High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 6 Ways to Make Better Decisions

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 Ways to Make Better Decisions: "The best solutions come by spending more time defining the problem. Clarifying the problem, goal or objective crystalizes the information search."

• 9-5 is Out. Try the 1-6 Instead: "Being committed to the three things I outlined above has shown me, clearly, that my eight-plus hour work days were really just five hour work days dragged out over eight hours."

• 8 Ways to Run Effective Meetings: "We are very clear of what our goal is in the meeting and what our deliverables are coming out of the meeting."

• 4 Habits of People Who are Always Learning New Skills: "But those who persevere generally have their eye on a larger prize — a new job, a promotion, or the chance to lead a project. I encourage people to determine a specific career objective and keep it front of mind as they learn."
• 3 Ways to Avoid a Nasty Breakup When Quitting Your Job: "I have often gone into telling my boss that I’m quitting with a copy of my resignation letter, which has helped me to stay professional and focused since it can be used like a script. Then make sure that it gets sent to your superiors and HR."

How to Measure Success in Your Career

It can be discouraging to look around and compare your career standing with that of successful entrepreneurs and career experts touting their accolades and wisdom on social media. You might even be tempted to compare your situation to that of some of your colleagues.

Resist the temptation!

When it comes to your career success you should only look to yourself and measure your success based on the following factors.

Your opportunities to advance or develop in your career. You’ll experience your career as successful if you have opportunities to move up in the company, earn a job promotion, and continue to expand your range of influence. 

 

Your opportunities to develop new skills. A successful career is one that changes and avoids stagnation. It is one where you are able to learn new skills, develop in new areas, and be part of the innovations in your chosen field.

Your opportunities to live a healthy and well-balanced life. A successful career is one in which your career does not prevent you from making healthy choices, getting enough sleep, eating well, spending meaningful time with your family, being physically fit, and enjoying some recreation and leisure time.

Your opportunities to earn a liveable wage. You don’t need to be rich and famous. Resist the desire to base your career success on your paycheck and to compare your things with the things your neighbor owns. Instead focus on ensuring that you can meet your financial obligations and purchase items of value that you need and enjoy.

Your opportunities to live your values. If you are doing meaningful work that is consistent with your values and provides a sense of purpose you will likely feel a sense of deep satisfaction in your work. Strive to find work that brings value to your community and to the world and you will be a success in your career.

When you evaluate your career success don’t focus on status, titles, and salary. Instead, take a look at whether you have opportunities to advance, develop new skills, experience work-life balance, earn enough to live on, and are fulfilling your purpose.

4 Ways to Improve Your Job Satisfaction

When you've been in a job or a career for a few years (or sometimes even a few months) you can come to a place where the position has grown stale and you start feeling a little dread and anxiety on Sunday evenings.

Perhaps you're no longer challenged in your work or you don't get along with your supervisor or a co-worker.

Here are four ways to improve your job satisfaction and help make those Sunday evenings before starting the work week a little more enjoyable.

1. Attitude adjustment. It's no secret that our attitudes and beliefs play an important role in our job satisfaction. We tell ourselves how unhappy we are with certain aspects of the job or with someone we have to work with. We complain to others. Instead, take some time each morning to consider three things you appreciate about the job. They don't have to be profound and can be as simple as the job provides you with an income, or you enjoy the short commute. Focusing on a few positives about your work can help you start the day better.

2. Try something new. Identify a project that needs to get done and volunteer for it, especially if the project plays to your strengths or involves learning some new skills. Taking on a new challenge and learning something new will go along way towards increasing your job satisfaction.

3. Meet someone new. Make a point to avoid eating alone. Invite a colleague or co-worker to join you for lunch or a coffee break and don't just talk about work. Making a new friend on the job can make work more interesting and give you a good reason to look forward to the day.

4. Get organized. If you are disorganized or fall behind in your work it can make it difficult to enjoy your job and can increase your stress levels and anxiety. Clean and organize your desk, your computer, and your work environment and you'll feel more prepared to take on the responsibilities your job requires.

