For some career changers, this can be confusing or stress-inducing. When you’ve worked in several different jobs, how do you design a story explaining your career path to potential employers, your family and friends — and most importantly, yourself?

Time to discover your through-line

In a post on her blog Create As Folk, career coach Laura Simms offers a solution: Find your “through-line.”

She defines a through-line as: “The uniting theme(s) that connect the multiple careers throughout a career arc,” and she says that finding it “will help you feel as though there is some continuity between the seemingly disparate careers you’ve had (because there is).”

Simms, who’s worked as an actor, coach, and teacher describes her through-lines as: “collaboration, community, inciting change, and being part of creating marvelous things.”

By thinking of your past jobs this way, Simms says it will be easier to describe your path to others, as well as help you make future career decisions.

Smart, right? If you need help figuring out your own career through-line, you can download a free worksheet from Simms’ blog.

Have you ever thought about your past jobs like this? How would you describe your through-line?

Susan Shain (@TravlJunkette) is a travel blogger who loves helping people discover adventure through international travel or alternative careers.

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The post Struggling to Explain Your Unconventional Career Path? Do This Instead appeared first on Brazen Life.

• You have no strategy or goal underlying your networking efforts
• You’re unfocused in who you network with and just end up talking to random people
• You come off as needy or inauthentic
• You value quantity of connections over quality
• You meet a lot of good contacts, but then fail to maintain the relationship

Instead, follow this system to build a strong network of people who want you to succeed. Read on for a winning strategy to find the right contacts, then successfully bring them into your network so they will help you.

Define your networking mission statement

Start with a plan. First off, get clear on why you want to network and who should you network with.

If you want a job, narrow your focus even more. What job title do you want, and what kind of company do you want to work for? If you want clients, get specific. Who’s your market and who would know them?

Once you’ve honed in on what you want to get out of building your network, it’s time to get to work.

Tap into your alumni network

Skip the networking events unless they’re industry-specific. Instead, use LinkedIn to find alumni from your school who are also in the specific group you’ve decided to network with.

Look for 30-50 contacts initially, expecting 20-40 percent to actually meet with you. For practice and to get your pitch down, start with the people you’re least interested in. Send each person a short message complimenting them on their career success. Ask if you can grab coffee with them and pick their brain for 20 minutes.

If they suggest a phone meeting instead, that’s fine — agree and follow the rest of steps below. Also, dress up for the phone call.

Conduct an informational interview

Research the person and their company extensively beforehand. When you meet them for coffee (which you will pay for, obviously), warmly introduce yourself, then ask a question or two. Just let them talk.

Aside from the introduction and the last few minutes, the other person should be doing most of the talking. You should be listening. Learn as much as you can about the other person while showing genuine interest. Get one or two pieces of actionable advice from them.

At most, you should interject a couple of times to show you’re actively listening and have done your research. Towards the end of the interview, you can talk about yourself  for a few minutes just to show how you can be valuable to them.

That’s it. Don’t ask anything more of them yet. At the end of the meeting, thank them and say goodbye.

Follow up the next day

The next day, shoot the person a quick email thanking them for their time. Mention a couple of high points in the conversation you found especially interesting.

Finally, mention the advice they gave you and declare your intent to actually follow that advice. Most people don’t do this, so you’ll immediately set yourself apart.

Give value 1-2 weeks later

A week or two after meeting your new contact, send them another quick email. But this time, instead of asking them for something or thanking them, offer them something.

Your offer can be a variety of tangible or intangible things: Access to something that isn’t open to the public, an intro to someone you think they might want to meet, or even just a link to an article they might find helpful.

Show that you’re a person who follows up — and that you’re also someone who gives (and doesn’t just take.)

Close the loop 2-4 weeks after your initial meeting

Meanwhile, you should be following whatever advice your contact gave you, whether it’s to talk to a certain person, take a specific business action or educate yourself on a particular subject.

A couple weeks after that discussion, you should have followed through and gotten some kind of result. Send your new friend a note letting them know you followed their advice and share with them what you got out of it. Once again, thank them for their help.

Why is this step so important? Nobody does this, and your action sets you miles above other people your in your contact’s network.

Keep in touch by periodically giving value

If you’ve followed all the right steps, your contact is now willing to help you if you need an introduction or recommendation. You’ve built trust with them, and they’ll likely hear you out if you have a business idea to pitch.

Continue to stay in touch by giving value, inviting them out, or just sending a short personal note to stay on their radar every month or two.

John Fawkes is a career coach, blogger, and veteran marketing and business development professional. He helps his students find their dream jobs, and blogs about job hunting, productivity, and building joyful careers at johnfawkes.com.

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The post How To Build a Strong Network By Connecting With Total Strangers appeared first on Brazen Life.

Chicago’s creative community is particularly adept at bringing people together around creative talks, presentations and workshops designed to spark industry dialogue and encourage professional growth.

Look to the following organizations for events where you can immerse yourself in the community, make meaningful connections and come away with fresh creative fuel for your work.

1. Chicago Food + Tech Meetup

Food meets tech at this monthly meetup focused on generating discussion around the challenges, solutions and opportunities for food technology in Chicago. Anyone is welcome to attend the BYOB events.

Show up and throw around ideas at these casual talks, sometimes featuring local entrepreneurs as guest speakers. Come for the friendly group atmosphere and make new connections by chatting about a niche topic.

2. Creative Mornings Chicago

This popular breakfast lecture series features leaders of the Chicago creative community. Each month, a different Chicago advertising agency, coworking space or creative workspace hosts the event, so this is also a great opportunity to peek inside some of the city’s coolest places to work.

Follow Creative Mornings Chicago on Twitter for updates on ticket releases. The free tickets “sell out” in minutes, so be on top of your game to nab one.

3. Design Cloud Chicago’s Second Thursdays

This coworking space is also a hub for the local art and design community. Design Cloud hosts talks, workshops and skillshares every month.

You can also take advantage of free desk space for a day every second Thursday of the month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Spend a day working in their coworking space and make a new contact or two while you’re there for one super productive day.

4. Ignite Chicago

This event gives 12 or more people the stage for five minutes each to present on any topic they’re passionate about. Attendees should come curious and ready to mingle; there’s casual networking over pizza and beer before the presentations begin. $10 tickets are available online before every event.

5. Ms. Tech Events

Ms. Tech is an organization dedicated to providing female entrepreneurs with resources to start and scale their businesses. They host a lunch series every Wednesday at coworking space Grind, as well as panel discussions, social events and workshops every month. Ticket prices range from $20 to $50.

6. Next Door

Next Door Cafe is a cafe and event space run by State Farm. But instead of selling insurance, the coffee shop aims to be a community hub for small business owners and entrepreneurs.

Next Door’s event schedule offers a little bit of everything: Financial coaching sessions, branding and typography lectures from local agency Bright Bright Great and even yoga classes. The events are free, but you’ll have to buy your own coffee and snacks.

The space is designed to accommodate everyone from solo laptop workers to one-on-one meetings to small group brainstorm sessions (you can reserve meeting rooms.) This is a great place to grab coffee and hang out with other creative entrepreneurs.

7. Polymathic’s The Living Room

As a consulting company for product developers, Polymathic is a kind of home for creative and technical entrepreneurs. Their office space, dubbed The Living Room for its cozy functionality, is the site of launch parties, dinners and “Founder Therapy” sessions for entrepreneurs who just want to talk it out. Events are free, often with a suggested donation of cash or a six pack.

What other Chicago networking events for creative entrepreneurs belong on this list?

Kara Andersen is a freelance blogger, copywriter and proofreader based in Chicago. She is the writer behind Writer Babe, the blog about “brazen business and sophisticated style.” Follow her on Twitter @writer_babe and Instagram.

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The post Networking in Chicago: 7 Must-Attend Events for Creative Entrepreneurs appeared first on Brazen Life.

The thought of lying during a salary negotiation may make you uneasy at first. But the sooner you come to grips with the concept, the closer you’ll be to landing the salary offer you deserve.

Below are four reasons you shouldn’t lose sleep at night about lying through your teeth about your salary history.

1. Companies lie during salary negotiations

Have recruiters told you they have a set salary range for a particular job? Well here’s something they don’t want you to know: They’ll always find ways to work around the company’s policies if they want to hire you badly enough. If they can lie to box you into a range, it’s only fair you do the same so you can get the best deal possible. (Click here to tweet this bit of advice.)

Oh, and if you apply for a job and the recruiters tell you “we don’t promote up?” Lie. That’s also more of a guideline than the hard and fast rule they’d like you to believe.

2. Cash is king

In your research on salary negotiations, you’ve likely read you should try to negotiate other benefits like extra vacation days or a flexible work schedule. While these perks and benefits are great, they won’t reduce your cost of living. Will your rent or mortgage get cheaper if you work less? Do you plan to use all of your extra free time to sit around your house while not spending any money?

Didn’t think so.

The number of people living paycheck to paycheck is staggering. If you’re one of those people — and the numbers indicate you most likely are — then you need to focus on maximizing your salary. The most effective way to line your pockets with more cash in your next job is to lie about how much money you make now.

3. Telling the truth makes you look greedy

As crazy as it sounds, the only difference between you getting paid what you’re really worth and you receiving a pathetically small pay bump from your last job will be how you answer the following question: “What’s your current salary?”

If you come off as greedy before you even start negotiations for a job offer, your future employer might see you as entitled. No one wants to hire an entitled employee; they might even withdraw from the negotiation. The negotiation process will go more smoothly if your new employer thinks you’re getting only a 15 percent bump on your fictitious current salary.

4. You won’t get more unless you ask for it

One of the most basic concepts in sales is asking for the sale. It’s amazing what you can get people to do if you just ask. If you don’t think of your job interview and negotiation as a sales opportunity, you’ve already put yourself at a disadvantage.

Practice saying the numbers out loud until you can say them without hesitation. When your employer asks about your past salary history and requirements, you’ll be ready to answer with conviction so you can make the sale.

One last tip: Timing during salary negotiations is everything

A skilled negotiator not only has the nerve to ask, but also understands how much a reasonable person would ask for. Before you start pulling numbers out of thin air in job interviews, understand the timing of communicating these numbers to a recruiter is crucial.

Share your salary history too early, and you could talk yourself out of an interview.  Don’t share it soon enough, and you’ve wasted your time on a position that never had a shot of meeting your salary requirements in the first place.

