High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 13 Practical Ways to Find Joy in Your 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!

• 13 Ways to Find Joy in Your Work: "I keep a journal of everything that I do at work so that when I am feeling drained or bored, I can use it as a reference to spark new ideas."

• The Elements of Good Judgment: "leaders with good judgment tend to be good listeners and readers—able to hear what other people actually mean, and thus able to see patterns that others do not."

• The One Question to Ask Before Setting a New Year's Goal: "Reaching your current goals isn’t the endpoint; it’s just the point where you’ll need to set new ones."

• 50 Inspirational Quotes to Motivate You: "I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do."
• The Upward Spiral of Doing the Right Thing:"The vast majority of us want to make a positive contribution to the world through our work, whether by improving a single person’s day or making a system more equitable."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Life Skills You Need to Increase Likelihood of 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 them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• Life Skills You Need to Increase Likelihood of Success: "While this is in no way an exhaustive list, these are the skills that are essential if you want to become successful."

• A 3-Step Checklist to Make a Big Career Decision: "If you’re at a career crossroads, according to Selina Tobaccowala, all you need to do is consider three things: who are the people you are going to work with, how do you feel about the product and do you care about the mission."

• 9 Habits That Will Make Your Life (and You) More Interesting: "Interesting people have learned that the very act of seeking new experiences brightens their spirits and puts them in a good mood."

• 5 Tips to Help You Stick with Your Resolutions This Year: "You don’t have to throw in the towel just yet. Here are some of the changes I’ve made to avoid failure with my New Year’s resolutions."
• A Lesson in Bad Leadership from Netflix's Fyre Festival Documentary:"If your boss dances around and evades serious questions asked by the team and won't give concrete answers, you should start getting a little nervous."

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 15 Everyday Things You Should Do Differently Next Year

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.

The video below from The Financial Diet describes fifteen things to do differently in 2019 for greater success in your life, including getting the right tools to organize. Check out the video for more.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 5 Tips for Managing Stress Over the Holidays

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!

• 5 Tips for Managing Stress Over the Holidays: "You might feel like you have to do everything and be everywhere, especially when technology makes it so easy. But it's just not the case. You might be missed, but your time and energy is limited, so use it wisely."

• 5 Ways to Kickstart Your Side Hustle: "Ask your HR department if they provide access or discounts to premium resources, business management tools or training. Some organizations offer education budgets; use those resources to get ahead."

• How to Help Your Employees Stay Productive Around the Holidays: "closing the office for more days during the holidays has a direct and positive impact on in-office productivity."

• 5 Healthy Resolutions to Make: "This is the easiest of the five, and yet it is so often overlooked, especially by men. An annual checkup is your chance to measure your progress from year to year."
• Why Soul is the Secret to Family Business Success:"when you realize that you're closer to the back end [of life] than the front, you begin to wonder about whether your life has meant something."

6 Ways to Put Your Holiday to Work for Your Career

For many of us the holidays offer an opportunity to take time away from the office to enjoy time with family. We might look at the holidays as a way to think about anything but work.

However, it can also be a great time to consider the new year and prepare to get off to a strong start.

Here are six ways to do just that:

Clean out email. Achieving in-box zero is a lofty goal for many and perhaps one you’ve failed to realize. Take an hour or two, if your email habits warrant it, and clear out as many old emails as possible. You’ll experience less stress and anxiety when you return to the office with a more stream-lined in-box.

Update your wardrobe. If you receive some cash or a gift card or two for a holiday gift, and even if you don’t, pick up an item or two to spruce up your style at work. Improving your appearance at work can instill greater confidence and increase your prospects for that promotion in the new year.

Update your resume. This is a great time of the year to update your resume (and LinkedIn profile) with your work highlights from the past year. Do this while these are still fresh in your mind. You might also rethink and reconsider your career plans and objectives.

Reach out to key contacts. The holidays are always a great time to connect with family and friends and it can also make sense to reach out to some of the important connections in your network with a Christmas card or even a brief email or Facebook message to extend wishes for a happy holiday and happy new year. 

Resolve to make changes. If you’ve taken some time for self-reflection regarding your career, you’ve likely identified some areas you can make improvements or some habits or practices that are holding you back in your career. Resolve to sign up for Toastmasters to improve your public speaking skills, or take that coding class, or new manager training you need to become more effective.

