High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Lessons from a World War II General

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!

• Leadership Lessons from a World War II General: "Next time your team is in dire straits, demonstrate fierce optimism in the face of overwhelming odds and gauge its effect. I bet that you will be surprised by how contagious optimistic leadership can be and by the incredible influence it can have on a team."

• We Need to Change the Conversation Around Motherhood & Work: "To make significant progress, we have to work together and change the conversation. That means seeing mothers as more than just mothers, and acknowledging that their identity outside of being a parent is just as important."

• A Simple Technique to Improve Your Communication: "Subheads are words or short phrases that help to group paragraphs together and introduce new pieces of information. They also visually break up large pieces of text, helping your reader digest information."

• 14 Morning Routine Hacks to Boost Productivity: "The good news is that some morning "best practices" have been shown to help successful business moguls and entrepreneurs make the most of their time and energy."
• The Need to Become More Collaborative in Business:"A truly connected value chain means businesses can innovate more quickly and provide better – and more ethical – products and services to increasingly demanding customers."

5 Ways You Can Make Your Company Better

Some of us spend a lot of time thinking about what our company does wrong or considering the areas it needs to improve. We might even complain about employers, but do we spend any time thinking about how we can make things better?

Perhaps we need to paraphrase John F. Kennedy’s famous quote for the workplace: ask not what your company can do for you, ask what you can do for your company.

Here then are five ways we can make our jobs and the companies we work for a little better.

Join a Committee. Most companies create committees to explore solutions to problems or issues that come up. There might be a committee to explore workplace diversity or to develop a recycling program. Contact your Human Resources department to find out more about these initiatives and how you can get involved. Your enthusiastic engagement with your company’s practices will contribute to making it a better place to work.

Welcome new employees. Become one of those employees that new people can turn to for advice. When a new employee starts at your company be sure to welcome them and offer to be of assistance to them in any way possible. Invite them to lunch or to grab a coffee later in the day. A welcoming company is a better company to work for.

Ask questions. Your bosses don’t want to employ robots. Yes, they might want to automate some task where possible, but they do not want to hire “yes” men and women, nor do they want employees that don’t think for themselves. Contribute to making your company better by asking questions, exploring how you can do something better, or how your product can bring better value to your customers.

Learn new skills and apply them to your job. When you and your colleagues increase and develop your knowledge of your field and industry, and apply it to your work, you are making your company better and more effective at its mission. Strive to be a continuous learner while challenging and encouraging your colleagues to expand their thinking. 

Smile. This is the easiest thing you can do to make your company better and so is one of the first things we neglect to do. Greet those you see and work with when you arrive in the morning with a smile and a spirit of gratitude, rather than approaching your workplace with dread. A kind company that fosters a clear sense of mission and gratitude in its employees makes for a better place to work.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: The Most Engaged Employee in the World

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.

The video below from Harvard Business Review offers insight into the factors that drive employee engagement, including working with others in a team. Check out the video to learn more.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 4 Ways to Cope with Anxiety at Work

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!

• 4 Ways to Cope with Anxiety in the Work Place: "In every place I’ve worked, I’ve found a confidante. I let this person know about my anxiety, and update them if anything is happening in my personal life that may cause increased stress."

• Are You Ready to Go Freelance?: "When asked about the biggest challenge they face, half of the independent consultants we surveyed mentioned unpredictability, insecurity, and volatility."

• What You Need (Besides Grit) to Succeed: "You need grit to have a chance. But success requires the action of others, too. Be realistic and give it everything you've got, and be bold if you can about requesting a recommendation."

• 3 Things to Do to Be Better at Decision-Making: "But just knowing your purpose isn’t enough. You must also identify the precise outcomes (the what) you desire to achieve."
• 3 Ways to Prevail as a Female Entrepreneur:"Taking the high road, staying focused on the goals ahead and trusting yourself and your capabilities is most often the best course of action."

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.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: How to Expand Your Network

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, Brian Tracy offers advice on how to expand your network, starting with looking around at your place of work for successful individuals to learn from. Check out the video to learn more.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How to Triumph Over Rejection During a Job Search

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 Triumph Over Rejection During a Job Search: "A few days after the inner voice urged me to redouble my efforts, I decided to turn my rejection experience into a teachable moment."

• 5 Ways to Supercharge Your Personal and Professional Success: "The world is full of people who start stuff but never follow through. Successful people do what’s required. They keep going even when it’s hard and they don’t want to."

• 4 Ways to Inspire Your Team to Greatness: "They develop a culture of trust, encouraging each team member to be open about goals, progress and achievements, obstacles and struggles."

• How to Plan for 2 or 3 Different Careers in Your Lifetime: "Being willing to learn is a vital ingredient for navigating the vicissitudes of an episodic career."
• 10 Powerful Ways to Master Self-Discipline:"By simply removing your biggest temptations from your environment, you will greatly improve your self-discipline."