In a perfect world, you’d be confident the company can meet your needs (read: demands) without having a conversation on salary until you’re certain they’re ready to hire you. This creates a situation in which you have all the negotiation leverage.

Unfortunately, everyone doesn’t get paid what they’re worth. We don’t live in a perfect world. But if you take advantage of this negotiation secret, at least you can live in a financially comfortable one.

Eric Butts is a Management Consultant, MBA and CPA. By day he solves complex business problems for some of the world’s most well-known brands, and by night he teach others how to carve out successful careers in the business world. Follow him @EButtsCPA.

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The post Want to Make More Money? 4 Reasons to Lie About Your Salary History appeared first on Brazen Life.

And yet, you endure the pointless traffic daily. You know that telecommuting could be a great option — for people who are not you. While more employees than ever now work remotely, many managers and business owners are still skeptical.

Unfortunately you don’t get to decide the work-from-home policy. Someone else does, either your boss, your boss’s boss or the CEO. Even if the decision maker is several rungs above you, you can still influence their opinion.

You’ll probably have an easy enough time seeing how telecommuting can benefit you. But to sway the decision makers, you need to present strong arguments for why it’s good for businesses. (Click here to tweet this quote.) If you’re out to convince a skeptical manager to try something new, here are a few talking points to help you shape your pitch.

1. Remote work can actually increase productivity

No argument you make will be as strong as providing evidence that telecommuting has worked for other companies in your industry. Prepare a few examples of success stories from similar companies that have instituted the practice.

The most high-profile study of telecommuting was performed at a Chinese travel company called Ctrip. They allowed half their call center employees work from home for nine months. The other half stayed in the office as a control group. Much to the researchers’ surprise, the group that worked from home was more productive. They were also happier and were less likely to quit.

That’s just one study though. You can find many other articles and case studies about businesses that have given it a try and been happy with the results. Find one from a business in your industry to make your case stronger.

2. Employees will be just as reachable

Even when employees work onsite, many communicate more frequently via email or instant message than they do face-to-face. With a high number of free tech tools that make it easy to stay in touch from anywhere, anybody working from home can be just as reachable as someone in the office.

Make it clear you’re willing to commit to regular availability and quick responses by email, phone, chat or your boss’s favorite means of communication. You can even still participate in meetings thanks to free meeting software like Google Hangouts and join.me.

3. It’ll save the business tons of money

What business doesn’t want to cut costs? Allowing employees to work from home is good for the bottom line for a number of reasons. We’ve already mentioned increased productivity, but your company can also save on office expenses and the costs that come with high employee turnover.

People who work from home tend to work more, call in sick less and have fewer interruptions while working. That all adds up to more profit for the company. The productivity brings in the biggest savings, but the other reduced costs add up, too. Less office space and fewer office supplies are needed.

Saving money is a real, tangible benefit any manager can appreciate.

4. Top talent for hard-to-fill positions will suddenly be within reach

You’ve already been hired, so this argument won’t apply directly to your personal case for telecommuting. It’s still worth mentioning though, as once a company opens up to a culture of remote work, this becomes one of the big benefits.

Good talent isn’t easy to find. It’s even harder if you limit your search to a small geographic area. The person who is the best possible match for a job might be half a world away. If the business allows telecommuting, that’s no problem. Along the same lines, if a fantastic employee has to relocate to a different state, the company will no longer have to treat it as a loss.

Employees are one of the most important and expensive resources any business has. Telecommuting makes it easier for a business to make sure they’re bringing on the best — and keeping them around.

5. Your company can try before they buy (in)

If you think saying “yes” once means you’re stuck with a decision forever, you’ll naturally be more hesitant. A “try it first” proposal always makes it easier to agree to a new change or policy.

Suggest your boss consider a trial period. If you can work from home for three months without negative side effects and can still do your job (and perhaps even do it better), you’ll have made your case. You can also propose working from home just one day a week so you still get face-time with your boss and colleagues in the office.

If at any point the company is unhappy with your work or the situation, they can always call you back in. If all works well though, both you and the company can enjoy the benefits of telecommuting.

If you’re sick of your daily commute and confident you can productively do your job from home, there is hope. Try reframing your argument to consider the business needs first, and you’ll be well on your way to ditching the morning traffic and working from the comfort of your couch.

Kristen Hicks is a freelance copywriter from Austin, TX who‘s been working from home for years with no problem. She specializes in blogging and content marketing and you can follow her @ATXCopywriter.

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The post 5 Ways to Convince Your Boss to Allow You to Work from Home appeared first on Brazen Life.

Maybe the reason is absenteeism. Maybe the employee was hired in a time crunch for a job they weren’t qualified to do. Perhaps the employee has been around a long time, and the job responsibilities have grown, but they haven’t.

No matter the case, telling someone that their career at your company is ending is a conversation you will most likely lose sleep over.

But it doesn’t have to make you cringe with guilt for months to come. If you have given warnings, offered to guide the individual in professional shortcomings, and given them chances to improve behavior or performance, you are making the right decision.

You can fire your employee the right way: by sticking to your guns while still expressing respect. Here are three ways to make it easier to fire someone you like.

Prepare for the meeting

Don’t come in frazzled from a busy work day and make the employee feel you’re not giving the meeting due consideration. Even if you stayed up all night phrasing everything just right, take a few moments before the meeting to gather your thoughts again. To simplify the process, speak to HR to get all the legal information both you and the employee will need. Also, choose a comfortable, private place and the best time possible.

Many people advise firing on a Friday as this allows the employee the weekend to recover before launching back into the job search. That also may be more convenient for the company as far as payroll goes. However, the employee’s business contacts will most likely be unavailable over the weekend, which could cause discouragement before the job hunt even begins. Consider firing mid-week when a few days remain to pursue leads.

Be empathetic, but firm

If you like the employee, then this person obviously has several good qualities and doesn’t deserve a cold dismissal. They also don’t deserve to undergo the emotional torment of thinking there’s room for you to change your decision if there’s simply not. Stick to your planned dialogue and acknowledge the employee’s virtues — perhaps they are helpful and hard-working — but don’t minimize the problems that led you this point.

This is not an easy conversation to have, and you might feel tempted to withhold details regarding why you are firing this person. But “it’s simply not working out” doesn’t help the employee know what to do next. It’s ultimately more constructive to be honest about why you are firing them. The employee will feel more respected if you do so and they won’t have to wonder what went wrong. They will be more able to pursue a position that matches their qualifications, or one that has flexibility regarding the responsibilities and priorities of their personal life.

Once you have presented solid reasons for your decision, your employee will have the opportunity to share thoughts and show emotion. You will be tempted to defend your decision, but there’s no point in giving details that could only hurt feelings. Respond to sadness and anger with compassion, and move on to the topic of how you will make their transition easier. (Click here to tweet this quote.)

Be clear about what’s next

Be sure to explain to your employee what kind of reference you will give to prospective employers. Also, encourage them to pursue a job that makes use of the strong skills you’ve noticed. It’s important to act as a positive reference and help them succeed in another setting.

Additionally, let the employee know the date and method of receiving a final paycheck, what will happen to vacation days and how long their benefits will continue. While it may feel harsh to do so, follow the necessary legal procedures, such as retrieving company property and making sure the employee leaves the premises. Finally, provide contact information for yourself or another person in the company in case the employee has questions.

It may be difficult, but end on a positive note. It will benefit both you and the employee’s reputation to maintain a strong professional relationship down the road — even if this situation didn’t quite work out.

Katherine Halek is a Marketing Associate at Signazon.com, a leader in online printing. Signazon works with hundreds of small businesses owners each year to promote their businesses with custom signs, flyers, and more. Connect with her on Google+.

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The post How to Fire an Employee You Like (And Not Feel Terrible Afterward) appeared first on Brazen Life.

For some, being a nomad is a way of life. They have the freedom to move from one location to another. For others, it’s an opportunity to see what the world has to offer. Some opt to travel to enlighten those incapable of venturing into the unknown. No matter the reason you choose, if extensive traveling is in your future, you can find careers suited to the lifestyle.

1. Freelance Writer

Freelance writing can be done anywhere with Internet. As long as you have a good understanding of the English language, writing jobs are readily available.

A search online can uncover some sources, or you can partner with a marketing company to provide content for their clients. Best of all, you don’t need a college degree to start.

2. Graphic Designer

Graphic designers can work at home or on the go, particularly if they’re self-employed. Many designers are college educated, but with a little hard work, the skills can be self-taught.

Graphic design work can be taken on in a freelance basis, or designers can work for a design or marketing agency. This career also requires an Internet connection. The job often entails creating website layouts, logos and other graphics.

3. Massage Therapist

While it may take a while to earn a degree in massage therapy, it’s certainly worth it. Most degree programs require schooling followed by approximately 500 training hours. Some people opt to work at a salon or doctor’s office, but you can travel, too. Many sports programs offer positions for massage therapists to travel with the team.

You can also work for yourself and have complete freedom. You can purchase portable tables and supplies from online vendors. MassageTableOutlet.com offers both stationary and portable massage tables, as well as massage chairs, so you can offer your clients variety. Working for yourself also offers scheduling flexibility.

4. Flight Attendant

If you don’t have a specific destination in mind, being a flight attendant is a great option. Staffing requirements vary by airline, but most don’t require a degree. Flight attendants should be friendly and able to handle stress. Some airlines are strictly domestic flights, so if you’re looking for international travel, consider that when looking for an employer.

5. Travel Tour Guide

Being a travel tour guide allows you to share sites with others. Some job opportunities are for a specific location and involve taking different groups to various areas. Other opportunities allow you to travel with people and explore new sites along the way. But you have the option to move to the next spot the wind takes you.

6. Archaeologist

Archaeology is the study of the human past, often in remote places. If you’re a fan of digging up ancient relics and artifacts, this may be the job for you. Brace yourself though, because a bachelor’s degree is the minimal educational requirement, with a graduate degree preferred. On the plus side, the job market is expected to increase, so you should start now.

What path you chose is up to you, but you should never let work options get in the way of following your dream. Career options are available for all levels of education and experience as long as you’re willing to put forth the effort.

Michele Wright is a San Diego based freelance copywriter and brand representative. She’s been freelance writing for three years and has contributed to articles on a variety of business, marketing and finance topics.

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The post How to See the World While Working: 6 Sweet Jobs That Let You Travel appeared first on Brazen Life.

Whether you’re into politics, the farm-to-fork movement, technology, marketing, health care, creative entrepreneurship or anything in between, there are plenty of networking events to help you widen your professional circles.

