Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 10 Tips for Having a Productive Day

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 Entrepreneur video below Jason Balin and Chris Haddon from Hard Money Bankers present ten tips to make your day more productive, starting with creating a checklist and making time for personal development. Watch the video for more.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 10 Career Milestones to Hit Before Age Thirty

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!

• 10 Career Milestones to Hit Before Age Thirty: "Introduce yourself to the highest-ranking executive in your organization. Let them know what you do for the company and offer your services if they ever need help from your department."

• 10 Mistakes Smart People Never Make Twice: "If you keep the same approach, you’ll keep getting the same results, no matter how much you hope for the opposite. Smart people know that if they want a different result, they need to change their approach, even when it’s painful to do so."

• 5 Great Questions to Ask at a Networking Event: "Instead of competing with these folks, imagine the result of asking questions that encourage them to freely share that information. You can create a networking environment in which they're talking, you're listening and everyone is feeling heard."

• How to Deal with the Know-It-All in Your Office: "When I was in seventh grade, a new girl joined my class. Let’s call her Selena. She came from a big city, and she knew it all — what to wear, the words to songs, how to talk to teachers."
• How to Succeed as an Introverted Leader: "according to new research, many introverts may be shying away from leadership positions in which they'd actually excel, because of misplaced fears about their potential and capabilities."

5 Indicators Your Workplace is Unhealthy for You

All companies and workplaces are not created equal. The great work environment you find in one might be entirely missing from a similar company in the same field. Or you might just discover that you and the company you're in are not a good match.

Below are five indicators that your current work situation is unhealthy for you and it could be best to look for an alternative situation.

Your company is no longer aligned to its values. If your company starts cutting corners, rejects excellence and settles for mediocrity, or makes every decision based on the bottom line it might have turned its back on its values in order to maximize profit. 

  

Your life is focused on work to the detriment of other aspects of your life. Are you staring at your work email during dinner with your family or working on that spreadsheet during your daughter’s dance recital? If so, work just might be intruding into your personal life causing unnecessary stress to you and your family.

You are unable to share your true opinions at work. When you attend meetings with your manager, your team, or company-wide, do you feel free to share your opinion, especially if it runs counter to conventional wisdom? If you find it difficult being honest with your colleagues and managers, it might be time to look for something new.

Decisions are made by many levels of decision-makers. In other words, nothing gets done because there are too many hands in the pot, too much bureaucracy, or too many layers of decision-makers. This is a great way to kill individual initiative in employees and destroy morale.

You begin to feel anxious about work on Sunday afternoon. Sunday afternoon and evening should be a time to begin to return your attention work and is a perfect time to consider your plans for the week ahead. But if you are filled with apprehension about heading to work the next day this common experience is giving you a clear message: you don’t like your job and it is time to consider something else.

These indicators can provide with you some clues about your current work environment and suggest whether it might be time to look elsewhere.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 6 Warning Signs You Should Get a New Job

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 Chelsea Fagan from The Financial Diet, she discusses six warning signs that suggest you should get a new job, starting with feeling unmotivated to finish assignments. Watch the video for more.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How to Tell Your Boss That You're Not Engaged 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!

• How to Tell Your Boss That You're Not Engaged at Work: "He noticed that organizations tended to overlook the influence that everyday experiences have on people’s work motivation, focusing instead on their talents, skills, and expertise."

• 7 Keys to Success for Women Starting Their Own Business: "If you want to take it seriously you need clarity and passion. Without passion, our dreams become a burden, and burdens get abandoned."

• How the People in My Life Help Me Succeed: "It all starts with who you find to share your life with and who you let in. At work, you want people who are driven, competent, honest and who share similar goals to yours."

• 6 Science-Backed Ways to Make Your Office More Productive: "workplaces with 'positive and virtuous practices' such as mutual care, support and kindness -- and workplaces that inspire and emphasize the meaningfulness of work, as well as emphasize respect and gratitude -- enjoyed greater productivity, performance and customer satisfaction."
• Why Being a Morning Person Will Make You Better at Your Job: "When we make the time to collect ourselves in the morning, we have clarity for the rest of the day, because when we bring a more relaxed presence into our morning hours, it makes everything that happens from there much more manageable."

