High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Bust out of Your Comfort Zone

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!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• Bust out of Your Comfort Zone: "Exposing your mind and character to new people, places, and things is its own reward — it helps you become a more interesting (and interested) person. And it makes you more self-aware, which ultimately makes you more professionally effective."


• How to be Unforgettable: "When meeting for the first time, many people fill silences by talking about themselves; turn the conversation around and ask them about their interests. And once they’re talking, be engaged in what they have to say."


• 7 Ways to Succeed in a Video or Phone Interview: "Appearing on screen can feel awkward, so if you don’t regularly use Skype then have a few practice runs with friends to get used to it."


• Networking for Those Who Avoid Small-Talk and Strangers: "When you have a 'wingman' at your side to help highlight your accomplishments at networking events, it can give you the confidence you need to approach others and break into conversations."


• Developing Your Strengths at Work: "You can boost your levels of optimism and self-belief by imagining what might be possible in the year ahead if everything went as well as possible and you were using your strengths each day."

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Networking Strategies

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

In this video Colleen Debaise provides some simple tips to improve your networking, especially if networking does not come easy for you.

Check out her strategies in the video below:

Networking Makes Good Business Sense

People in your network can be a valuable source of information that might include job leads, clients, and other resources.  For many, though, networking may not come easy.   Below are some tips that can make networking easier and more productive.

Start Small

If networking is challenging to you, start small.  Set a goal to attend a networking event or other networking opportunity once or twice a month, and then increase it as you feel more comfortable.  For many, networking one-on-one seems easier, so consider inviting a business associate to lunch as a way to get started.  Remember, regardless of how you network, it is important to be yourself.

Be Strategic and Then Evaluate

After attending a range of professional networking events, evaluate your experiences to determine which ones interested you and provided the most value.  These are the ones you want to revisit. 

Leverage the Internet

The Internet offers many opportunities to make professional connections through websites, like LinkedIn. You can also participate online through professional or industry forums and blogs.

Prepare before an Event

Your networking success at professional events will increase if you’ve prepared in advance.  For example, research the speakers and topics that will be addressed.  Investigate current trends or issues that might be of interest to those attending the event.  This preparation may help you generate a few open-ended questions to spark conversation with attendees. 

Reciprocate Assistance

When networking, there should never be an expectation that everyone is there to assist you or vice versa. However, when someone is able to provide professional assistance, it is nice to reciprocate when possible.

Networking for Introverts. How a Shy Person Can Take Advantage of Networking Opportunities.

I comfortably teach classes on job search techniques to hundreds of people. However, ask me to make small talk and socialize in a room full of those same people and I become immediately uncomfortable. People are often surprised to find out that I am – at my core – an introverted person. Put me in front of a class speaking about a subject I know well, and I become a very outgoing and confident person.

I constantly tout the virtues of networking in the job search – it has become an absolute necessity for success in today’s market. However, I was reminded by a colleague today that I personally stink at networking. Starting today, I have vowed to become better at networking, even though I am an introvert. So I decided we could learn about this subject together. In my research about how to best network as a shy person, here are the highlights of what I have learned.

Set a goal for yourself of what you want to accomplish at each event. Your goal can be as simple as getting through the first event while having a good time, collecting five business cards, or making a new friend.

Plan ahead to ensure your networking experience is successful. Think of several open-ended questions you can ask when you meet new people and listen attentively to their answers.

Realize that you must also be ready to talk about yourself. Prepare your 30-second commercial, also known as an elevator speech. However, your speech should be about the benefits you can offer – not necessarily all about you.

Look for other introverts at the networking events. You are not alone; there are other people who feel the same way as you. Look for small groups or people standing alone and approach them first.

End your conversations gracefully. Everyone is there for the same purpose – to meet new people. Ask your new acquaintance for their business card, let them know you don’t want to monopolize their time, and tell them how nice it was to meet them.

Follow-up after a networking event is critical. As an introvert, I really do not enjoy talking on the phone. Why not send a hand-written thank you note? It takes just a few minutes and adds a personal touch.

Analyze the success of each event. Don’t beat yourself up for what you did wrong or how you could have responded better. Instead, ask yourself what worked, what didn’t, where you need to prepare better, and whether or not the event was the right venue to market yourself and make the kind of connections you need.