1. SacTweetUp

If you’re into social media (Twitter, in particular) and you’re looking to connect with others who love to interact both online and offline, this is the event for you. Held monthly, the SacTweetUp events are a wonderful way to meet people from various professional fields in a fun, relaxed atmosphere.

2. Sacramento’s Creative Class

Based on the premise that it takes an active community to build a great city, Sacramento’s Creative Class meet-up group offers a whole host of events including weekly bull sessions, workshops, mixers and more. At the events, you’ll meet talented individuals from all backgrounds and professional fields. Be ready to share what you know and learn from others.

3. Sacramento After Work

These monthly events are full of professionals from every background and professional field you can imagine. Not only that, you’ll be able to meet others at various levels in their careers. The events also meet at a new location each month, which means you’ll be able to check out a new Sacramento hot spot during each event.

4. HackerLab

Developers, programmers and coders unite at Sacramento’s HackerLab. If you’re interested in networking, sharing and learning with others as you work to build great web products, this is the best place to start. The lab hosts a full calendar of events that cover specific topics and it’s a great place to meet others in similar fields.

5. American Marketing Association Sacramento Valley

If marketing is at the core of your business or professional position, the events organized by the American Marketing Association Sacramento Valley (AMASV) are for you. Each event is developed under a specific theme and offered as both a learning and networking experience. Be sure to bring your business cards, active listening skills and your preferred method for note taking.

6. Sacramento Metro EDGE

As a branch of Sacramento’s Metro Chamber, Metro EDGE was developed to engage young leaders—under 40, to be precise—in the region. With everything from mixers and workshops to golf tournaments and community events, Metro EDGE is perfect for any young professional looking to participate in their larger community.

7. Connectionopolis

Produced by the Sacramento Business Journal, Connectionopolis offers professionals an opportunity to both network and learn from experts in various fields. The event is hosted monthly at various locations throughout the region. The event is a great way to both learn more about your industry and explore industries outside of a particular niche.

8. Sacramento Social Media Club

While the focus of the Sacramento Social Media Club is, of course, social and online media, the events cover a wide range of topics that can be applied to almost any field. If you’re looking to grow an online community or simple want to participate in the social media conversation, this is a great place to start.

Jennifer E. Snyder is a freelance writer, editor and podcast host based in Northern California. She shares stories of creative entrepreneurship, wellness, life’s adventures and everything in between. When she’s not working, she can be found giving in to her insatiable urge to travel and explore the world as much as possible.

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Early in his career, they started calling him “The King.” In the eyes of many sports fans, he’s lived up to the billing.

He’s a perennial all-star, a three-time NBA Most Valuable Player and on a career trajectory that few NBA players have ever matched.

But what, exactly, makes LeBron so good? What makes him so valuable?

You may be tempted to quickly point to James’ headline-grabbing numbers: his points scored, assists and rebounds, among other stats.

But James himself begs to differ. Asked what’s differentiated his performance over the years, King James is clear:

“Efficiency. I’m just a more efficient player. I take no shots for granted…As I’ve grown, I’ve made more of a conscious effort to become a more efficient player and I think it’s helped my team’s success over the years.”

And, according to statisticians, he’s absolutely right.

In the mid-1990s ESPN writer and statistician John Hollinger developed a statistical model to calculate a player’s total contribution to team performance – what he called the Player Efficiency Rating or “PER.”

This metric, as Hollinger describes it, “sums up all a player’s positive accomplishments, subtracts the negative accomplishments, and returns a per-minute rating of a player’s performance.”

PER ratings start at 0 and peak around 35, a number that Hollinger describes as a “Year for the Ages.” Players who have a score of 30+, writes Hollinger, are “Runaway MVP candidates.”

In his 2012-13 MVP seasons LeBron had a PER of 31.87 – nearly 3 points higher than the next closest player, Kevin Durant (the current MVP who led all players in efficiency this year, with a PER of 29.90.) All-time, LeBron’s PER is 27.79, second only to Michael Jordan’s 27.91.

LeBron was right. He has become more efficient – and seems to be getting better every year. But you don’t need to be a basketball player to learn from LeBron’s success. Read on to learn how you can channel your inner LeBron to rise to the top of your game at work and become a true Workforce MVP. (Click here to tweet this list.)

What workforce MVPs and LeBron have in common

Like LeBron, Workforce MVPs prioritize efficiency above all else.

Like LeBron, Workforce MVPs not only do their individual job exceedingly well, but also help others perform at their highest levels, too.

Like LeBron, Workforce MVPs don’t rest on their accomplishments. They invest heavily and consistently in building or enhancing skills they need to remain both competitive and highly effective.

Last but not least, like LeBron, Workforce MVPs are valued highly by the organizations and teams with which they work. They typically get more of the financial remuneration, praise and freedom than others.

If the idea of being a Workforce MVP appeals to you, consider this your training camp. These are four things to start doing today, and every day, as you build the skills and experience necessary to lead your team to victory.

1. Put first things first

We all struggle with sometimes feeling like we have so much to do, and not enough time to do it. Employees who can align their personal to-do list with the most important objectives of their organization quickly differentiate themselves. Managers and colleagues alike notice this skill.

“We have extraordinary numbers of challenges and opportunities to address going forward,” the Head of Talent at a global manufacturing company shared with me recently. “We win only if we are able to put first things first.”

In basketball, the objective is crystal clear: Win. And the strategy for doing so is straightforward: Score more points than the other team. Unfortunately, in many highly-matrixed, global companies, prioritization can be far more complicated.

If you’re not sure how your to-do list aligns with the greater needs of the organization, ask. Engage your manager on the subject. If he or she doesn’t know, then keep asking until you can find someone who can.

One of my favorite questions to help guide this conversation comes from strategic coach, Dan Sullivan:

If we were meeting six months from today, what has to happen during that period for you to feel great about our progress?

2. Help others win

More than just a team player, a Workforce MVP seeks to understand what members of their team want to accomplish (the incentives, the metrics, the accountabilities) and helps them achieve those goals.

Examples include:

• Pro-actively sharing essential information
• Facilitating critical connections
• Eliminating non-essential work as much as possible

We all want to win as an organization. But if you make a point of helping others achieve individual wins, you create not only a better performing team, but also a more loyal colleague and teammate.

3. Build organizational awareness

As the CEO of a large automobile joint venture once shared with me, “every organization suffers from it own beautiful dysfunction.”

I suspect you know what he’s talking about. You know, the funny, odd, seemingly illogical, way certain things get done in your company.

While Workforce MVPs always seek to drive process improvement – and ultimately performance – they also learn to effectively operate in the system, despite its flaws.

More importantly, they make it a point to teach those newer to the organization the ins and outs of the organizational and decision-making hierarchy. They expedite the learning curve for new hires, making tenure less of a correlating factor of performance.

As soon as James decided to re-join his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers — a team and city he knew very well — he got on the phone to share what he knew with Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love, a player rumored to be interested in joining LeBron in Cleveland. According to Love, James shared what he knew about new and existing talent on the roster, the management team and the city of Cleveland.

“That [call] had a lot to do with my decision…” said Love after deciding to join LeBron and the Cavaliers.

Every organization has its unique way of doing business. Workforce MVPs work to ensure everyone on their team understands how things get done and ensure their teammates have the right info and resources to be successful in their role.

4. Focus on getting better, not getting ahead

Workforce MVPs can come from any part of an organization. Yet despite the differences in their roles and responsibilities, they all share a mindset of continuous improvement.

Again, LeBron James is a useful role model here. In 2011, after losing the NBA Finals as a member of the Miami Heat, James decided to re-invest in his professional development. He recruited NBA legend Hakeem Olajuwon – arguably the best forward ever – to train him. James flew to Olajuwon’s home in Texas and trained with the master for a week.

“I wanted to get better,” said James. “I wanted to improve and I sought out someone who I thought was one of the greatest low-post players to ever play this game.”

Hard to imagine that a guy like James – already one of the best in the league – would need to get better. But that’s what MVPs do: Constantly seek improvement.

This focus on getting better may come easy earlier in your career when there’s so much to learn. But the continued focus on skill building is what differentiates true MVPs from their peers.

What part of your game needs the most work today? Who is your Hakeem? Who is the person you aspire to emulate and can learn from?

LeBron James is a once-in-a-generation talent, no question about it. But his impact and value, maps back to more than just natural athleticism.

While we may never be able to shoot, pass and jump like LeBron, we can still become MVPs in our careers by modeling the efficiency of his game.

Ben Sands writes at Regret Free Life where he helps the smart men and women make great decisions about their careers, money and relationships. For more useful ideas join his free newsletter.

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The post Learning From LeBron: What the NBA Star Can Teach You About Becoming an MVP At Work appeared first on Brazen Life.

Let’s define gamification first. It refers to applying gaming techniques to non-gaming processes for many reasons: to add fun and interest, to engage, to allow people to experience adrenaline and a sense of competition, and to gain victory.

Including gaming elements to the companies’ strategies results in a mix of fun and business, which makes routine activities more attractive and has significant impact on the company’s marketing and employee performance. According to Gartner, by 2015, almost a half of global organizations will use gamification in their business operations.

But as any new trend, poor implementation puts gamification at risk of falling short of expectations and failing its business goals. Gamification isn’t just about badges, points and leaderboards.

To carry out a successful gamification strategy for stimulating employee engagement, pay attention to the following ideas. (Click here to tweet this list.)

1. Integrate gamification with personal development

When you put gaming elements like scores and points into practice, make them meaningful and valuable to employees’ ambitions and careers. People like self-development, and that’s why gamification must go along with employees’ real achievements, to become a way to encourage and motivate.

Don’t forget to provide people with the ability to share their progress with others.

2. Include rewards and recognition

Employees who achieve good working results through gaming activities need a word of encouragement and recognition to stay motivated. Design your gamification strategy so workers have bonuses and rewards, such as earning “badges,” that visibly recognize their contribution to the business. It’ll positively affect company performance and motivate other employees.

3. Socialize gaming results

Use social network platforms to display completions and leaderboards. This is a way for employees to get to know each other, see others’ achievements and “Like” them while showing their own progress.

4. Combine teamwork and competition consciously

Although these two components of work are equally essential and engaging, they tend to have disastrous effects when taken to extremes. The best way is to balance them so the competitive spirit doesn’t become a race to the top, but rather, serves as motivation for effective teamwork as a platform for realizing personal potential.