7 Podcasts to Benefit Your Career and Business

We are what we take in, whether we’re talking about the food we consume or the messages we consciously, or unconsciously, give ourselves and so to be successful in our career we need to be intentional about the information we take in.

We can all benefit from more inspiration and encouragement in our work and business lives and one way to find that is through listening to some great podcasts.

Below are seven podcasts, one for each day, that you can add to your playlist for some a needed dose of career enthusiasm.

School of Greatness with Lewis Howes: The goal of the School of Greatness is to share inspiring stories from the most brilliant business minds, world class athletes and influential celebrities on the planet to help you find out what makes great people great.

Pivot with Jenny Blake: Author, speaker and business strategist Jenny Blake talks with peak performers to reverse-engineer their most successful career pivots, interview experts on what it takes to be agile in a rapidly evolving economy, and opens the kimono on what happens behind-the-scenes of her book and business.

48 Days to the Work You Love: Dan Miller is the author of 48 Days To The Work You Love and is a leading authority on work, career and business start-up.

How I built This with Guy Raz: A podcast about innovators, entrepreneurs, and idealists, and the stories behind the movements they built.

Good Life Project: In-depth, unscripted, deeply-inspiring conversations and insights from acclaimed artists, entrepreneurs, makers and world-shakers, hosted by Jonathan Fields.

Building a StoryBrand with Donald Miller: Donald Miller brings you practical advice about clarifying your message so customers will listen and start talking about your brand.

Happier with Gretchen Rubin: Gretchen Rubin, bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before, brings her practical, manageable advice about happiness and good habits to this thought-provoking podcast.

We’d love to hear about the podcasts you’re listening to and would recommend. Let us know!

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: How to Start a Business When You Don't Have Time

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 Business Insider, career expert and Growth Lab CEO Ramit Sethi shares some ideas for building a business when you have little time.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: The Power of Positive Thinking

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!

• The Power of Positive Thinking: "I have been able to accomplish some amazing things because every Sunday I write down the goals that I want to accomplish in every aspect of my life. I map out my vision and accomplishments for the week and I break it into days."

• 10 Reasons to Hire Someone Without a College Degree: "Some people learn best in school, and other people don't. They learn by doing. You will miss out on a huge talent population if you screen out brilliant, capable and hard-working people for whom the classroom is not a good learning environment."

• How to Make a Great First Impression in 3 Minutes: "asking a question about a recent meeting, or commenting on a successful project, signals to your boss that you are not only focused on work, but committed to growing in your role, as well."

• 7 Things to Consider Before Relocating for a Job: "make sure you’ve considered all possible problems and opportunities that could arise. Think about things like the cost of living in the new city and what you’ll deal with on a daily basis on the roads."
• 7 Tricky Work Situations and How to Respond to Them: "there are certain phrases you can keep in your back pocket when these moments come. Route your response with them, and redirect the situation to regain control."

Tips for Looking Your Best at Your Next Job Interview

When you have a big job interview coming up sometimes the greatest anxiety comes not from the preparation for the interview questions but is related to what you should wear to the interview.

First impressions are critical and your style sends a message to the interviewer about who you are, your qualifications for the job, and your understanding of the position.

With that in mind, consider the following tips when preparing what to wear to your next job interview.

Learn what you can about the company. Take a look at the company’s web site and you might see photos of its employees, providing you with some clues about the typical style of dress. Or you might note upcoming special days, such as “blue jean Friday”, cluing you in to the fact that jeans are not considered every day attire. You can also find information about the company and its employees on social media and LinkedIn and these sources can provide valuable information and hints about the dress code at the company.

