5 Ways to Bring New Energy to Your Job Search

5 Ways to Bring New Energy to Your Job Search5 Ways to Bring New Energy to Your Job Search4During the first few days of your job search, you were excited and able to devote energy to your job search. You imagined all the possibilities of a new position (and one that would let you work from home at that) and woke up each morning excited to continue your search. Now, a few weeks- or months- into your job search, you can barely get out of bed.Anyone who has searched for a job knows that it is a full-time job in and of itself, and it is often without reward. But you shouldnt give up.Bring new energy to your job search with these energetic ideas.Take a break. Sure, you want to work from home NOW. But sometimes if you work so hard towards a goal without taking a break, you could lose your focus. So be koranvers to take a break while youre job searching. At least every half hour or so, get up and stretch, and walk away from your computer. Believe it or not, those quick little breaks can hel p you to refuel. And if there are days in which you dont want to search at all, dont. If youre not in the right mindset to find a job, you wont find one, no matter how amazing it is.Learn to rebound from rejection.You had your heart set on a certain job. You had all of the qualifications and you even went in for several job interviews. But you didnt get it. By far, rejection is the worst part of the job search process, whether its getting a rejection email or simply sending in one job application after another and never hearing back from employers. For better or for worse, this is all part of the job search process. But learning to rebound from rejection, or keep moving forward even if you dont hear from employers, is a really important part of the job search process.Read these blog posts for deeper insights on how to do bothHow Job Seekers Can Move Past RejectionHow to Stay Positive in a Job SearchHave a plan. Just like when you have a job, you need to abflug each day with purpose- and a plan. Its up to you to determine what your goals for the day are it might be something as simple as applying to five new positions, crafting a cool cover letter, or simply updating your social media channels as part of your job search. Being able to check items off of your to-do list will make you feel like youre accomplishing something, which you arePrepare for the new job. Even if it seems that your telecommuting job is light years away, it really is just around the corner. So it makes sense that you should start preparing for it ASAP. For example, you can set up your home office, and make sure that all of your computer equipment is optimized. That way, you will be prepared (and not have to start scrambling) when you do indeed get hired for a remote job.Determine what you want to do. Youve been searching for a job for months andnothing. While you might chalk it up to a lack of jobs in your industry, it could mean a lot more. If youve been job hunting for longer than six mon ths, you need to ask yourself if you really want to find that specific job youre looking for. A long search might be a sign that its time to switch gears. Maybe you want to land a more managerial position, or even do a 180 with a career change.Ask yourself what you really, truly want to do, and then take the steps to make it happen. It might mean going back to school, finding a mentor to help guide you, or changing career fields completely. Once youre honest with yourself about what youd really like to do, your work-from-home job will be right there waiting for you.While job searching can start off exciting, it can quickly become boring and possibly depressing if it goes on for too long. So bring new energy to your job search with these job search strategies for success, and youll soon be sorting through job offersReaders, how have you succeeded to bring new energy to your job search? Let us know in the comments below