Gamification isn’t just a good way to increase employee engagement within the company: it’s an effective way to attract customers to your brand too. Including gaming elements in your marketing strategy will spark customers’ interest.

With the rise of mobile devices, this trend has become extremely popular. By bringing some fun and entertainment to your brand’s interface, you give people a pleasant experience while interacting with your brand, and this experience will enhance their loyalty.

The main goal of creating gaming applications to promote your brand isn’t only entertainment — it’s to lead them to your business offers and motivate them to buy your product. Here are the essential components of a marketing gamification strategy.

5. Use gaming to interact

Games provide interaction and entertainment. Common ways of promotion in traditional media don’t require the customer’s participation, while playing games does.

6. Share socially

Most game developers today include social elements as social media becomes an integral part of our lives. Your gamification campaign should be designed to encourage consumers to share their achievements. Installing and playing your app alone won’t be as effective. Social sharing also extends your audience.

7. Encourage the competitive spirit

Competition raises engagement, so integrate contests into your games.

8. Give rewards and prizes

The results your customers achieve through competition should be supported by awards. Usually they have a digital form like unlocking badges, points and trophies for participation, learning about the brand and reaching certain results. Such digital bonuses may correspond to real bonuses like discounts, privileges and gifts.

9. Provide a unique experience

Any reward or bonus will be useless if the game is boring. Make the user experience enjoyable and friendly, and don’t forget to add some fun. You need to have something special about your game to catch your customers’ attention — and represent your company’s idea.

10. Target audience orientation

Because the goal is to use gamification as a marketing technique, your priority is to define the demographics and psychographics of your target audience and plan the relevant scenario and design.

Gamifying employee management and customer interfaces should both be based on similar principles: learning, exploring, socializing, achieving, obtaining rewards and, of course, having fun.

Andrew Smith is a social media marketer, a web developer in the past, a writer working in QArea, which specializes in providing web, mobile, desktop app development and testing services. Andrew enjoys writing about social media, business and IT technologies.

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The post How to Use Gamification to Grow Your Business and Engage Your Employees appeared first on Brazen Life.

But meeting new contacts doesn’t have to be a painful process. Use the following tips and you’ll be on your way to a making your new city feel like home.

Represent your alma mater

People tend to be nostalgic about their college years, and meeting alumni from your school is a great starting point. Wear your college colors and gear at networking events or work. Fellow alums will notice. This gives you an instant connection with someone and easy way to break the ice.

People are interested in meeting people who have a shared experience. (Click here to share this week.) You don’t have to be decked out, but try throwing on a baseball cap or piece of jewelry. Keep in mind this is a great way to make friends too.

Brainstorm better questions

Before you attempt to network, think of questions for contacts that aren’t typical or run-of-the-mill. Think about what you want to know. It’s OK to ask questions like “Where did you grow up?” or “How long have you lived here?” but they’re boring and don’t reveal much.

Instead, ask questions that’ll reveal something new and interesting. For example, instead of “What do you do?” ask, “What do you like about what you do?” Not only is this more involved, but it’ll also allow the person to talk about their favorite aspect of work rather than listing off responsibilities.

Learn how to catch a softball

If the thought of walking into a room full of strangers and talking to people makes you nervous, try an activity like intramural sports. Most cities offer leagues at varying skill levels, and these leagues provide a booming social scene. You can sign up as an individual and be matched to a team.

Look for a sport that seems like a good fit for you. Joining will provide an instant way to spark conversation. Not only will you meet a new group of people, but you’ll also make a different sort of connection than if you just meet someone once. You can also take advantage of post-game celebrations to get to know your teammates better.

Knock on your neighbors’ doors

You may think of your neighbors as the people you have to visit when they’re being too loud on a Tuesday night, but they’re actually a valuable part of your network. You never know who could be living next door. Taking time to form a community bond within your building or neighborhood is worth the effort.

Introduce yourself to your neighbors and let them know you’ve moved in. You’ll meet a few people who can give you some insight about your new city. After you get to know your neighbors better, they may have an established network they can introduce you to.

This is an easy step a lot people struggle with. Cities, even ones known for a sense of community like Seattle, have struggled with neighbors forming a bond. One quick knock can make all the difference.

Discover and read neighborhood blogs

Chances are your new city has a lot of cultural and community events going on you don’t even know about. Community events can be a great way to integrate into a new city and give you a feel for different areas and groups.

The best way to find out about these events is to check community blogs — like Popville, a neighborhood blog for Washington, D.C. Blogs can offer more information and tips about what to do than a calendar on the city website.

Spend some time looking around for the best options in your city. You may have to go through some trial and error, but you’ll eventually find a blog that fits your style. You can also ask your new neighbors about their favorite ways to find out what’s going on in the city or about their favorite festivals.

No matter how you choose to do it, the key is to meet as many different people as possible. Whether they’re alumni or the people down the street, the more people you meet, the more likely you are to meet someone you click with or who could be a good connection down the road.

Be open to all the possibilities and your new city will feel like home in no time.

Adam Levenson is the community manager for MPA@UNC, the online MPA program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. To learn more about Adam’s unique interests, visit the MPA@UNC blog or follow him on Twitter.

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The post 5 Easy Networking Tips for Making Connections in a New City appeared first on Brazen Life.

That’s not to say we can’t be — far be it from me to tell anyone the limits of their own awesome potential. But in reality, most of us (even in our dreamiest of dream careers) won’t be able to achieve the idealized four-hour workweek Ferriss touts in his famous book. We will, more realistically, spend at least five hours a week bringing home the bacon, probably more.

Which is perfectly fine. It is possible to enjoy your career — and your life — without working next to zero hours. The key is in creating a career you’ll actually enjoy spending some time on.

To that end, I’d like to propose a four-hour workweek of a different kind. One that anyone can aspire to, and achieve, that can be just as life-changing as the one Mr. Ferriss enjoys. This four-hour workweek focuses not on spending the least amount of time possible working, but on making the most of the time you do have to invest in creating the career of your dreams.

Making the time for your career goals

One of the biggest deterrents to chasing our dreams — whether those dreams are to start a side hustle, find a new job or become location independent — is the notion that we “just don’t have enough time.” We have day jobs to hold down. We have bills to pay. We have social lives we can’t completely neglect. Who has time for anything else?

But, if we’re being totally honest with ourselves, very few of us have all 24 hours of every day totally, irrevocably spoken for. Even deducting 7-8 hours for sleep, 8 hours for the standard workday and a couple hours for the non-negotiables such as eating, commuting and occasionally saying hello to our friends and family, most of us can find some time somewhere to eke out a little space for our dreams — if we make them a priority. (Click here to tweet this quote.)

Therein lies the rub. We technically “have” time for all sorts of discretionary activities. Unless you’re a total Spartan who exists solely to eat, work, sleep and die, there are plenty of things you do throughout the day that aren’t really compulsory. If you ever check Facebook, play Candy Crush, read a book or watch TV, you’re choosing to make time for those things. You’re electing to do them at the cost of other things you could be doing with that time.

You can do the same thing with your career. You just need to learn to invest a little more time in you. That’s where the alternative “four-hour workweek” comes in.

Putting yourself on the schedule

I’m willing to wager most of you reading can find the time to set aside four little hours each week to prioritize your own career goals. Divided over seven days, that comes down a mere half-hour (and some odd minutes) a day. Deduct one episode of The Big Bang or wake up half an hour early, and you’ve got the time.

Four hours a week is totally doable for most of us, and may not even seem like all that much, but the point is that you’re making a decided effort to create room in your schedule to work on your stuff. Not your boss’s, not your client’s, not your colleagues’ — yours.

This time is not to be spent getting in a little extra work time; yes, an extra half-hour on the Peterman project might “advance your career” in that it will make your boss happy, but we’re thinking bigger-picture here. We’re looking at where you ultimately want to go in your career, and what steps you can take, right now, to get you a little bit closer to that goal.

Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

If you’re an entrepreneur or freelancer…

• Re-examine your client list and see if you’ve got any dead weight that needs to be cut.
• Gather together a mastermind.
• Check out some new sites to boost your biz.

If you’re a side hustler (or wannabe side hustler)…

• Work on a digital product.
• Get clear on your big idea.
• Tweak your home office (or create one) for maximum productivity.

If you’re a 9-to-5 corporate ladder-climber…

• Update your resume.
• Do some of that networking you know you’re supposed to be doing.
• Brainstorm some ways to make yourself irreplaceable to your company.

See where this is going (and how easy it is)? All of these things can easily be done in a half-hour a day. They may not seem like much in and of themselves, but the cumulative effect can equal awesome progress for your career advancement goals.

So what do you say? Are you ready to embark on your own four-hour workweek?

Kelly Gurnett runs the blog Cordelia Calls It Quits and is the Editor-in-Chief of All Things Career. Follow her on Twitter @CordeliaCallsIt.

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The post How a 4-Hour Workweek Can Help You Achieve Your Career Dreams appeared first on Brazen Life.

As could be expected, the civilized world let out a collective “squee!”

Why are we reporting on this? Because you can learn a few things from the storm Apple products garner. Say what you will of the brand and its products, but Apple knows how to create and sell things people can’t wait to get their hands on. And you can follow their example to make your best product — yourself — an equally hot commodity. (Click here to tweet this quote.)

Let’s take a look at what Apple keeps doing right, and what you can learn from it.

It’s all about the experience

From the feel of using their product to the way people are greeted at the Apple Store, the company takes great pains to ensure the experience of being an Apple customer is unique and enjoyable. As Carmine Gallo, author of The Apple Experience, has said, “Apple employees are not in the business of selling computers; they are in the business of enriching lives.”

How do you replicate this for your career? Make sure the experience of working with you is one people won’t soon forget. Whether you’re helping out a colleague, spearheading that new project or interviewing for a job, focus on being the sort of person other people clamor to work with.

Be helpful, be compassionate, be humorous, be reliable. Make people enjoy working with you, and you’ll quickly become their go-to guy (or gal).

Never stop improving

Does anyone really care if the new iPhone is a bit thinner, has more rounded edges and features a somewhat larger screen? Yes, yes they do. Because people are always looking for “better,” and Apple knows that.

Each new iteration of the iPhone creates a buzz because Apple constantly finds new ways to tweak and improve what they offer. The iPhone 6 is faster, sleeker and even easier to use, and customers will pay a premium to know they’ve got the “latest and greatest.”