It’s better to overdress then underdress. Other than wearing a tuxedo or elegant dress to the interview you can’t really go wrong with being slightly overdressed. Wearing a sport coat with a tie for men is appropriate in many circumstances, while for women, a nice blouse with dress slacks or a skirt can be a sharp look. Avoid jeans and shirts with logos or messaging on them. These might send an inadvertent  message to your interviewer. 

Focus on the basics. Wearing a clean white shirt or top, along with a smart pair of pant and slacks is a good place to build on. Bring a suit jacket or sweater in case the temperature in the building is cold and avoid too many accessories, which can cause you to fidget and play with them during the interview. You can’t go wrong if you focus on classic items of clothing in basic colors such as navy blue, gray, black, or brown.

Wear what you’re most comfortable in. Finally, wear something you love to wear, keeping in mind the points above. When you feel comfortable you’ll be more likely to feel and project confidence to your interviewer and, instead of worrying about an ill-fitting or uncomfortable suit, you’ll be focused on clearly conveying your strengths in the interview.

Take a few minutes to research the company you’re interviewing with, focus on wearing classic styles in basic colors, ensure you wear something you love, and you’ll give yourself an opportunity to stand out in your interview.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 6 Habits of High Performers

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 Brendon Burchard talks about the six habits of high performers, including seeking clarity and generating energy. Learn more in the video below.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 10 Reasons Good Employees Quit

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!

• Top 10 Reasons Good Employees Quit: "They realize that it's up to them to have the career they want, and that their hopes of having that career with their current organization will never come true."

• How to Stay Focused When You're Working from Home: "It may sound silly, but if you want to have a focused day of work, pretend you’re not working from home."

• 10 Simple Ways to Build a Collaborative, Successful Work Environment: "The more compelling and exciting the mission, the easier it is to inspire team members to want to be a part of what the company aspires to accomplish."

• Why You Need to Make Over Your To-do List: "Instead of doing a million things poorly, the goal becomes to do a few things incredibly well--or better yet, do one thing better than anyone else in the world."
• The Health Benefits of Gratitude: "Whether you’re penning a note on personalized stationery, scribbling in a journal or just meditating, a deep contemplation of gratitude will probably be a tune-up for your mind and body in many ways."

3 Ways Our Words Sabotage Our Success

The language we use and ways we speak can significantly impact our well-being and our chances for success. Our words inform both our view of ourselves and our view of the people around us.

Therefore, it is important to evaluate how we speak to ourselves and how our words might be inhibiting our happiness and success in our life and career.

Let’s consider three ways we sabotage ourselves with our language.

I can’t. When we use the words “I can’t” we immediately make it nearly impossible for us to overcome a challenge, whether we’re suggesting that we can’t change or can’t learn a new skill or can’t get in better physical condition or can’t overcome our fears … we are right. By saying “I can’t” we’ve confirmed in our minds that we cannot be successful. In fact, there is no point in saying the words “I can’t” aloud. Once those words have become part of the way you think of yourself you’ve already handcuffed your opportunities.

But. Once you start adding the word “but” into a sentence you’re qualifying or minimizing the statement made previously, and avoiding full responsibility. ‘I would have completed the project on schedule but our developers were delayed” or “I could manage this project but Robert has more time available right now.” Using the word “but” prevents you from taking ownership over yourself, a project, and your career.

They or he or she. When you develop a habit of talking about other people you run into the possibility that you are gossiping about them, seeking to minimize their achievements in order to boost your ego, or comparing your performance with theirs. None of these ways of thinking or speaking about other people can benefit your or your career. You will develop a reputation as a gossip who cannot be trusted, will develop a habit of putting others down or failing to recognize their achievements, or will unnecessarily criticize yourself because you believe your accomplishments are not as significant as those around you.

To be successful in your life and career watch the words you say, both aloud and to yourself. Avoid claims that you can’t accomplish your goals, take full responsibility for yourself and don’t minimize your actions, and make an effort to compare yourself with no one else.

Focus on positive and encouraging words that build you up and strengthen those around you.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: How to Stay Motivated

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 Ben Angel provides advice on how to stay motivated and discusses the two types of motivation and how they impact you.