Rest and relaxation. Despite everything mentioned above, do not spend too much time over the holidays focused on your career. Use the time to get away from the daily emails and phone calls. Turn off that mobile and unplug for a few days while you enjoy the holiday with family and friends.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: The First Thing to Do in 2018 to Build a Happier Life

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 First Thing to Do in 2018 to Build a Happier Life: "finally address any remaining fears, blocks or excuses that have been in the way of your changing or leaving a situation that's wrong for you."

• 5 Unexpected Career Resolutions You Should Make in 2018: "if you have more than about three big goals in the mix, you’re likely to dilute your effort and accomplish very little."

• How to Highlight Your Talents in a Job Interview: "you can help others speculate about your own future—and place a bet on your talents—by describing the key qualities of your potential."

• 30 Habits, Qualities, and Secrets That Lead to Success: "Developing the right habits is also important, and these can be as simple as keeping a journal to jot down your thoughts and ideas, visualizing success and having a solid morning routine."
• 3 Signs You Need Change in Your Life: "Once you figure out that the game you’re playing isn’t money or success, but rather how you feel, the sooner you’ll prioritize a deep sense of fulfillment over fear."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 5 Things You Need for a Successful Mindset

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!

• 5 Things You Need for a Successful Mindset: "Less common and far more difficult is the sustained focus and drive—throughout long periods of time—needed to achieve it."

• 8 Tips for Building Your Personal Brand in 2017: "You know your personal brand is strong when you become a source of information. Strive to be the person media outlets and journalists contact when they need expert advice or information."

• The #1 New Year's Resolution to Kick-Start Your Career: "If you’re not sure where or how to invest in yourself, then ask yourself these three questions."

• Unveiling the Best Jobs of 2017: "Job seekers and employees, cheer up. The 2017 job market is looking solid, especially for workers in key industries such as health care and business."
• 5 Real Reasons You're Getting Radio Silence After a Final Interview: "As an HR 'insider,' I’d like to peel back the curtain for a moment and let you in on exactly what’s going on behind-the-scenes."

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 6 Things You Can Do to Stick to Your New Year's Resolutions

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.

The video below from Inc. provides useful tips for sticking with your New Year's resolutions, starting with getting real and establishing short-term goals, rather than vague resolutions. Check out all the tips by watching below:

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: Why You Should Consider Freelancing 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!

• Why You Should Consider Freelancing in 2017: "One of the best ways to start freelancing is while you have a job. Begin taking on projects that are not a conflict of interest with your current employer."

• 5 Steps to Personal Greatness: "Self-affirmation is a matter of choosing what we focus on. If others talked to us the way we sometimes talk to ourselves, we would avoid them. It can become easy to degrade ourselves, sometimes subliminally."

• 8 Paradoxical Habits of Wildly Successful People: "Successful people seem to have limitless energy when it comes to doing the things they’re passionate about, but they aren’t frantic. They can keep that energy under control."

• 5 Pitfalls to Avoid When Getting a New Job: "If an employer isn’t on the same page as their new hire regarding what they’re expecting of him or her, that will certainly cause a rift in the relationship."
• 9 Ways to Kick Off the New Year With a Bang: "The New Year offers an opportunity to reboot, reorganize, start over, and do the things you’ve been putting off way too long. Be patient with yourself. You have all year to accomplish your new goals."

4 Practices to Implement in 2016 to Improve Your Life and Career

Let's not call these resolutions, ok? Resolutions can be daunting and we often implement them for a few weeks (or days) before dropping them and never looking back.

If we look at the following practices as just that, simple practices or strategies that can bring added value to your life but don't require fierce diligence, then perhaps we'll be more likely to incorporate some of them into our routines.

1. Meditation. No, we're not suggesting you become a monk or anything but a regular habit of even brief meditation has been shown to bring great benefits such as reducing stress and boosting productivity. There's even an app for it!

2. Sleep. Yes, this is often the first casualty of a busy life but 7-8 hours of sleep is critical to functioning effectively and being at your best every day. Research indicates that losing four hours of sleep at night produces a state near drunkenness and going to work in a drunken state is not likely to result in a good day.

3. Movement. We now live primarily sedentary lifestyles as we spend increasing amounts of time in front of screens every day. To be at our best and have increased energy we need to move. A simple practice of getting up every hour and taking a brief 5 minute walk will do wonders. As Tom Rath notes, "If you eat, move, and sleep well today, you will have more energy tomorrow. You will treat your friends and family better. You will achieve more at work and give more to your community."