When it comes to your career, this focus on continual improvement is your key to advancing. Your education doesn’t stop when you graduate college or master your current position; keep looking for ways to hone your skills and learn new ones and you’ll remain in-demand.

Know (and delight) your audience

Apple knows what its customers want. From easier navigation to their “Bust Selfies” feature that lets you take a rapid series of camera shots, they listen to (and anticipate) their customers’ needs and wants and use this knowledge to make products that get people excited. (Have you heard about the Apple Watch?)

Stay one step ahead of your audience by identifying their needs and finding ways to position yourself as the solution. Solve the problems your boss needs solving. Volunteer for extra responsibilities. Position yourself as the best investment your potential employer will ever make. Know your strengths and play to your audiences’ pain points, and they’ll be climbing over each other to get you in their corner.

Kelly Gurnett runs the blog Cordelia Calls It Quits and is the Editor-in-Chief of All Things Career. Follow her on Twitter @CordeliaCallsIt.

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The post What the iPhone 6 Can Teach You About Standing Out at Work appeared first on Brazen Life.

It’s common for many confident and accomplished professionals to feel uncomfortable when someone applauds their work. Even when an employee knows they did a great job, they may hear themselves responding to a compliment with, “No big deal.”

Forget what your mother taught you about humility. Modesty is the wrong response when your boss says you did well. (Click here to tweet this quote.)

When you try to sound humble, your boss may take you at your word and conclude that your effort wasn’t actually significant. More importantly, when you deflect a compliment you drain the juice from what should be a positive moment.

Think about how the “thank you” exchange should go. When your boss offers kind words, she wants you to feel good. If you answer gracefully, she starts to feel good, too. But if you reject her praise or thanks, she may feel a little awkward or rebuffed.

Don’t lose the benefits that praise and gratitude can bring. When you respond to accolades from your boss, you have two goals. You want to reinforce her appreciative evaluation of your work, and you want her to feel good about her moment with you.

Use these six strategies to get the most from praise:

1.  Say “thank you”

This is important. Begin your response by thanking the speaker — and sound like you mean it. Even if a little voice in your head says, “I don’t deserve it,” ignore your doubt and show appreciation. When you express sincere gratitude, you and your boss will both feel better.

2.   Pause and enjoy

To your brain, hearing positive words feels like a reward — and research suggests you perform even better after receiving a reward. So after hearing thanks or compliments, pause for an instant. Get the full value of the moment and you’ll have new energy for more good work.

3.  Allow yourself to be pleased

It’s not arrogant to acknowledge satisfaction when you’ve been successful. After saying “thanks,” it’s OK to add a phrase like, “It was a wonderful opportunity.”

4.  Share the credit

Although you don’t want to deny your contribution, you don’t want to hog the limelight, either. If it truly was a team effort, spread the kudos around. Add a simple comment like, “It was great to work with Joe on this.”

5.  Return the compliment

You can prolong the enjoyable moment by offering a commendation in return. You might say something like, “Your support made such a difference.” But this only works if you’re honest as flattery or fake expressions of gratitude are seldom convincing — and they can be just another way of declining a compliment.

6.  Be brief

When the exchange of polite words goes on too long it can become painful. If the flow of praise feels unending, it’s OK to turn it off with a light comment like, “Aw shucks. That’s enough now. You’re making me blush.”

While you practice the strategies, think about why the praise process feels difficult. A surprising number of high achievers find it difficult to accept compliments because at some level they believe they don’t really deserve them. Social psychologists call this the “imposter phenomenon.” If you feel like an imposter, ignore your discomfort and go ahead and accept positive comments with a “thank you.”

To explore further, ask yourself whether your lack of ease stems from their glowing words or from the way you talk to yourself about those words. If your habitual response to praise is to say to yourself, “you should have done even better,” it’s no wonder you don’t enjoy it.

Maybe it’s time to practice a new thought pattern when you hear positive feedback. Next time, try saying to yourself, “it feels wonderful to be recognized.”

Beverly Jones is an executive coach in Washington, D.C. with clients including government agencies, congressional offices, trade associations, businesses, universities, lawyers and journalists. See more at www.clearwaysconsulting.com.

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The post Does Praise Make You Squirm? Follow These Tips for Saying “Thank You” at Work appeared first on Brazen Life.

Sometimes you’ll tell anyone with ears how much you despise your job. Other times you prefer  to suffer in silence.

But make no mistake about it. You’re miserable.

And you’d rather not be.

So whether you’re a burned out lawyer, an overworked analyst or a cubicle warrior, here are some strategies to help you hate your job a little less.

1.  Quit Your Bitching

You’ve gotta stop the ritualistic bitch sessions about work. It’s for your own sanity.

Although there’s research that shows gossiping can be beneficial and even innately unavoidable, work gossip is a scenario in which there may be too much of a good thing.

Not only do you risk developing a reputation as a notorious gossip-hound, but you also jeopardize your own happiness.

Yup.

By constantly engaging in negative activities like bitching and gossiping, you become a whirling twister of toxicity.

Before you know it, you’ll be unable to come up with anything positive to say about your job, and this delightful personality trait will eventually seep into your personal life.

Now, sometimes that happens because your job really is the worst thing since pickled beets. And it’s important to recognize that.

But what if the crappiness of your job is a byproduct of your incessant nitpicking?

It may seem like a chicken-or-the-egg situation, but scaling back your gripe sessions could reveal the root of your problem.

2.  Be Brutally Honest

With yourself, that is.

You owe it to yourself and everyone around you to figure out why you hate your job.

Is it the people you work with? The excruciating commute? The gouge-your-eyes-out boredom?

Or are you the problem?

Hold up. This isn’t where you start shame spiraling into a vortex of Real Housewives of Self-Centered County, sweatpants and Cool Ranch Doritos. (Not that there’s anything wrong with said vortex, per se.)

We all have issues — family, money, mountains of old laundry — that can bring us down from time to time. And it’s easier to blame anything other than ourselves when shit hits the fan.

But if you’re the reason why you hate your job, changing up your work situation won’t solve anything.

Sure, it might seem better at first. But once the novelty wears off, you’ll be right back to where you are now — in Miseryville.

On the flipside, discovering you’re the cause of your unhappiness actually makes the whole job-hating scenario more manageable.

Why? Because your behavior is within your control.

So get your poop in a group first: see a therapist, hire a financial planner or splurge on a laundry service. Then see if you still hate your job.

3. Cut People Some Slack

We humans love to make sense of our world. And while this can be helpful in some areas of life, it can also lead us to be extremely close-minded. (Think religion and politics).

This means that your first reaction is likely dubbing your boss a self-righteous b-hole when he dumps a ton of urgent work on you… on a Friday afternoon.

Could your boss be, in fact, a complete tyrant? In which case, sorry ‘bout that.

But could he be dealing with a messy divorce? Coping with a death in the family? Or experiencing severe sleep deprivation due to a sleep-hating infant at home?

It’s much easier to label others as incompetent, rude or selfish when you’re not privy to their problems. So try keeping the following phrase in mind:

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

It’s like when you bring a bad attitude to the office, only you’re not a bad person, but you’re not bringing your A-game due to your excess baggage.

Don’t get me wrong. Even if your boss does have a bunch of personal problems and isn’t really a horrible person, you’re not required to stick around to take the brunt of his unprofessionalism.

So try cutting people some slack. You might be surprised.

But consider cutting yourself loose if someone’s personal issues are giving you a set of your own.

4.  Take Control

Once you’ve narrowed down the source(s) of your discontent, it’s time to make a plan.

Actively working toward a meaningful goal will increase your happiness. Plus, creating a plan will give you a sense of control you otherwise lack in your career.

Whatever your goal — a promotion, different job, new career, resolution of personal issues — get serious about it. (Click here to tweet this bit of motivation.)

Set deadlines for yourself. Lean on your support system. Find a coach to keep you motivated and accountable. Get a psychologist to help you sort through your personal stuff.

Above all else, TAKE ACTION.

Who knows? Maybe you’ll uncover a hidden love for your workplace.

Maybe not.

But you will discover what you’re missing. And you owe it to yourself to go find it.

Annie Little is a trained life coach, former attorney and the founder of JD Nation where she helps lawyers who want to regain control of their careers, beat burnout and start enjoying their lives again. You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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The post Hate Your Job? Here are 4 Ways to Love It a Little More appeared first on Brazen Life.

It’s completely natural — and in fact advisable — to regularly reassess your worth to ensure your career is moving in the right direction. While salary is often considered a hush-hush topic, you you can still determine how much you should be making — and whether or not you should accept the offered salary.

1. Do your homework

Thanks to the internet, it’s easier than ever to get a general idea of what people in your position make. Granted, salaries vary greatly based on location and experience level, but sites like the Bureau of Labor Statistics, PayScale.com and Salary.com give you a good starting point.

It’s more powerful to have specific numbers ready during salary negotiations as opposed to saying you deserve a raise without backing it up.

2. Know what normal growth in a company is

If it’s a raise you’re hoping for, it helps to know what’s normal in terms of growth. According to a survey by Towers Watson Data Services, the average pay raise in 2014 was expected to be just below three percent. If you’re looking for significant growth in your salary, you may need to look for another job instead. (Click here to tweet this hard pill to swallow.)

3. Ask around

Talking about salaries within a company is often frowned upon and may even be prohibited by your employer. But there’s a growing movement toward salary transparency, which can ultimately benefit employees. If you don’t feel comfortable asking your coworkers what they’re making, talk to contacts in your industry to find out what’s typical in your field.

4. Take your company’s financial standing into account

You may know your company is going through a dry spell financially, or perhaps it’s going on its third year of record sales. Your salary will probably be affected by your company’s finances.

If business is slow, you may not get a raise for a few years, and you have to decide if you value the job enough to stick it out. If business is going well, but you’re still not getting a raise or you’re not being paid what you feel you deserve, it may be time to demand more — or move on.

5. Realistically calculate your fair-market value

Averages aside, what you’re worth is a personal thing. Employers take into account your educational background, your past experiences, your accomplishments (awards and recognitions) and additional training you’ve received.

Your salary will be commensurate with your skills and accomplishments, so be realistic about what those are. Someone in your position may be making $5,000 more, but the truth is, they may deserve more.