25 Tips to Help You Hack Your Career

25 Tips to Help You Hack Your Career25 Tips to Help You Hack Your Career Oh, Reddit. We can always count on you to provide us with crowdsourced wisdom. Whether its instructions on how to fix a leaky sink, get six-pack abs or even solve a Rubiks cube, theres no shortage of valuable nuggets of information from people who have been there and done that. And naturally, that includes career advice too. But with such a deluge of knowledge available, who has the time to sort through whats useful and whats not?Luckily for you, weve done the legwork this time. Below are a collection of some of the best career pointers from Reddits r/lifeprotips as they relate to the job search, navigating a new job, workplace communication and more. Read on, and prepare to hack your way to greatness.Of course, youll want to mucksmuschenstill engage in all the regular job seeking activities - filling out applications , scheduling informational interviews, etc. - but volunteering can be a great way to expand and tap your network for new opportunities. As the original poster of this tip says, I joined my local Firehouse two years ago and have met hundreds of people through the firehouse itself, trainings, social events and they all want to look out for one another and help. I have a job, but Ive seen many many people get an in for jobs that they may not have had otherwiseAt this early of a stage in the application process, you need to be careful about what you share around salary expectations. You certainly dont want to price yourself out of a job opportunity, but you dont want to sell yourself short either . Putting negotiable right in the application lets a recruiter know that youll be willing to work with them to find a salary that works for both of you.This may seem like a minuscule change, but according to this tips original poster, this simple trick will help employers already start picturing you as an employee while they are reading it it prompts your potenti al employer to picture you as a member of the company instead of thinking about what you might be able to do. Everyone wants to make a good impression when they start out at a new company . What better way to do that than going off of the criteria youll be eventually judged against anyway? Bonus after some time has passed, and youve acquired new job responsibilities, you can show your teamberater your job description and then provide a list of your additional tasks in order to negotiate a raise, says the original poster.The new job jitters can hit hard, but dont automatically assumethat leaving your old company welches a mistake, or that youll never be happy at your new one. Give it at least a few months before you decide how you feel about a newer position.Even if youre in love with your new job, you never know when a great new opportunity will come up, so hold onto those job descriptions . You wont want to copy it verbatim - besides being poor form, itll likely fail to cover th e full scope of your accomplishments - but an original job description can serve as a great reference to make sure that youre highlighting all the key responsibilities of your position to potential employers.It can be tempting to throw everything youve got at the wall to see what sticks, but this is actually a counterproductive move. Keep this in mind whether youre trying to make the case for a particular business decision, asking for a promotion or any other instance in which you have to convince a colleague to see things your way.Theres no way around it - everyone messes up at work at some point. But if you have an effective damage control strategy, you dont need to sweat it too much. Just keep this apology format on pfote to help things return to normal as soon as possible if and when you eventually need it.Telling your boss you are overloaded can bring with it negative connotations such as you are bad at prioritizing, bad at time management, or just slow, says the origina l poster of this piece of advice. A more tactful way is to create a list of all your major tasks and prioritize them. Then go to your manager and ask them to verify the priorities as you have outlined This lets them see on paper that you have a lot on your plate. This also lets them know you are thinking ahead and that you are practicing prioritization skills.Sorry is a word that we tend to rely on entirely too often. Flipping the script like this helps stop the epidemic of over-apologizing and serves as a nice compliment to whomever youre talking to - now thats a win-win.Its easy to fire off a one-sentence email without thinking much about spelling, grammar, tone or even content, but while it may be a timesaver, it can come back to haunt you. Taking a couple of minutes to review what youve said and how youve said it can not only prevent an email snafu - it can also improve your standing in the eyes of your colleagues.Telling your supervisor you assumed something typically res ults in a reprimand, says this tips original poster. On the other hand, saying My understanding was will instead be attributed to a miscommunicationor a lack of clarity in their original instructions.How-tos can be a bit overwhelming. With so much information to distill in such a short amount of time, the person youre teaching often feels pressured to memorize everything youre saying. But much more important than rote memorization is processing and understanding the task as a whole - and when you provide a why, you allow this to happen much more naturally than if you were to just recite the process step by step.Want a sure-fire way to guarantee that email mishaps are a thing of the past? Wait to fill out who youll be sending the email to until youre certain that the body of the email is in tip-top shape.Ever afraid that you ask too many questions? This is the perfect solution for you - it allows you to gut-check your response with your manager while still coming off as the thought ful, proactive rockstar that you are.At a certain level of bad day, youre unlikely to feel much worse, says the original poster of this comment. After you complete your tasks, youll feel better, or youll at least keep those things from ruining another day.Dont let the terms thesis and scientific paper throw you off - this piece of advice isnt just for college students . If youre working on a deck, plan or even substantive email that you cant finish all in one sitting, writing a little bit extra beyond a clean break can help you organize your thoughts and jump right back into it whenever youre ready.Few feelings are worse than heading home from the office and realizing you forgot to complete a bunch of small, easytasks. Get these quick but urgent to-dos out of the way as soon as you possibly can to avoid having them pile up, or worse, be forgotten. As a perk, crossing these off your list can give you just the feeling of accomplishment that you need to ride a wave of productivity . The confidence that comes with looking your best gives you a serious advantage towards whatever youre trying to accomplish - so when faced with an important task, do as Barney from How I Met Your Mother so often says, and Suit upComing back from a long break is a big transition - make it easier on yourself by starting with a shorter workweek. Jumping into the middle of the week also means that you likely wont be expected to complete as many end-of-week deadlines, which can help you gradually ramp up to your normal workload.Dont make a habit of it, but honestly who can be mad at the guy or gal that brings in donuts?It may be tempting to go after that referral naturalrabatt , but, asthe original poster of this tip points out, Someone who is a good friend doesnt necessarily translate to someone who has a strong work ethic. Recommending them only for them to mess up reflects badly on you and could ruin the friendship and your relationship with the employer.Get on ITs good side by s olving your problems for yourself whenever possible. That way, when you really do need them, they wont think youre just crying wolf.After four and a half years of management I have 14 people on my team, and its astonishing how often someone goes on medical leave or has a baby, says the original poster. Stockpiling cards at the office like this is a great way to ensure that you dont forget to buy them at the last minute when theyre truly needed. Trust us - your team will appreciate your thoughtfulness.Work is a big part of your life, but its not the only part of your life. To truly be fulfilled, you need to make the best of the two-thirds of the time you dont spend at the office. Vegging out on the couch and binge-watching Netflix has its time and place, but dont forget to balance that with meaningful and enriching activities .

