Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Hate your job? Instead of quitting, do this instead

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 Mel Robbins offers helpful advice for those who hate their job and long to be doing something else. Check it out.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 9 Tactics to Land You the 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!

• 9 Tactics to Land You the Job: "Ask for the job enthusiastically. If they say they are 'still looking,' ask what for and explain how you are a perfect match, and then ask again."
• 11 Career-Related New Year's Resolutions: "Want a raise or a new job? Better work-life balance?"
• Veterans and the Holiday Job Search: "When a job seeker displays initiative in setting up informational interviews during the holidays, she communicates that she is resourceful and hard-working."
• 6 Qualities of a Non-Toxic Employee: "Look for employees who are good with taking direction and take full responsibility for their work."
• 6 Strategies to Transform a Job You Hate into One You Love: "Knowing that by sticking it out, you’ll be gaining skills that will aid you in getting to the next level in your career, and that can help to keep you engaged."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Ready to Leave Your 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 these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• 14 Signs It's Time To Leave Your Job: "When you find that you’re spending less time with your family because of work, or you cannot commit the necessary time to your job, you should consider looking elsewhere."

• Tips for Merging on to Your Career's Smart Track: "To gain respect, you have to deliver. Do you consistently produce outstanding work, exceed expectations, go above and beyond what is expected, take initiative and simply work hard?"                                                      
• Please Stop Complaining About How Busy You Are: "If you're really up to your neck, it's very easy to find a scheduler, virtual or otherwise, to help put things on your calendar. Sometimes it's a matter of freeing up that time used for coordinating plans to actually doing them."


• 4 Ways Older Job Seekers May Circumvent Hiring Fears: "Demonstrate that your energy level and intellectual curiosity remain high. Talk about how import it is to be a top producer and why. At every step along the way demonstrate that you are up to date with your skills, and that you don't sit on your laurels."


• How These Famous Motivational Quotes Can Help You Succeed: "The only way you can become a leader is by setting a great example and by putting together a team that is pulling together in the same direction and towards the same target."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Career Success and Working at Home

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

• Staying the Course When You Truly Hate Your Job: "The key is getting back to what engages you and making it a part of your daily work life – a little creativity can go a long way."

• How I Went from Zero to Success in Four Weeks: "Defining a brand and nailing your message may seem relatively easy, but your business’s first, powerful impression is the most important thing for any company. Get it right the first time and you’ll be well on your way."                                                      
• Do You Have What it Takes to Work from Home?: "A home office is filled with distractions, from dishes in the sink to the ability to walk away from your desk on a sunny day with no boss to tell you to keep working. Can you resist the temptation to take your eye off the ball?"


• The 8 Rules of Success to Think about Every Morning: "When it comes to doing business, building a brand and a good reputation is vital. Once you have done this, you will find things a lot easier, as most of us prefer to deal with people or companies that are recognised and trusted."


• The 3 Questions People Always Forget to Ask in an Interview: "The people who are interviewing you will have heard it all before and they will be looking for someone who has that little bit extra quality or personality which sets them apart from the rest of the crowd." 

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

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

• 5 Things You Didn't Know Could Hurt Your Career: "You might think that loyalty to an employer would be valued, and it is, but there's also a point where staying too long at one company can raise questions for future prospective employers about how you'll adapt to new environments."

• The 1 Thing You Must Do In Every Job Interview: "The most important thing you must do in every interview is to ask great questions."                                                       
• Internships Are Increasingly the Route to Winning a Job: "Companies report that 69% of summer interns who applied for full-time positions received offers, according to a recent survey from the Graduate Management Admission Council."


• Work-Life "Balance" Isn't the Point: "Even in the busiest of schedules, the most practical and effective way we can live is by aligning our personal priorities of work, family, health, and well-being. Such realignment can bring huge gains in emotional and physical energy, not to mention greater clarity and focus at work."


• 12 Things You Should Do If You Hate Your Summer Job: "Keep in mind that the two main goals of having a summer job or internship are getting valuable work experience and getting a great recommendation from your supervisor." 