What to do when you deserve more

After doing your background research, you may have determined you’re not getting paid (or offered) as much as you deserve. Luckily, with the knowledge you’ve acquired during your research, you should be equipped to discuss salary negotiations with your current or potential employer. Here’s what to keep in mind when asking for more money:

• Know exactly what you want
• Ask politely — don’t make angry demands
• Back your request up with facts and statistics
• Prove that you deserve it through the quality of your work

Have you used any of these tactics during salary negotiations, or do you have additional ideas? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Michelle Kruse has over 10 years of hiring and recruiting experience and a background in coaching and leadership development. At ResumeEdge, Michelle recruits and hires resume writers, provides training and ongoing support, manages strategic partnerships, and serves as a subject matter expert on the job search process.

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The post 5 Ways to Find Out If You’re Making Enough Money appeared first on Brazen Life.

Dallas, Texas, has a large population. But because the city is spread out, it can be hard to go outside your circle of connections to find your footing professionally. Read on for some of the best local networking events to get your career headed in the right direction.

1. The Dallas Entrepreneur Center

Founded in 2013, the DEC is focused on supporting local startup founders, small businesses and entrepreneurs. Their collaborative community of experts, investment groups and thought leaders will help you make the right connections to get your business dreams off the ground.

2. Dallas Business Journal Events

With everything from a Writing Workshop to a Women in Business Luncheon to an Entrepreneurs Connect Conference, the Dallas Business Journal offers a wide variety of networking events for any professional.

No matter what your budget or career field, there’s bound to be an event perfect for your interests.

3. Network After Work

Ready to ditch the cubicle to enjoy some fun and food with other professionals? Network After Work is a national social and business networking event with over 500,000 members.

Each month the group hosts a session at various cafes and restaurants where you can show off your name and brand.

4. Career Networking Groups DFW

The goal of CareerDFW is to provide access to a large number of job, networking and professional opportunities, specifically for those who are unemployed or underemployed. Check out their calendar for a complete list of weekly and monthly events to help further your career.

5. Social Media Club Dallas

The SMC is one of this area’s leaders in digital marketing. Each month they host an event focused on social media, marketing and current events.

If you’re in this field, or hope to be, joining this club will introduce you to a large number of opportunities. And I can personally say their team is welcoming and nice to interact with.

6. NetParty – Young Professionals Network

Known for their unique mix of business and social networking, NetParty caters to younger professionals looking for hip events and opportunities to connect with influential brands.

Get updates on future meetups or follow them on Twitter at @NetPartyDallas for the latest info.

7. CareerConnection

Whether you’re looking for job leads or support during your job search process, CareerConnection members and faculty can help. Every Tuesday, they offer General Session Workshops where they reveal jobs that aren’t yet publicly available, while enabling you to make valuable connections that lead to new job opportunities.

Bonus: DFW Bars for Professionals

Those of us who live in Dallas know the city likes to work hard and play hard. So why not mix the two a bit? CBS DFW offers a fun list of the best bars that also cater to networking, so you can relax and have fun while interacting with some of area’s best professionals.

Carrie Smith, a Texas native, is a financial writer who recently quit her accounting job to pursue full-time entrepreneurship. She believes there’s nothing more powerful than a real-life connection.

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The post Networking in Dallas: 7 Events for Creating Meaningful Professional Relationships appeared first on Brazen Life.

Me: One medium hot latte with skim milk

Crew: OK, would you like it hot or cold?

Me: Hot

Crew: Whole or skim milk?

Me: Skim milk

Every. Single. Time. And that’s just a single item order.

What happened to not fiddling with your phone while serving customers?

Are they even taking their summer job seriously? Yes, I know internships and summer jobs pay barely minimum wage but it’s not just about the money. Sadly, this realization is lost on so many employees.

Summer jobs and internships build up your “soft” skills, particularly listening and customer service — without which it would be very difficult for you to get a good job. It’s not just a concern for fresh graduates. Even tenured professionals will find it hard to advance their career if they’re bad listeners.

Why are so many employees poor listeners?

The art of listening and communicating effectively — sans the “indispensable” smartphone — is almost impossible for many people. It’s common for many to “multi-listen,” which means listening to someone talk while doing something else.

Sometimes, they’re listening to you talk while listening to music. Other times the conversation is interrupted by checking a notification or message from their phone.

The popularity of instant messaging apps and social networking sites doesn’t help either — there’s no need to pay attention to a speaker when there’s no real face-to-face conversation. Preoccupation and too much stimulation from games and the Internet is also a contributing factor.

I really hope everyone — from fresh graduates to tenured professional — will pay attention because listening is much more critical. The work history and accomplishments listed on their resume will be wasted if they don’t care enough to listen.

Here’s how to improve communication — especially listening — skills.

Choose someone you admire and really pay attention

Commit yourself to listening to someone you admire for the whole day. Don’t just hear; use all five senses to listen. Observe the speaker’s diction, body language and tone of voice. Pay attention to what this person says as well as what’s not said.

At the end of the day, try to recall as much as possible of what the person said, including non-verbal cues. The more you recall, the better your listening has improved. This listening and focus exercise will change bad habits like multi-listening and spacing out in the midst of a conversation.

Love TV? Good, use it to listen well

Select a news or informative program you love. Listen closely for 10 to 15 minutes then turn it off. Can you recall what you heard? This isn’t as easy as the first exercise because there could be multiple speakers in the program.

Turn it on again and repeat the whole exercise, this time make eye contact with one of the speakers on the show. This is a safer way to practice your listening and eye contact skills without giving people the creeps.

Don’t be prejudiced — meditate instead

Your brain stops paying attention to the talker once you start judging his appearance, mannerisms or statements. (Click here to tweet this fact.) Never dismiss someone as nagging, shallow, ill-informed, wrong or whatever label you please without hearing the end of their story.

If you really can’t resist giving in to your bias, do it after the talker finishes what he has to say.

Easier said than done, right? You can avoid this through meditating.

When people first try meditation, distracting and uninvited thoughts often pop-up in their head, while they’re desperately trying to keep it “still.” But it’s really impossible for novices to stop this barrage of thoughts, so just let the thoughts come and go, while continuing to focus on their breathing. Eventually the disturbing thoughts fade away, as the brain becomes attuned to stillness.

That’s similar to what you will do. But instead of focusing on your breathing, you’re going to focus on the talker.

So next time your brain clouds your judgment with snarky remarks, let those unwelcome thoughts drift away and continue listening to the talker. Do that repeatedly and eventually you’ll get used to listening to the whole story without butting in.

Listening is an underrated skill for people because they’re too focused on industry-related skills, not knowing that core skills like listening trump almost every skill there is. If nothing else, listening will make it easier for you to keep your job.

Commit to improve your listening skills now. Remember, getting fired because of poor listening makes for a bad reference.

Michelle Riklan is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Certified Employment Interview Consultant (CEIC). She has written hundreds of resume and coached clients through all phases of the job search.

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The post This Skill is Often Overlooked — And It Can Make or Break Your Career appeared first on Brazen Life.

A huge amount of recruitment comes from referrals. So it makes perfect sense to focus your efforts on building business connections, and what better way to build business connections? You guessed it, networking!

1. Do not expect anything

Do not attend a networking event under the impression you will meet people who will immediately be able to help you, i.e. if your intention is to find a new job, do not expect someone to just give you one! The idea behind networking is to make relevant connections and if something comes from it — great!

It’s all about having good, honest business conversations with people in your industry — you never know, you may stumble across a great opportunity. (Click here to tweet this thought.) This brings us nicely to our next point. …

2. Don’t get to know the most people, get to know the right people

Define a successful networking event. Go on… what do you consider to be a successful networking event? Pockets full of business cards? Hundreds of new contacts?

Remember that networking isn’t about how many people you speak to; it’s about who you speak to. You should leave the event knowing that you have made a lasting impression on a handful of people; similarly a handful of people should have made a lasting impression on you.

Circling the crowd is a great idea, however, you need to remember that you have only a limited amount of time to get your message across (and listen to the messages of others).

You cannot network successfully without giving something back. In order for people to help you, you’re probably going to need to help them.

Think of networking as a two-way street — you need to form mutual relationships with the people you meet. In this case, you may want to focus on how your skills, qualifications, expertise, glowing personality, wit and charm can help a business grow.

But remember not to make it all about you, you, you. People love to talk about themselves, so give them the opportunity. Be sure to ask questions about them, their careers, their business, and to engage fully in conversation.

3. Have a business card to share

Attending a networking event without a handful of business cards is by far one of the biggest mistakes you can make. If you network successfully, people will want to contact you.

I think it is a great idea to include the URL to your LinkedIn profile on your business card. It gives people the opportunity to check you out online. Not only this, you will be able to see that someone has viewed your profile, one of the many perks of LinkedIn, and you can then connect with them.

If you have a conversation with someone you feel could be beneficial to you, be sure to not only hand them your business card, but to request one of theirs.

4. Do not regard anyone as irrelevant

At a networking event you never know who knows who, so only a fool would regard others as irrelevant or of no use. Not only is it rude not to make the effort, word will likely get out that you’re a bit foolish.

In some cases, the most unlikely of people are the ones who can help the most. Be friendly, real and pleasant to everyone.

5. Do not get drunk!

Honestly, I would strongly recommend that you do not drink — not even a drop! Although it may help calm your nerves (especially if it’s your first event), drinking can be perceived as unprofessional.

Once you have plucked up the courage to speak to one person and the conversation starts to flow, your nerves will calm themselves.

Some of these tips may appear a little obvious, but you would be surprised how many people make simple mistakes that prevent them from networking effectively. Use these tips and focus on building good, honest business connections. If you can do this successfully at your next event, a job could be on the horizon.

Jessica O’Donnell is a well-known blogger of all things career and recruitment related. Currently working at Frazer John Recruitment, Jess contributes to their blog on a regular basis offering great career tips and advice for all those looking to move forward in their careers.

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The post 5 Networking Tips That Will Make You Exponentially More Connected appeared first on Brazen Life.

A recent post on TODAY Health has been making the Internet rounds and caught our attention as a great way to keep yourself on track with your big goals and dreams. In it, the author discusses how he used his company’s mandatory monthly password changes to do some serious self-motivation.

It’s incredibly easy and has the power to transform your daily habits, all with a few simple keystrokes.

How it works

The post’s author, Mauricio Estrella, worked for a company where the Microsoft Exchange server prompted employees to change their passwords every 30 days. You probably know the drill when it comes to the guidelines — passwords had to contain “at least one lowercase alphabetic character, at least one symbol and at least one number,” etc. We’ve all had to do it, and we’ve all found it highly annoying. What’s more is that he had to enter this new password throughout the day — whenever his screen saver came up, he’d have to re-enter his password to unlock his computer.

