Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Learning from Failure and One Strategy 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 and life development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

In the video below from Entrepreneur, author, Navy SEAL and editor of SOFREP.com Brandon Webb tells about learning from failure and shares the best business advice he ever received.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How to Answer the 10 Most Common Interview Questions

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 Answer the 10 Most Common Interview Questions: "We talked to six hiring experts to find out which questions trip up most job candidates, and the better answers that could win you the job."
• 15 Steps to Successfully Reinvent Yourself After Losing Everything: "Whether if it’s reading or attending a workshop or webinar, find ways to enhance your knowledge. It will make you a more well-rounded individual and help you grow both personally and professionally."
• 9 Skills Bosses See Lacking in New Graduates: "An online benefits and compensation information company unveiled which hard skills managers find lacking in new grads. Here are the results of the survey."
• How to Build New Leaders: "For any business that lasts, it’s incumbent upon current leaders to build a deep farm system of developing leaders. Mentorship programs are one answer."
• How to Ask Your Boss for a Raise: "However, it's important to keep in mind that it's okay to ask, even if the execution feels uncomfortable and comes across as awkward. Your delivery will improve over time."

5 Enemies to Success in Your Career and Life

There are a number of factors, qualities, and characteristics necessary to be successful in your career and in life. You need to have the necessary knowledge and skills, along with determination and hard work.

But there are also enemies to success that you'll encounter and will need to overcome. Let's take a look at five of these enemies to your success in career and life and consider ways to defeat them.

1. Lack of focus. It's difficult to be successful if you don't focus daily on what is truly important to your success. Many of us get distracted by unnecessary tasks instead of staying keyed in on what is necessary. To help with this stay off of social media when you're working and avoid multi-tasking. Complete one task at a time without distractions before moving on to something else.

2. Lack of effective communication skills. If you communicate in ways that are unclear, rude, or condescending it will be difficult to succeed in life and work. You need the support of others to succeed and you must be able to clearly articulate your vision in ways that motivate and encourage others rather than alienate them.

3. Lack of energy. It will be nearly impossible to be successful if you lack energy and enthusiasm to follow-through on your plans. This requires you to get an appropriate amount of sleep, eat well, avoid excessive alcohol intake, and get some exercise.

4. Lack of direction. Similar to lack of focus is lack of direction but lack of direction is related to the big picture: where do you see yourself in 5-10 years? What is it exactly that you want to accomplish? To hit a goal you first have to set a goal. Without a clear direction your work will be aimless and without any real sense of purpose. Get clear on your mission and goals and you'll have a better shot at the success you want.

5. Lack of support. There are no "self-made" men or women. We all need the support and encouragement of a team around us. Make an effort to develop a strong support system around you, including family, friends, mentors, and colleagues, and you'll find that you are already successful.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: How to Say No in Order to Achieve Your Goals

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 Entrepreneur, Emily Richett shares some tools to help you learn to say no and properly budget your time and energy.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 3 Tips for Finding a 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!

• 3 Tips for Finding a Mentor: "Many people seek out the most successful person they can -- but that’s a mistake. The best mentors are not loud, outspoken and quote-ready. They’re those who gain respect among peers."
• Learn 5 Mindsets of Highly Successful People: "Successful people know they have much more control over the trajectory of their lives than others realize."
• How You Can Tell if Your Boss Appreciates You: "Your participation in important and high-profile projects is a message from your boss about your importance to her team. If you’re as involved in the action as you want to be, then you are a key player on her squad."
• 6 Habits of Managers Who Have Loyal Employees: "Ultimately, employees appreciate it when their manager makes the effort to think thoughtfully about what they have to say. Beyond the recognition gesture itself, this creates emotional connections."
• 2-Minute Habits That Will Make You Feel Better at Work: "To put this into practice in the office, each night before bed, spend two minutes identifying and writing down your top five 'non-negotiable' goals that you want to achieve the next day at work."

4 Practices to Implement When Starting a New Job

Starting a new job is an exciting and anxious time, and it provides a great opportunity...

The opportunity to start over and to start fresh.

These new starts in our lives allow us to makes changes to our routines, habits, and attitudes, and to move past any failures or struggles in our previous job.

So, when starting a new position consider implementing the following four practices in order to get your new job off to a great start.

1. Start with gratitude. When you get up every morning and when you arrive at work express gratitude for the job and for the opportunities and benefits it provides for you. This will help you approach your work with a positive and optimistic attitude and help you avoid cynicism and dissatisfaction with your job. You don't have to say anything profound. You can just start your day with a simple statement: I'm grateful for another day and I'm grateful for this job and I look forward to doing my best today.

