High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 10 Ways to Be a Better Employee in 2017

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 Ways to Be a Better Employee in 2017: "emotional intelligence ...will be one of the top 10 job skills by 2020 because people with high EQ handle pressure well, know how to cooperate with others, are open to feedback, and empathetic."

• 5 Simple Resolutions That Will Make You Smarter, Happier, and More Confident: "Just imagine telling a colleague you’re becoming a calmer and more focused person through studying the ancient fighting style of Russian warriors."

• 3 Things Successful People Do On the Daily: "with a morning routine, you have control over how your day begins. This is really important because research ... shows that your mood in the morning affects your productivity all day."

• Are You Giving Off Signs You're a Desperate Job Seeker: "You'll know that you are sending out signals of desperation when you find yourself doing these five things."
• 3 Reasons to Never Skip Salary Negotiations When Accepting a New Job: "It sounds counterintuitive, but you're in a better position to ask for more money now, before you're in the job, than you are after you're hired."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: To Get Promoted, Get Feedback from Your Critics

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!

• To Get Promoted, Get Feedback from Your Critics: "Find adversaries who are critical, pinpoint specifics, and are nitpicky. But rather than having them point out your deficiencies, ask them to identify your strengths, and show them you’re committed to improving."

• 10 Things Job Seekers Are Tired of Hearing From Family and Friends: "To someone who isn't engaged in the daily slog of a job search, this question can sound innocent, but it can be exhausting to have to explain repeatedly that no, that job didn't come through."

• 5 Things Being a Marine Taught Me About Being an Entrepreneur: "Show up early. Do your homework. Take the extra time to do it right. These are things that are good advice no matter what your profession, but they are especially important when you are running a business."

• 5 Things Freelancers Do to Supercharge Their Careers: "Companies don’t always invest in sending employees to conferences, which is where they can network to advance in their field. (Many that do go are busy representing their company at the event and less focused on making connections to propel their own careers.)"
• 10 Job Skills Veterans are Great For: "LinkedIn analyzed the profiles of 1.1 million veterans in the workforce and found skills that they’re more likely to have compared with average LinkedIn users."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 3 Myths That Are Killing Your Productivity

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 Myths That Are Killing Your Productivity: "Some people are naturally more productive in the later hours, while many peak midmorning. Figure out what works and get on a schedule that allows you to get enough sleep."
• 10 Tips for Phone Interview Success: "In the age of technology, you need to be extra cognizant of outside distractions. Mute other phones, email and text alerts along with any incoming call notifications, as they can disrupt your conversation and train of thought."
• How to Hold a Productive Meeting in 7 Minutes or Less: "There’s no sitting down during these meetings; everyone stands up because it forces people to move and think a little faster, without the luxury of getting too comfortable."
• 5 Choices Every Job Seeker Makes: "How you job hunt says a good deal about your character, inquisitiveness and personality. And, you'll get different results when you stay up to date and carefully position yourself among your competitors."
• How to Handle the Imposter Syndrome: "One of the greatest barriers to moving outside your comfort zone is the fear that you’re a poser, that you’re not worthy, that you couldn’t possibly be qualified to do whatever you’re aiming to do."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 6 Steps to Prepare for a Job Interview

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!

• 6 Steps to Prepare for a Job Interview: "Before the interview, research competitors, financial performance, culture, management style and who your colleagues may be. Thanks to the Internet, you can uncover a treasure trove of information about companies and people."
• Young Job Seekers and Inexperience: "Inexperience is an asset and will allow you to think in original, unconventional ways."
• How the Most Successful People Ask Questions: "Asking questions not only keeps you engaged, it allows you to contribute to the conversation and learn something new."
• 5 Overlooked Habits of Great Leaders: "The primary reason great leaders lead themselves first is their unwavering commitment to being the best version of themselves. Their passion to be great in every situation and at all times comes long before they gain recognition, titles or positions."
• 5 Ways to Make Your Company's Hiring Process More Fair: "Diversity is important in the workplace because it builds a company with a unique dynamic and a strong ability to adapt."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Older Workers, Second Careers, and Success

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!

1. The Best Interview Tips for Older Job Seekers
"You have a track record, and it demonstrates your capacity to create further accomplishments if given the opportunity."

2. 9 Great Second Careers that Don't Require 4-Year Degrees 
"You want to make a career change, but you don't have a bachelor's degree and don't have the funds or the interest in getting a four-year degree. Here are nine good jobs that don't require a bachelor's."

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3. 21st Century Career Reinvention for Boomers
"In the 20th century, we thought of life in three broad stages: Education, Career and Retirement. In the 21st century however, I believe that these three need to be replaced by Self Awareness, Creation, and Service."

4. What Successful People Do With the First Hour of Their Work Day
"Remember when you used to have a period at the beginning of every day to think about your schedule, catch up with friends, maybe knock out a few tasks? It was called home room, and it went away after high school. But many successful people schedule themselves a kind of grown-up home room every day."

5. How to Move from a Winning Interview to a Job Offer  
"Prepare to ask about things of interest to you. Learn about the person, position, company, industry, interview process, etc."

What do Job Seekers Have to be Thankful for?

It is official; the holiday season is upon us. I know from personal family experience that it is tough to be thankful and positive when you are unemployed, especially when you are unemployed during the holiday season. In honor of Thanksgiving, I wanted to talk to about the positive aspects of the job search process and what you can be thankful for today as you sit down to your Thanksgiving meal.

Networking
The job search process has changed so much. Networking has become more important than ever. I looked at multiple surveys of how people found their jobs and the percentages of people who found their job through networking vary from 64% to 83%. No matter the number, you can see the majority of people are using networking to their advantage.

Be thankful that you have this opportunity to get out from in front of the computer, interact with live human beings instead of the internet, and make connections that expedite the hiring process. Don’t make networking harder than it needs to be. Simply talk to people about your skills and the benefits you can offer a company and clearly communicate how they can help you.

Social Media
I have to admit, I resisted the social media movement. Who has time to update statuses, create profiles, and manage their connections? As a job seeker, you need to find the time. Be thankful that you have these online networks where you can post your profile, showcase your personality, highlight your communication style, and make connections with people you may never have met before social media played such a large role in the job search process.

Think of social media as one more tool in your toolbox that you can use to land the job. However, just like all tools, you must use them properly to get the best possible results from them.

A Great Resume
As a professional resume writer, I may be biased. However, no matter how often people state the resume is “dead,” most every job search situation still calls for a resume. Standing alone, a resume can’t get you a job. However, a bad resume can prevent you from landing a job faster than most anything else.

Be thankful that there are so many resources available to you to help you assess your skills, define the benefits you can offer an employer, and effectively market the brand of YOU in your resume. Take the time to refine your resume until it clearly states the benefits you can bring an employer.