But rather than fume over the inconvenience of having to go through this every month, Estrella decided to seize the opportunity to “regain control of his life.”

At the time, he was dealing with a tough divorce, feeling depressed and resentful. So he chose to create a password that would act as a positive mantra, reminding him he was in control of his life and had the power to make things better. His new password? “Forgive@h3r” — a password designed to remind himself to let go of hard feelings towards his ex-wife. Every time he typed this into his computer, he reports, “the healing effect of it came back almost immediately.”

After that, he chose a new password every 30 days that corresponded with his goals at that time: “Quit@smoking4ever,” “Save4trip@thailand,” “Sleep@before 12,” etc. The results have been life-changing. Since starting his password experiment two years ago, Estrella has quit smoking, improved his health habits and has even fallen in love again.

What have your passwords done for you lately?

How to make it work for you

Can this digital version of a Post-It note on your monitor help you make some big life changes? Estrella thinks so, and here are some tips he offers to make it effective:

Turn it into a mantra. Don’t let yourself fall into the habit of mindlessly typing in your password; really pause to consider it each time. Every time Estrella typed in “Forgive@h3r,” he repeated the mantra “forgive her” in his head to drive the meaning home.

Change that mantra as needed. When “forgive her” started to lose its impact, Estrella changed the mantra to “I forgive her.” This kept things fresh over the course of the 30 days he had the password.

Be safe. Don’t forget to keep online security in mind; this may be a life hack, but it’s still a password. Even if your password requirements don’t specifically say so, try to scramble your password with things like symbols and numbers to make it secure.

What password mantra would you choose for yourself?

Kelly Gurnett runs the blog Cordelia Calls It Quits and is the Editor-in-Chief of All Things Career. Follow her on Twitter @CordeliaCallsIt.

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The post How Your Password Can Radically Change Your Life appeared first on Brazen Life.

It’s the first day on the job and you’re full of excitement in anticipation of the wondrous future that awaits you. As you make your way to the battleship grey cubicle that will soon become your second home, you pass at least a hundred other associates. Suddenly feeling insignificant you worry, “With this much competition, it will take years to reach manager level and start making some decent money.”

Ah young Jedi, you must learn patience and allow those that came before you to shine first.

No, no. That is absolutely not true!

Use some (or for faster results… ALL) of the following suggestions and you can make manager, or at least first-level supervisor, in a year! Two at most.

1. Look for inefficiencies

Develop roving eyes. Not for the office hottie. Look for odd tasks (in addition to your job description duties) others are doing. Figure out how to do it better. Then ask to take over and introduce your own efficiencies.

I once saw a guy spend three hours a day, every day, at the copier. He was making copies of credit card transactions, one slip at a time. I asked why he didn’t copy a few dozen at once to save paper, toner and time. He basically said, “I dunno.” Anybody else would have walked away thinking, “Whatever.” But I saw an opportunity and pounced.

Without sounding accusatory, I mentioned to the supervisor that we could save a good two and half hours a day (and a few trees) doing it differently. I offered to take over. Boom! Just like that, I made it known I could discover areas for improvement and introduce money-saving efficiencies. It was a simple, but noticeable change.

2. Push and shove

Not literally of course. You don’t want to be known as the office bully.

Learn to be assertive without being aggressive as you advance to the front of the pack. Listen and watch for opportunities to volunteer your services and talents. Supervisors are often given projects they in turn pawn off — I mean delegate — to their underlings (newbies like you.)

This is when you want to raise your hand high and yell, “Ooh, ooh I’ll do it!” Yes, you will look like a butt kisser, but it works.

3. Over-deliver

As you work on the project you so eagerly volunteered for, don’t just turn in the minimum required amount of work. (Click here to tweet these words of wisdom.) Give the report or activity extra effort. Go above and beyond.

As an example, when I was working at a mega telecommunications company, one of my supervisors volunteered to chair the annual Martin Luther King Jr. ceremony. Knowing this would be a company-wide celebration and a perfect opportunity to get noticed, I offered my services.

While the other helpers were working on decorations and food (snooze), I tracked down several employees to interview during a stage presentation. They gave their personal experiences and memories of the day Dr. King was assassinated. It was a moving and memorable gathering.

That project single handedly propelled me to the top of the heap of rookies. The President and Vice Presidents of the company were in attendance. Not only did my department supervisors, managers and Executive Director learn my name, but all the top dogs suddenly knew me.

About a month or two after that shining moment, an opportunity opened up for advancement working directly under a prominent VP. The VP remembered my name from the MLK presentation and asked to interview me himself!

I got the job, plus a rare three-grade level advancement with a whopping pay increase!

4. Aim high

Don’t be afraid to shoot for the moon. It’s unlikely huge promotions will land in your lap without some major effort. While others shy away from extra duties or run for hills when they see a complicated sounding job posting, you strike with high hopes and confidence leaving the guppies in your wake.

No Einstein moves needed

Don’t feel you need to come up with earth shattering, genius moves to catapult yourself to the top. Simple, but noticeable actions will take you from floating with the guppies to swimming with the sharks.

Sylvia Talo, aka Business Plan Mentor, is a freelance business writing specialist who uses her years in the corporate world and experience as a business owner to help aspiring careerists and business owners succeed.

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The post Get Noticed at a New Job: How to Ditch the Guppies and Swim with the Sharks appeared first on Brazen Life.

But that’s putting the horse before the cart. The first hurdle is simply finding new people to add to your network, according to job seekers who participated in a Lee Hecht Harrison online poll. Thirty-one percent of survey respondents said identifying networking partners was their greatest challenge.

The “why” behind networking

Finding the right networking partners is critical. Most job openings are never advertised or posted, which means tapping your network is an essential strategy to uncover hidden opportunities.

Hiring managers and recruiters prefer to work with people who have been referred by someone they trust. Your network is key to getting you introductions and referrals that will separate you from the “unknown” candidates.

Members of your personal and professional networks — including business associates, colleagues, former coworkers, vendors, managers, friends and close acquaintances — make up a community where you’re known. (Click here to tweet this thought.) These people may already be advocates of your work. You may share interests. This can easily be expanded to conversations about careers and business needs.

Your network connections are often willing to introduce you to people in their own networks, thereby providing an opportunity to broaden your reach and build a bigger community. As your network expands, more opportunities present themselves to initiate new contacts with a referral. A larger network increases the likelihood of gaining a meeting and eliminates the need to rely on less productive cold calls.

The “how” is just as important as the “who”

While finding networking partners was the number one obstacle, job seekers struggle in other areas that are crucial to their networking success. The LHH poll also found that 25 percent of job seekers don’t have a clear networking strategy. Going into any networking meeting without a plan and defined goals usually won’t secure any job leads.

Networking is not a one-way street. Remember that networking is about establishing new relationships, strengthening existing relationships and sharing information. It’s two-way communication that’s mutually enlightening and beneficial to both parties.

Prepare for your next networking meeting or event. Conduct online research on attendees to help uncover common interests. Know what questions you want to ask and practice answering the question, “What do you do?”

A few tips to take your networking to the next level

With a little coaching and guidance, any reluctant networker can be turned into a pro.

• Be proactive. Don’t wait until you’re looking for a job to connect with your network. It should be part of a proactive career management strategy. Devote time to nurturing a strong career network of contacts. Be ready to offer assistance, share articles and professional insights, participate in groups and attend professional meetings.

• Engage in discovery. Seek out new networking contacts. LinkedIn can be incredibly helpful in finding new connections. But don’t rely solely on social networks. Be active in professional associations and/or industry groups. People hire people they know, so it’s important to make potential networking contacts in person at live events.

• Have a plan. Identify targeted companies and the competencies and experience you want to promote. This will help you focus on the right networking activities and conversations.

• Connect. Use your referral’s name up front: “Richard Smith thought you’d be a great resource for me as I explore career opportunities in the financial services industry.” Ask if you could discuss your targeted companies, probing for others that should be included and for names of possible contacts.

• Build your networking confidence. Practice networking at a variety of events. Arrive early — it’s easier to initiate one-on-one conversations during the first 10 minutes when the group is still small. Prepare open-ended questions to keep conversations going. Confidence is developed by becoming skilled; becoming skilled requires practice.

The key to networking success is found in making the time and always adding value to the conversation. This strategy is guaranteed to deliver job leads. Remember to start with a strategy, attend the right events and talk to the right people and keep practicing.

Greg Simpson is Senior Vice President, Career Transition Practice Leader for Lee Hecht Harrison. Greg is responsible for developing, disseminating and managing the direction of career transition services for LHH, the world’s largest outplacement firm.

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The post Take Your Networking Skills from “Meh” to Pro With This Killer Strategy appeared first on Brazen Life.

So then comes the big question: Can you afford to move? Check out a few tips to bring your moving costs down — and bring yourself closer to taking that big step.

Plan ruthlessly

You’d be surprised to learn how many people pull up their roots and move to a new place without a serious plan. Moving can be a difficult enterprise with hidden costs, and it pays to not only have savings in the bank, but also a ruthless plan for where you’re going and how you’ll get there.

This applies not only to the basic moving logistics (transferring utilities, phone service, medical records and so on) but also to figuring out where you’ll move and when. Simply pulling up stakes and hoping for the best might be good enough when you’re fresh out of college, but if you’re a mid-level professional with more obligations, a solid plan will literally pay off in the long run.

Of course, this doesn’t just mean making a checklist of everything your move will require and drafting a budget (although you should still do that). It also helps to know what life will be like once you get where you’re going.

Planning ahead will be one of your most powerful tools to save money on your move.

Prioritize and compromise

Now is the time for the tough compromises. Cost of living includes more than rent and utilities; you’ll also need to consider taxes, transportation, schools and overall quality of life. Also, realize all cities are not created equal — either financially or in what they have to offer.

If the weather is significantly different than what you’re used to, are you equipped to handle it? Do you want to live in the center of a major urban area or in the suburbs? Will that new job cover all your new costs? What do the crime rates look like?

Even a rough estimate of what your new life might cost can help you save a bundle because it will inform the choices you make later on.

Study up

Before you pack your possessions and sell all your furniture, research your destination. Find the affordable neighborhoods in the area. If you’re moving to an expensive city, check out outlying neighborhoods or even neighboring towns you could live in, provided the commute won’t prove too painful.