2. Be social. Meet people throughout the company, don't eat lunch alone, and take a few minutes for a brief conversation around the coffee machine. You'll feel more comfortable in the job and enjoy work more when you come to enjoy those you work with and develop a team of support around you. But be sure to stick with colleagues who are positive and enthusiastic about the work.

3. Learn everything. No one expects you to know everything so be humble and ask a lot of questions. You want to learn as much as you can when you first arrive at a company (and continue that curious desire to learn throughout your career) and no one looks down on you for not knowing something. After all, you are the "new guy". In addition, like the point above, the quicker you learn about the job and the company, the more comfortable you'll feel in your work.

4. Volunteer and be helpful. A great way to meet new people and to learn as much as you can is to volunteer for anything and everything, from special committees and task forces to new projects. Others will view you positively and you'll gain knowledge and confidence in your work.  

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: It's Not Too Late to Start Something

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 Gary Vaynerchuk encourages and challengers viewers to realize it's not too late to start something big, to change careers, or to become an entrepreneur. The time to start is today.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 4 Resume Tips for Career Changers

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 Resume Tips for Career Changers: "We call these 'transferable skills' – a term that refers to the skills you've obtained and used in your existing experience and which you would also be able to leverage in your new career."
• Reboot Your Heart and Mind: "The question of how to achieve continual improvement in one’s career and with one’s team should be front and center for every serious adult."
• 6 Inspiring Commencement Speeches: "What I wish for all of you—the bad as well as the good. Fall down. Make a mess. Break something occasionally. Know that your mistakes are your own unique way of getting to where you need to be."
• 50 Thoughts That Can Motivate You to Do Anything: "The next time you feel unmotivated, use any of these 50 positive thoughts to reenergize yourself. Really: They work!"
• These are the Best Places to Work for New Fathers: "Millennials have been more vocal in demanding to be part of their children’s first months, and the industry has responded with extended benefits in order to attract these hires."

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.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: How to Go from Grit to Great

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 Jessica Abo gets some tips from advertising gurus Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval on how to go from Grit to Great in business and life.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 3 Ways to Inspire Your Employees or Co-Workers

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!

• 3 Ways to Inspire Your Employees or Co-Workers: "If you would like your team to feel more excited about their job, get to work on time, meet deadlines, participate at meetings, etc., you have to do those things first. It's hard to motivate others to do something you aren't doing yourself."
• Improve Your Resume By Turning Bullet Points into Stories: "Tell compelling before-and-after stories. What were your previous places of employment like when you started there? What were their biggest challenges, and how did you help meet them? How are those organizations better because of you?"
• Why Mindfulness is the Ultimate Habit for Success: "In any moment when we are being mindful, our mind functions optimally because we can see our thinking objectively. The reactive thoughts that arise in any given moment no longer control us."
• Three Pieces of Advice to Building Confidence for Public Speaking: "The single biggest reason people are concerned about public speaking is because they worry what other people think of them. The quicker you start learning how to fix that issue and be comfortable with yourself, you become a much better public speaker."
• Four Myths Most Bosses Believe About Employee Engagement: "In the vast majority of cases, engaged employees are happy, and happy employees are engaged."

4 Ways to Get the Most Out of an Internship

An internship can play an important role in the career of any college (or even high school) student and there are ways to ensure that you benefit the most from an internship.

Rather than complaining that you don't get to the do the most important tasks in the company, focus on the following four ways to get the most out of your internship:

1. Learn Everything. Don't limit yourself to your job assignments. Ask questions. Lots of questions. And meet new people and ask what they do, and ask them to show you how they do it. Make an effort to get to know the company you work for and to understand its strengths and where it fits in among its competitors. If the company offers training be the first to sign up. Take advantage of any learning opportunities that come your way.

2. Talk to Everyone. In addition to meeting your direct supervisor and her team, get to know any other interns in the company. Make an effort to meet the company vice-president and the CEO, and the janitor, and the receptionist. Remember names and, as mentioned, ask a lot of questions. An internship is a great way to make lasting connections with people in your chosen field.

3. Stay Positive. Smile and interact positively with all the people you're meeting. Take on new assignments enthusiastically and show a genuine interest in those you are working with. You'll enjoy your day more, and you'll leave a lasting impression on others in the office.

4. Get Connected. Be sure to connect with your supervisor, other interns, and anyone else you've worked closely with, or had some meaningful interactions with, on social media channels such as LinkedIn, twitter, or Facebook. When you leave your internship send these connections a brief note of thanks for the support and learning opportunities they provided.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Stop Waiting for the Perfect Time, Start Now

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 Alex Heyne from Modern Health Monk urges us to get started with the change we seek, noting some of the habits necessary to make real change. He says, "the sooner you start, the sooner you arrive."