Making these four minor changes to your work routine can greatly improve your job satisfaction and make you eager to get to work on those important projects and tasks every Monday morning.

5 Keys to Career Happiness

Are you happy with your career? Unfortunately, many of us spend a great deal of time and energy

complaining about our job or our boss to anyone who will listen.

Instead of complaining let's consider 5 keys to job satisfaction and career happiness.

1. Your work is meaningful. The company you work for and the position you fill helps to bring value to the world. In other words, your work is not unethical or promotes products or services that do harm.

2. You have work-life balance. The job you do allows you time to relax with family, engage with your hobbies, and does not cause you to be in a constant state of stress.

3. You are fairly compensated. This is obvious but you'll feel better about your work if you feel that you are valued and paid appropriately for the value you bring to your job.

4. You have valuable relationships at work. Many long-lasting friendships start as co-worker relationships. It's much easier to enjoy your job if you enjoy those you work with.

5. You have opportunities to advance and develop your skills. It's easy to feel stuck in a job or career if we see no opportunity to advance or move up. A satisfying job allows you to continually grow, learn, and develop.

Consider these keys to help evaluate your current situation and determine whether it's time to change your job or change your attitude.

4 Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Career

It's nearly spring and traditionally that is a time when some give their house a thorough cleaning and remove items that are no longer needed or require updating.

Here are 4 tips for spring cleaning your career:

1. Update your resume. Take a new, fresh look at your resume and remove anything unnecessary or outdated.

2. Update your skills. Perhaps your technology skills have fallen behind or you could benefit from some additional knowledge of your industry, now is a good time to evaluate this and find way for a skill or knowledge upgrade.

3. Refresh your contacts. Identify three to five professional contacts that you haven't spoken with in
a few months and reach out to them. In addition to providing an update on your work be sure to take a genuine interest in their activities.

4. Update your wardrobe. Be sure to dress the part and if that means some of your wardrobe has become outdated spend some time and money to upgrade your look. This can also help you feel more confident on the job or in a job search.

What suggestions do you have for spring cleaning your career?

 

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: More Networking and Entrepreneurial Tips

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

• Don't Work For Your Boss, Work For Your Company: "Go the extra mile for your company. Use your special interests to make your company better from the inside out."

• 7 Things I'd Do Differently If I Started My Small Business Today: "One of the best ways to get noticed fast is by building relationships with influencers in your industry. In the times of social media this has become easier than ever."                                                      
• Winning New Networking Contacts in 6 Steps: "Success comes to people who are always seeking new knowledge and perspectives that will make them more well-rounded people, better thinkers and ultimately better employees."


• The Art of Accidental Networking: "When it comes to accidental networking, knowing exactly what kind of job you want is the first step in the right direction — even if you don’t have the experience in a particular line of work."


• 6 Things You Should Quit Doing To Be More Successful: "Delaying or procrastinating around something that you think is important means one of two things. You’re either scared to start because it means your life will change or you want it for the wrong reasons."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Growing Your Job and Unleashing Creativity

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

• 6 Ways to Grow Your Job: "When a new project is simply not available, look for roles outside your group or organization that allow you to learn and practice new skills and raise your profile. Teach, speak or blog on topics relating to your interests."

• The Incivility Crisis in America: "Americans are working longer hours as wages stay stagnate and the job market remains weak, so it’s not surprising that tensions in the workplace are running high. The problem is these tensions can often result in frustration and interpersonal conflict leading to toxic work environments."                                                      
• 8 Interview Tips You've (Probably) Never Heard Before: "Experienced hiring managers who have interviewed many candidates will often say they don't get nervous at their own job interviews anymore, because they've done so many interviews from the other side and understand how an interviewer's mind works."


• How to Get Unstuck and Unleash Your Creativity Today: "There’s nothing wrong with strategically mitigating risk, but brilliant bodies of work are built by those who are willing to take the small, calculated risks necessary to take new ground."


• 6 Ways I Find and Hire Hardworking Millennials: "Remember, everyone announces themselves in the interview. I learned this the hard way when I ignored my gut response and hired a young woman who made me feel uncomfortable in the interview."