Five Areas to Be Grateful for in Your Career

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Why Nurturing Your Health is Good for Business

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!

• Why Nurturing Your Health is Good for Business: "If you plan ahead and really are mindful about taking care of yourself, it allows you to live in the moment more fully."

• 3 Common Hiring Mistakes New Managers Should Avoid: "By investigating the emotional 'job-to-be-done' of a new hire, as well as the actual job we need them to do, we become less likely to hire the wrong person for the wrong role, and more likely to hire a great person for a great role."

• Why You Need a Life Strategy: "Don’t limit yourself. Visualize and plan who you want to be, and how you want your life to be."

• How to Find Strength in Differences: "It's a matter of knowing the whole is greater and better than the sum of its parts, even when the parts are a little mismatched and don't seem to fit together."
• 7 Ways to Rebrand Yourself for a Career Change: "Use social media to your advantage to rebrand yourself in your new career area. Follow thought leaders in your target industry and comment on their posts. Connect with relevant industry groups and associations."

5 Reasons to be Grateful for Your Job

A daily practice of gratitude has been shown to improve your mood, among its many other benefits and there is no better time than the Thanksgiving holiday to begin showing a little gratitude for your job.

Not sure where to start? Try these five reasons to be grateful for your work situation.

1. The job itself. You might simply start by feeling thankful that you even have a job. There are many people out there looking for work, or are soon-to-be graduates anxiously anticipating the job search. You don't have to live with this daily anxiety and have a reason for getting up every morning.

2. Your boss. Yep, your supervisor, whether you like him or her or not, provides you with support in your job or offers you opportunities to grow by being difficult to work with. Either way, your boss provides you with a reason to be grateful.

3. Your co-workers. You likely have some friends and supportive colleagues at work and they are often the reason we enjoy going in each day. Take a moment to appreciate them and even to let them know how grateful you are for their support.

4. Opportunities to learn. Your job provides you with opportunities to learn something new. Sometimes you learn a new skill, sometimes you learn patience, sometimes you learn how to deal with a difficult co-worker, or sometimes you learn how to use new technology or a new program.

5. Opportunities to use your strengths. It's likely you were hired for your job because you have the skills and abilities required. This provides an opportunity to be grateful for the opportunity to apply your strengths to accomplish something worthwhile.

You might also find yourself grateful for a short commute, or a long commute (affording you the time to get something else done), or you are grateful for opportunities to make a difference in the world and in the lives of others.

If you really think about it you'll likely find many reasons to be grateful for your job.

Happy Thanksgiving!

5 Ways to Overcome Fear, Doubts, and Uncertainty in Your Career

Fear is often one of the strongest emotions we experience when it comes to taking on new challenges and tasks in a career. Sometimes we allow doubt to creep into our minds and we tell ourselves that we have no business expecting success and we feel like a fraud when we get that promotion.

This is common to many people and there are ways to deal with these thoughts and feelings.

Try these five ways to overcome fear, doubt, and uncertainty in your career:

1. Meditate. Take 5 to 10 minutes when you start your day to practice meditation. This calming practice will help set your fears and anxieties to rest and also allow you to fill your mind with some positive words if you add a simple phrase to meditate on, such as "I am grateful for each new opportunity."

2. Identify strengths and successes. Write down three of your strengths, along with three significant successes you've had in your life. Post this somewhere you can view it several times throughout the day. Drawing attention to your strengths and successes will help remind you that you are capable and have the skills necessary to be a success.

3. Practice positive self-talk. Learn to identify when you are telling yourself negative thoughts or are filled with fear and doubt. Take a moment to breath carefully and replace your thoughts with something true and inspiring. This is where identifying your strengths and successes can come in handy. Replace your doubts by reminding yourself of the ways you excel.

4. Surround yourself with positive and encouraging people. The people in our lives play an important role in our mood and how we think of ourselves. Make an effort to associate with people who inspire and encourage you to be the best version of you.

5. Seek out a mentor. When taking on new challenges and opportunities it can feel overwhelming and so it is important and beneficial to have an experienced person who can serve as a sounding board and provide counsel and advice while you grow in your work.