Knee-ded Career Satisfaction Therapy

I’ve been thinking lately about people unhappy in their careers but don’t want to make the leap to ones that are more fulfilling. I’ve also been thinking about my knee.

I injured my knee in a charity race last year and-seeing no significant issues-my physician recommended physical therapy. I met with a physical therapist who gave me a regimen of stretches and exercises that would get me running without pain again.

That was a year ago. I didn’t follow through with my plan and I sheepishly met with the physical therapist again to give it another go at it.

What the heck prevented me from doing the exercises? The question plagued me, but got me curious. The answers I came up with correspond with reasons why those dissatisfied with their careers tend to stick with them. Not unlike us physical therapy failures, “dissatisfied, yet comfortable” denizens of career drudgery share these characteristics:

A “small inconvenience:” The minor pain I experienced in my knee didn’t significantly hinder my daily activities, not unlike how the small inconveniences of an unfulfilling career don’t significantly hinder this group of workers. Their careers aren’t unbearable, but they also don’t produce passion. In both situations, neither party kept sight of the more fulfilling alternative so the pain-small, but bearable-continues until something has to be done.

Slow, incremental progress: The doctor made it clear to me that I shouldn’t expect to get better soon; it would take months before I would experience progress. Without the immediate payoff, I wasn’t motivated to prioritize my physical therapy. People dissatisfied with their careers get caught in the same trap: the timeline to transition to the career they love is too long (and often filled with obstacles). So they stay put and complacent, intimidated or put off by the lack of instant results.

Plummeting priority: The barrier of slow progress and only minor pain keeps the “desired state” from being a priority. I didn’t make it a point to create a schedule and stick to it to help my knee get better; it wasn’t a priority. Those stuck in career drudgery rationalize by saying “well, it’s not what I want to do, but it’s not that bad…” Without making what you want a priority-with no intention or action-it will never happen. And the pain will remain.

If you feel that you may be missing out on something special career-wise, or want to work through your feelings of disenchantment, reflect on the following questions:

What joy in your career are you currently missing out on?

What fears are keeping you from taking action?

What career dream have you never acted upon, and what would it take to act upon it?

What time will be the best time for you to make the career move you want, and why then?

Pain in any form isn’t good, especially if you are missing out on true joy because of it. I’m committed to rehabilitating my knee; I hope you that you rehabilitate your career.

I Hate my Dream Job. What to Do When the Dream Becomes a Nightmare.

Studies show that the average adult will change careers – not just jobs – five to seven times in their life. Obviously, this number fluctuates by individual and based upon circumstances. I can honestly say, I have never had a dream of what I wanted to be “when I grew up.” However, if you told me 10 years ago that I would own a successful resume writing and career services business, I probably would have thought you were crazy.

I was speaking with a friend yesterday whose good friend sold everything, relocated his family and made a complete life change because he always dreamed of being a police officer. Fast-forward 8 months later and it turns out he absolutely loathes being a police officer. Hating your job, dreading getting out of your car in the parking lot, is no way to spend the majority of your time. Here are some things to think about if you ever land your dream job, and find it to be less – or more – than you expected.

Why are you unhappy?
It is difficult to make the right change unless you know what is bothering you. Organize your thoughts and feelings about what you like and dislike in the career. Once you complete this exercise, you can decide if you need to make another career change or just a change of employers.

Do you dislike the career, or is it just the company, job or supervisor?
People often confuse disliking their boss or the environment in which they work for hating their career. Do you like what you are doing, but don’t like the people you work for or with? Does the current company for which you work expect you to compromise your values? Sometimes you just need to look for a different place to work, or a different person to work for, without leaving your career field.

How can you combine the parts of your dream job you love with another career field?
The new police officer I told you about earlier did not like arresting people and did not like having to work overnight shifts as a new police officer. He enjoyed serving the public, liked the investigative work and felt good about upholding the law. Assess your values and your personality and define what you like about your current career field. Look for opportunities where you can combine the best parts of your career with your values and personality to find the right fit.

Research before you leap the next time.
Always conduct as much real-world research as possible. Perform informational interviews, talk to people in the career field and ask them what it is really like to have the job. Make good decisions based on your research and analysis before you jump in with both feet.