How to network if you dont know anyone in your industry

How to network if you dont know anyone in your industryHow to network if you dont know anyone in your industryTheres so much advice out there about how to network better, but what happens if you want to switch industries entirely? How can you segue to a new professional space if you dont know anyone in your desired industry?Addie Swartz, CEO of reacHIRE, a company that provides resources to young women to grow in their careers and support to returners to successfully re-enter the workforce, offered some easy to implement tips on networking outside of your comfort zone.Follow Ladders on FlipmotherboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraLook under every rockSwartz says to start by asking everyone in your own network if they know someone in a particular industry that sounds appealing to you.By tapping into your existing network, you might find a lead or connection that can help you to the next level.You never k now when someone you already know may introduce you to someone who can help direct you to contacts in a different industry, Swartz said. This has happened to me over and over again.And try to be open-minded about contacts and their connections and explore a bit every now and again just a bit to see what opportunity might be connected to that introduction.Present your professional selfShow up like you mean it. According to Swartz, that includes dressing appropriately, leaving your cell phone turned off and showing appreciation for the time spent with you.And when youre done? A thank you goes a long way when someone is taking time to help you and your career. Dont forget to send a written thank you to anyone that takes the time to meet with you, Swartz added.Prepare, prepare, prepareDont phone in your appearance, Always show up fully prepared. This may mean doing your research for a meeting with someone who can share experiences of a new industry for you, or showing up for a networkin g event, Swartz says.And while youre at it, Be sure to spend time on social media getting further information on the company or the topic, through LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook to get a pulse of the company or the current conversation taking place in the industry.The time spent in preparation will do much to help you in your networking efforts.Positive self-talkEven after years of speaking to audiences of thousands or presenting to her board or even to groups of investors, Swartz always says to herself, youre going to kill it.She believes that this positive self-talk will do much to reassure yourself to know how well youre going to do at a networking event or even a one on one meeting. Sometimes we just need to redirect our nervous energy and thoughts in a positive direction.Its also a good way to make yourself comfortable with a familiar pep talk before heading into an unfamiliar situation.Remember where you came fromWhen youre about to walk into a situation where you dont feel you r confident self, its helpful to have a powerful perspective to share, Swartz said. In other words, you want to share a brief story on your background, experience or perspective which powerfully addresses why you are showing up as a confident professional.Can you share an experience in which you achieved success or recognition, letting everyone know you are a confident professional? Think of a past win or accomplishment and remember how good it felt to succeed, how effortlessly you were able to accomplish your goals, and how you have everything within you necessary to do it all over againTo take that to another level, just because a situation or career path is new to you, doesnt mean the skills needed to succeed are new or foreign to you. Remind yourself of past wins, great relationships, and career highlights and try to bring that into the present.And here are a few more tips to help you outBriefly step outside of your comfort zoneIf youve ever traveled to a conference youve probab ly noticed that there were several conferences going on simultaneously at your hotel or conference center.I always try to give myself an exercise where I mingle on the periphery of a gathering of strangers in a strange industry. Sometimes I actually strike up a meaningful conversation other times I strike out completely.The point is that I put myself into an unexpected headspace and see where I can go with it.Order something else to eatMaybe youre in a professional rut. Hey It happens. One very easy exercise to try is ordering something totally different the next time youre at your favorite restaurant.It doesnt have to be something shocking or drastic, but something that reminds you that you can make small changes that ease your way into bigger ones.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from nesthkchen Franklins daily schedule that will double your produc tivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people