Try to implement these five strategies at any time in your life and career and you'll likely decrease the hold that fear, doubts, and uncertainty has over you.

5 Things to Do When You're Unemployed

There can be nothing more discouraging and disheartening than long periods of unemployment and it can be easy to sink into a malaise and do very little. Before you know it, months have passed and you've made little progress toward obtaining a new job.

Below are five things you can do to make the time during your unemployment more profitable for you in the long run.

1. Get clear about your strengths. Develop a focused understanding about what your strengths and skills are. Be able to concisely state what it is you would bring to an employer. If you're not sure, speak with an employment counselor or read some work by Marcus Buckingham to help you assess your strengths.

2. Stay social. It can be tempting to withdraw and isolate from others during a time of prolonged unemployment but be sure to maintain your friendships and attend social gatherings. Your friends can help you stay motivated, and can even provide leads to job opportunities.

3. Learn something new. You might not be able to afford to take a class while you're unemployed but there are many free classes available online, or through your local library. Speaking of libraries, reading a book can be a great way to acquire some new knowledge or understanding.

4. Set a schedule. Live as if you were working. Don't allow yourself to simply sleep in and watch TV throughout the day. Set an alarm and get up at a reasonable time, get in some movement or exercise, and plan some time for job searching or career development every day.

5. Stay positive. Finally, work at remaining positive. You can do this through a daily meditation practice and by surrounding yourself with uplifting media, messages, and friends throughout the day. An optimistic attitude will help you negotiate the difficulties of an extended period of unemployment.

3 Things to Know Before Your Next Job Interview

You can always find a lot of advice about job interviewing and preparing for a job interview. However, sometimes all that advice merely serves to make one more anxious about the process and feel slightly overwhelmed by it all.

In reality, though, if you know the following three things in advance of your next interview you will go in much better prepared than most of the other candidates.

1. Know the company. Do your homework and understand as much as you can about the company you are interviewing with. Who founded the company and when? What are its key values? What is the mission of the organization and what are some of the major challenges facing it? Know the answers to these questions and use them as you formulate your responses to interview questions.

2. Know the competition. Who are the major competitors to the company you're interviewing with and what are their strengths and weaknesses? Why are you choosing to interview with this company rather than with its competitors? How can the company your interviewing with better distinguish itself from its competitors? If you can answer some of these questions for yourself you will be in a good position in the interview to situate yourself as a knowledgeable asset to the company.

3. Know your strengths. Be sure to understand yourself well, and understand the skills and knowledge you bring to the company. By knowing your strengths, as well as having a deep knowledge of the company and its competitors, you will be able to clearly demonstrate and communicate your value to the company.

Focus on these three areas before your next interview and you'll enter the interview room with confidence.

5 Rules for (First-time) Managers

You just got that promotion to manager and your team of ten staff members is looking to you for leadership and direction. Now what?

Becoming a people manager for the first time (or any time, really) can be a daunting task, and it's not a job for everyone. However, here are five rules to become an effective manager:

1. Learn everything about the job. Take time to learn all aspects of your job and the work of your employees. You'll be a better advocate for your team and be a better problem-solver when you understand every aspect of your employees tasks.

2. Listen (and Learn) from your employees. Your employees are the experts. Learn from them and make an effort to listen before jumping in with suggestions. Be know as a someone who really hears his or her employees and you'll become a successful manager.

3. Communicate effectively and often. Don't hide in your office or cubicle all day. Be visible, and communicate with your employees often in person and by email. Become a student of effective communication.

4. Admit your mistakes. You will make mistakes and your employees will notice them (and talk about them behind your back). Make an effort to own your mistakes, admit them when appropriate, and correct them. Your team will come to respect you when you can take responsibility for your errors and work to fix them.

5. Praise your employees and put them in position to succeed. People respond well to praise and encouragement and you'll want to make this a regular part of your management style. Find unique and innovation ways to praise and acknowledge good work, but don't ignore the importance of a simple thank you. In addition, put your employees in position to succeed by allowing them to utilize their strengths in their jobs.

Follow these five rules for management and you'll make the transition from first-time manager to experienced supervisor that much easier.

