High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Incredibly Successful and Happy People Consistently Do These 6 Things

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!

• Incredibly Successful and Happy People Consistently Do These 6 Things: "Most people are scared to attach their identity to their performance. High performers are willing to put themselves out there and place their identities on the line."

• 6 Mistakes Job Hunters Make While Employed: "Tell your friends about your job hunt one-on-one or over the phone, and emphasize the confidential nature of your search."

• 5 Tips for Building an Online Presence that Employers Love: "It also helps to build a website with your name in the domain. This way, when they search your name, they will find your optimized website where you can include your current resume and a portfolio of your work."

• Go to the Gym and Become a Better Boss: "It may sound obvious that effective managers need to cultivate that one-on-one mind-set, but it’s easy to lose sight of as your team grows and your responsibilities threaten to divide your attention. A little bit of individualized focus goes a long way."
• 9 Phrases Smart People Never Use In Conversation: "there are some phrases that emotionally intelligent people are careful to avoid in casual conversation. The following phrases are nine of the worst offenders. Avoid them at all costs."

How to Handle Rejection

“Thank you for your interest in the VIP position at ABC corporation. I want to thank you for applying for the position and let you know that we are moving forward with another candidate. Other positions open regularly and we invite you to keep an eye open for future job postings.”

You might have received a similar message by email or over the phone sometime and even if the position didn’t seem right to you or you had concluded that you weren’t a good fit, it can hurt to experience rejection.

So, how best to manage the disappointment that comes from rejection and move forward?

First of all, accept how you feel. It’s perfectly normal to feel down or disappointed by the rejection. If you’ve received multiple messages like this you might be feeling very discouraged and wonder if you’ll ever find the right job. Allow yourself to experience these emotions, acknowledge that it’s okay and normal to feel them but decide on a time (say 48 hours) for you to move on.

Then reevaluate your strategy. Perhaps you need to be more targeted in your job search, or maybe you can gain more support and leads from your network. Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback, both from those close to you and from a prospective employer that you interviewed with. Take some time to gather feedback, revise your job search strategy, and refocus your energy.

Reenergize by gaining a new perspective. Look at each rejection as an opportunity to learn something new about your field, to develop strength and grit, and to work on taking a more positive and optimistic approach to your career. Every door that shuts makes possible another door to open, leading to a position that will best utilize your strengths and skills. Or perhaps it’s even time to consider taking the path of an entrepreneur. 

Finally, continue to apply for jobs, experience rejection, and get back up. You’ll learn a lot about yourself, other companies, and gain valuable experience and knowledge about your industry by interviewing for many positions.

The resilience you develop will eventually lead to the right position in the best company for you.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: How to Handle a Horrible Boss

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 Fast Company provides some some humor on a Monday morning, along with a few helpful tips for dealing with a difficult manager.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Do This Ritual at the End of Each Week to Become More Productive

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!

• Do This Ritual at the End of Each Week to Become More Productive: "They keep a sacred, non-negotiable meeting with themselves every week to re-sync, get current, and align their daily work and projects with their priorities."

• 10 Happiness Practices From Around the World: "It is based on the observation that harboring resentment toward others mostly harms ourselves. Instead, it’s wiser to take a deep breath and figure out your own feelings before discussing them with someone you feel has done you wrong."

• How to Be Brave Enough to Change: "Here are three ways to build your courage, so you and your colleagues can move successfully to the new reality."

• 5 Ways to Build Resilience: "A growth mindset entails maintaining the belief that we can grow our strengths and talents through hard work. It attributes growth to the investment of time and energy, not the idea that growth is given to us as an innate gift."
• A Practical Guide to Achieving Any Goal and Living Beyond Fear: "if you're willing to do the hard interior work of living a life of trust and emotional freedom, there are absolutely no limits to your growth and potential."

Four Tips to Build a Network if You're an Introvert

At whatever point you happen to be in your career you likely understand the importance of building a supportive, encouraging, and challenging network around you.

This network can be made up of former college roommates, colleagues, your ex-boss, best friends, and family.

Some of us, however, are introverted or shy and might find it more difficult to work through the anxiety to build a network that can support us as we look to achieve our career goals and dreams. What do you do then?

Here are four tips an introvert can take to begin to build a strong and supportive network.

Begin with one. Don’t be overwhelmed. Start simply and work to develop a single relationship. You might find yourself more comfortable communicating with someone one-on-one, rather than attending a group. Identify someone from your job or school and invite them to join you for coffee for a few minutes. These simple interactions are the first steps in forming deeper bonds that can lead the relationship to a place of mutual support. In addition, this simple step can motivate you reach out to others or take on some of the other ideas noted below.

Use Social Media. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn can provide a great, low-anxiety, way to develop relationships with some of your contacts. You have time to carefully craft a message to someone or to consider a response to a post or a question by someone else. Social media also makes it easier to reach out to others and expand your network, starting with a simple initial “friend” request or follow. With social media it’s never been easier to expand your network beyond those you are already close to.

Start a small group. There are many opportunities to join groups, both in-person and virtual, through a variety of sources but for the introvert it might make good sense to start your own group with a few people you already know. You could start a book club with a handful of friends and open things up for them to invite others. Soon you’ve expanded your circle and widened your network while also making some new friends and building community.

Enlist the help of friends. Finally, of course, let your friends know that you are interested in building your network. Ask them to introduce you to others in their networks who might share similar interests with you. Again, the power of social media can help ease the anxiety around introductions and facilitate getting to know someone a little before meeting up in person.

If you’re an introvert or experience social anxiety these suggestions can help ease the way to building an effective network to help you attain the success in your career that you’re looking for.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: How to Deal with Criticism

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 from Entrepreneur, Ben Angel provides some helpful tips for handling criticism and making the most of difficult feedback.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: The Art of the LinkedIn Profile Picture

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 Art of the LinkedIn Profile Picture: "LinkedIn members who include a photo on their profile receive 21 times more profile views than those who don't, and profiles with a photo are 36 times more likely to receive messages."

• The Connection Between Emotional Intelligence and Mindfulness: "Mindfulness has become the corporate fad du jour, a practice widely touted as a fast-track to better leadership. But we suspect that not all the benefits laid at its feet actually belong there."

• 10 Things to Add to Your Resume and 10 to Drop: "To put your power into your resume, you have to get rid of the Corporate Zombie Speak language in it and replace it with your own human  voice."

• 10 Tips to Motivate Employees Without Resorting to Money: "People want to have control over their own work. Instead of being a “helicopter boss,” give your employees the chance to make decisions."
• 9 Straightforward Ways to Achieve Big Things: "In order to avoid the unknown, most people bail on their dreams. Which is why you’ve got to find clarity and understanding to achieve your biggest goals."