4. Relationship. We need other people to be at our best and to live well. Make a practice of eating lunch with colleagues and scheduling monthly (if not weekly) time to spend with a close friend. Ensure that this time allows for some dedicated and concentrated time to talk.

4 Career Resolutions to Make for 2016

As we approach the start of the new year it is a time to evaluate 2015 and consider how to move forward in 2016. Of course your goals and resolutions should take your job and career into consideration.

Here are four career resolutions you should make for 2016:

1. Take a class to learn a new skill. Many employers offer tuition reimbursement programs or offer some funds to pay for training classes. Consider learning a new language or a new skill, such as coding or social media marketing.

2. Find a mentor. One of the most important things you can do for your career is find a mentor. Identify a few candidates, at your current company or in your community, who have attained some success in an area of particular interest to you and contact one or two.

3. Attend a conference. When you attend a conference it does at least three positive things for your career: a) it provides you with new skills and knowledge, b) it recharges your batteries, reduces stress, and increases your enthusiasm and energy for your work, and c) it provides opportunities to meet new and interesting people and to expand your network.

4. Take care of yourself. Make an extra point of scheduling and getting adequate sleep every night, eating foods that energize you, and being active and avoiding a sedentary life that can come with working in an office.

Make these four resolutions, or better yet, take on and implement these four resolutions and you're likely to have a great 2016.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 9 Things Successful People Won't Do

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!

• Career Boosting Resolutions to Make Right Now: "Define exactly what your ideal job and company would look like. Make sure that the choice you make fits with your current values and priorities."
• 6 Creativity Habits For People Who Think They're Not Creative: "The interaction with new people can bring perspectives never before considered and spur new ideas within the group."
• 9 Things Successful People Won't Do: "Emotionally intelligent people know that success lies in their ability to rise in the face of failure, and they can’t do this when they’re living in the past."
• 4 Important Ways to Look at Employee Well-Being 'Holistically": "Offering small breaks, especially during busy and stressful times, can keep employees focused without the added stress of being away from their work for long stretches of time."
• 10 Nonverbal Cues to Convey Confidence at Work: "When speaking to others, ideally look directly into their eyes at least two to three seconds before looking away or moving to the next person."

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: Career Resolutions

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

• 5 Job Seeker Resolutions to Make in 2014: "The New Year often brings the promise of change, possibility and resolving to make this year better than the last. Here are five steps to help you achieve your [job search] goal."


• How Working from Home Can Help Tackle Your New Year’s Resolutions: "In addition to no commute and dress code-–three other factors can have major benefits to your overall well-being. And maybe even your New Year’s resolutions."


• How to Invest in Your Career for 2014: "If you’re thinking about your professional new year’s resolutions, keep the following in mind when evaluating professional development opportunities."


• New Year’s Resolutions Every Job Seeker Should Make for 2014: "If your number one goal for the new year is to land a new job, hopes and wishes aren’t enough; you need to define and execute a plan to ensure your success."


• 10 Professional Resolutions for the New Year: "Whether a pay rise, promotion, or a new career are among your professional resolutions, the following tips may serve as useful in your quest to make 2014 the year for your career!"

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 Career Goals You Can Live With: "Get clear on your performance expectations.  Sit down with your boss to fully discuss their expectations of you for this year.  Ensure you ask how you will be measured."


• The Future of You: "Welcome to a new era of work, where your future depends on being a signal in the noisy universe of human capital. In order to achieve this, you will need to master three things: self-branding, entrepreneurship, and hyperconnectivity."


• How to Turn 3 Career Resolutions into Reality: "Making resolutions is easy; putting them into action can prove to be more challenging. If you're ready to take action, read on for some helpful hints to achieve those career goals you've set for 2013."


• 8 Reasons Why You Never Hear Back After Applying for a Job: "Your online brand stinks. With many companies using social profiles to research candidates, you can’t afford to leave your online presence unattended. Run a Google search of your name to ensure all results are favorable, and tailor your public profiles to reflect your career goals."


• New Year's Resolutions for Your Career: "Has someone made your life at work easier, connected you with a helpful contact, or simply been a pleasant person to interact with this year? Tell them—and vow to keep thanking people into the new year."