5 Steps to Evaluate Your Career Over the Holidays

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

Here are five things to consider:

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

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

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

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

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

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Focus on Your Strengths

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 John C. Maxwell encourages us to focus on strengths rather than on areas of weakness.

Regaining Your Confidence After a Career Setback

Everyone has disappointments and setbacks in their career, from that promotion or raise you didn't get to getting fired or laid off.

Sometimes that setback can impact your confidence and leave you struggling to regain it.

Here are 5 steps you can take to get your confidence back after a career setback.

1. Small victories. Set some small, immediate, and attainable goals in order to restore your confidence in your abilities. Sometimes simply the process of setting a small goal and attaining it is enough to set one back on the path to larger goals.

2. Focus on strengths. You have specific skills and areas of strengths. Try to focus your energies on activities that utilize these strengths and build confidence.

3. Surround yourself with support. Find those around you--family, friends, coworkers--who believe in you and your abilities. Their belief in your skills and strengths can speed your recovery from a setback.

4. Find a mentor. Seek out another expert in your field to serve as a mentor and to guide you through this time. Your mentor can assist you in making the best decisions for your career as you move forward.

5. Learn something new. Take some time to learn a new skill or take a class. Experiencing some success in a class and adding to your skill set can provide the confidence to move ahead in other areas of your life and career.

Implement these 5 steps following a career setback and you'll be back on your feet and headed to new successes.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Alex Morgan's 10 Rules for Success

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, American soccer player and Olympic gold medalist Alex Morgan shares her ten top rules for success, including focusing on what you do best. Watch the video for more.

4 Initial Steps to Entrepreneurship

Many people have daydreams of walking into their bosses office and quitting on the spot, usually after winning the lottery or receiving a large inheritance.

For some people the dream involves starting their own business. If that describes you and you've been dreaming about becoming an entrepreneur here are four initial steps you can take toward entrepreneurship.

1. Find your (money-making) passion and strengths. What do you love to do? Play video games? Will anyone pay you to play video games all day? Unlikely. So, you need to pair your passion with a service or product that people want or need. You also need to consider your strengths. A passion for baseball is great but if you don't have elite talent you'll never make it to the major leagues. The same idea applies here. You can certainly learn some things but you'll want to build on the strengths you already have.

2. Seek out a mentor. Find someone who is successful at what you want to do and ask him or her to
mentor you. Start by taking your mentor out for a coffee and asking about a few things you need to know in order to make a new business succeed. Ask to meet regularly as you work through the process.

3. Save money. Not only will you need funding to start your business but you'll also want to ensure that you have some money saved up to enable you to live on while your business is in its infancy. It will likely take some time before your new business is bringing in a steady income to live on.

4. Start on the side. A good way to ease into a new venture is to start part-time while you have the security of a full-time job. Dedicate 10-20 hours per week to developing and testing out your concept before leaving your job and starting the new business.

There are many great resources to help you become an entrepreneur and we'll discuss some of these next week.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Networking and Getting the Most Out of a Conference

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 to Get the Most Out of a Conference: "Perhaps one-on-one meetings are better for you or small group settings. If so ... mak(e) a reservation at a local restaurant for about eight people before the conference. Then invite people from your wish list."


• Become a Networking Beast: "Avoid rambling off the reasons why your product or service is the best. Instead, ask everyone whom you speak with if there is anything you can do to help their business."


• Mika Brzezinski on Leadership and Knowing Your Worth: "Don't ever say that you will walk if you won't, but if you get to the point where you can no longer do your job knowing that you are not getting what you are worth, it might be time to take that drastic step. Plan ahead for future employment if you find yourself in a place where you have to make demands."


• 6 Interviewing Mistakes: "As with the elevator pitch, it’s best to have a smart, genuine question prepared before the interview. All too often, people to go into the interview with the expectation that a brilliant question will materialize somewhere between the hellos and the wind-down, but it just doesn’t work that way."


• 3 Steps to Mapping Your Career Path: "Your values, strengths, interests and compensation are building blocks that make up the cornerstone of fulfillment in your career."

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."

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Focus on Your Strengths

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 Marcus Buckingham discusses how we tend to focus on our weaknesses when a focus on our strengths can lead to greater success.

Learn more in the video below: