College Careers: "Whether you're completely funded by Mom and Dad or not, you should consider starting to earn your own money. There are plenty of jobs to be had on campus and off, and if you can find a job that allows you to study, that would be ideal." 

Are You Looking for Your Independence?

It can be difficult to think about quitting your job when the economy continues to struggle and many are out of work. However, as we celebrate Independence Day, perhaps you are thinking about your independence, your desire to do something else with your career, something more fulfilling and in line with your passions. If that's the case here are a few resources to help you decide the best course of action for you and to provide the necessary inspiration:


1. Route to Freedom: Mike Routen provides "tools you need to create a life of freedom and adventure with your family."


2. Location 180: Sean Ogle on "building a business you can run from anywhere on Earth" and "living a life worth writing about."


3. Life After College: Jenny Blake helps readers "wake up, live big! and love the journey."


4. The Art of Non-Conformity: Chris Guillebeau provides "unconventional strategies for life, work, and travel."


5. Danielle LaPorte: "For Freedom striving + love, livelihood that works, ruthless compassion, all forms of affluence, and passion that persuades."