Go beyond what you find online. If possible, talk to people who already live in area you’re thinking of relocating to and ask for their insight and advice. Fold these results into your research and look at the hard numbers. This raw data will help you take an objective look at whether you can afford to relocate.

Reduce your costs — and possessions

Now that your planning is done, it’s time to pull off flawless execution.

• If you’re moving for business reasons, your move may be tax-deductible. Talk to your accountant or consult a professional, and keep your receipts!
• If you’re a homeowner, find out if your homeowner’s insurance policy covers moving insurance. If not, work that into your budget.
• Move at off-peak times, both in terms of the season (June, July and August are the most expensive months to move) and the day (weekends are more expensive than moving during the week.)
• Pack yourself instead of paying movers to do it for you. Use luggage, towels and clothing where possible instead of purchasing or renting expensive packing materials. Forage for cardboard boxes instead of buying shipping containers.
• Sell or give away everything that isn’t absolutely essential. Put the proceeds from those sales back into your moving fund. Be unforgiving. Anything without tangible utility or special sentimental value simply has to go.
• Use up or consume all your perishable and frozen food or other consumables before your move. Who wants to lug boxes of canned goods around?

Relocation can be scary, work-intensive and most of all, costly. But passing up on a great opportunity because you couldn’t afford to move is a path to regret. Run the numbers. Be bold. Stick to the plan. You’ve got this. (Click here to tweet this bit of inspiration.)

Jon Russo is the CEO of Areavibes, a website focused on helping people find the best places to live. AreaVibes is able to provide useful information for people who are relocating or looking to conduct a quality assessment on their own area.

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The post Is Your Dream Job in Faraway City? Here’s How to Relocate on a Budget appeared first on Brazen Life.

In fact, whether you’re a 9-to-5 employee or an entrepreneur, getting in a “boss” frame of mind can radically transform the trajectory of your career. Here’s why — and how — you can get in on the action.

The dangers of the employee mindset

When you think like an employee — whether you’re entry level, middle management or a freelancer — you limit your own potential. You box yourself to an “I’m only a fill-in-the-blank” attitude that keeps you from making the big moves and big changes that lead to success.

Employees exist to fill a pre-defined role. They wait for instructions (and permission, and affirmation) from on high. They do what they’re told. They leave the innovation to the other guys, because they’re only here to punch a clock and collect a paycheck. When you’re stuck in an employee mindset, you don’t feel in charge of your own work; you feel like a means to someone else’s end. And it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.

That isn’t to say that you shouldn’t be doing what you’re told or fulfilling the role you’ve been given — that’s Job Performance 101. But you should be doing so much more. If you want to excel in your career, you need to look for opportunities to elevate things to the next level. And for that, you need a boss mentality.

Here are five key ways to start thinking like a boss:

1. Take ownership

When you’re the boss, your company’s success and failure rests on your shoulders. People’s paychecks depend on you. Because of this, you feel the weight of your work and take care to do it well.

You know if you slack off, everyone down the line will suffer. But when you’re the guy who collates the copies for the quarterly report meeting, it can be hard to see how your work really matters — or why it’s worth caring about.

Sure, in the grand scheme of things, any schmoe off the street could collate the copies. But if you see yourself as replaceable, you will be treated as replaceable. (Click here to tweet this quote.) You’ll only make it to bigger things if you make people realize you deserve them.

So find ways to take ownership of your work, no matter how unimportant each task may seem. Exceed expectations. Be the best damn fill-in-the-blank you can be.

Collate those copies two days ahead of schedule. Deliver them directly to each board member while asking how their family/hobby/recent college reunion went. Flag a section in the quarterly report that got you thinking, then ask your supervisor if you can have a few minutes next week to learn more about what the numbers mean so you can help brainstorm ways to boost them. Demonstrate that you take your work seriously, and others will take you seriously.

2. Take responsibility

When you’re the boss, the buck stops with you. Tim in accounting may have been the one who screwed up, but you were the one managing him, and you should have caught it.

Similarly, even if you’re the lowest possible rung on the ladder, hold yourself accountable for everything that falls within your domain — even if that domain is ordering supplies for the office. Develop a new system to make supply ordering more efficient and make sure no one runs out of anything. Anticipate the need for extra paper since there’s a big project coming up. Don’t just do your job; think of ways to do your job better.

If you’re an entrepreneur, stop wondering why your marketing is falling flat or your sales pages aren’t converting and teach yourself how to make them better (or hire someone who can).

Take responsibility, both for the work you do and for your own success going forward. Step up when something needs to be done, make things right if you’ve messed up, and realize that you’re the only one who can take yourself to the next level.

3. Take pride

Whatever your job is, do it with all you’ve got in you. Allow yourself to feel good about that, even if it isn’t particularly glamorous.

If you’re a freelance writer just starting out and you’re stuck writing website copy for the local bait and tackle shop because that’s the only thing paying the bills right now, pour your heart into that copy. When your dream client comes along down the line and checks out your portfolio, they’ll think, “Wow. If she can write that well about fishing, imagine how she’ll bring my site to life!”

If you’ve been stuck with the most difficult client at your firm, go the extra mile to make his experience as pleasant as possible. When your performance review rolls around, you’ll stand out for a promotion for making the most of a bad situation.

The grunt work you’re doing today is a stepping stone on the way to something bigger. Put as much care and pride into the journey as you will into the end result.

4. Value your time

When you’re the boss, you know that time is money. You don’t waste other people’s time, and you don’t allow other people to waste yours. But you don’t have to make six figures to take control of your hours and make sure you’re spending them in the ways that have the highest ROI.

Learn to identify the work that makes the most difference for you or your company. Do you really need to attend that meeting on TPS reports (where Cheryl will read the same PowerPoint verbatim that she did six months ago)? Or could you be working on your new idea for a system that will boost workflow? Will spending the afternoon tweaking the layout of your site really do much for you, or would you be better off developing a plan to actually monetize that site?

Identify the 20 percent of your daily tasks that create 80 percent of your results, and focus on that 20 percent with the same intensity as a CEO who closes his office door and tells his assistant to hold his calls — all of his calls — unless something or someone is on fire.

5. Surround yourself with a strong team

A smart boss knows they’re only as good as their team. Whether or not you’re managing others, you need to surround yourself with people who will lift you up, encourage you and support your efforts — not people who will detract or derail you.

Get yourself a mentor who can guide you and challenge you to reach higher. Join an accountability group or mastermind where you can connect with others at the same level you’re at and help each other get better. Keep away from office drama and naysayers. Learn to ask for help when you don’t know something.

Bosses don’t know everything. They just always know who to turn to when they don’t know something.

How can you start thinking more like a boss?

Kelly Gurnett runs the blog Cordelia Calls It Quits and is the Editor-in-Chief of All Things Career. Follow her on Twitter @CordeliaCallsIt.

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The post Why You Should Think Like a Boss, No Matter What Your Job Title appeared first on Brazen Life.

The days could not go slower while your life just seems to pass you by.

It’s messing with your energy levels and your sense of joy. You know this can’t go on for much longer.

You’re stuck in a dead-end job, and it sucks. Big time!

Most articles and books tell you to quit your job, start your own business, overcome hurdles and live entrepreneurially ever after. And you know what? They’re right! Being an entrepreneur is awesome, liberating, educational and more.

But perhaps this is just not for you. Or you’re just not ready yet. Or perhaps circumstances out of your control limit your options for now. No judgment, just the fact that something needs to change. And you can do so without leaving the job you’re in.

Ready to turn your dead-end job around? Here we go:

1. Find someone to kick your butt

Sometimes all we need to make change happen is an old-fashioned kick in the butt. (Click here to tweet this bit of wisdom.) We get too stuck in our own self pity and assumed misery to notice we’re bringing it upon ourselves.

Find yourself a life coach, a good friend or parent who’s not afraid to tell you exactly how it is. Keep your ears and mind open to anything they have to say. You’ll be surprised how this will help you spice up your job satisfaction (and life) immediately.

2. Step outside your social comfort zone

Do you talk to the same circle of coworkers every day? That’s definitely not enough to turn things around!

Be curious, talk to people and learn what their jobs are about and what they’re working on. This will not only make your days more interesting. You’ll also learn new skills and get to know more about the inner workings of your organization.

3. Embrace whatever annoys you

Though it’s impossible to change your boss or coworker, you can definitely change processes to make everyone’s job easier. If a form or computer system is not working optimally, take initiative to find a better solution propose it to someone in charge. If you can show your superiors how you can save them time and money, you’ll probably get the green light to make it happen.

You’ll show initiative, make your regular job easier and prove you’re ready to take on more challenging projects down the line that can potentially liven up your days.

4. Never stop learning

Even if you hate your job, that’s no reason sit around and do nothing. You should be learning new skills that you can apply in your current (and future) job.

Learning is essential. If your employer doesn’t provide you with learning opportunities (or not enough), then take matters in your own hands. Apply what you learn immediately for more challenge, more recognition and the ever-so-important experience.

Check out Skillshare, Coursera and the Code Academy to get high value for low prices.

5. Start your passion project NOW

Remember that idea you’ve had in the back of your head for years? The one you’ve always shoved aside because you were too busy, had too little experience or were simply too lazy to pursue? Dust it off and start doing it.

Replace the hours a week you spend on Pinterest or binge watching The Office (because it’s just oh so relatable) with your own passion project.

Set up a blog, learn how to code or find a community of likeminded people. Whatever it is, follow your passion outside of your work and it will translate to positive energy you can use inside your work. And who knows what your side hustle might grow into!

YOU will need to get yourself out of this Groundhog Day. Remember the movie? You might remember how nothing changed until the fantastical Bill Murray started to take responsibility for himself and invested everything he had in being the best person he could possibly be.

Sitting around expecting your boss will promote you and make your job more exciting is simply not something to count on. Take responsibility and create the best job you can with the circumstances you’re in.

This will take an investment on your part; it might mean working longer hours and it will definitely cost you time you’d rather spend lazing around.

But consider the alternative. How much longer do you want to live your life grumpy every Sunday night because Monday is just around the corner?

You can’t wait for an awesome job to find you — you’ll need to make it happen. When your happiness is counting on you, what do you have to lose?

Linda Coussement runs the blog Inspired Process and is on a mission to (r)evolutionise the way we do business by inspiring and activating entrepreneurs worldwide. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

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The post Stuck in a Dead-End Job? Instead of Quitting, Do This appeared first on Brazen Life.

You’re not the only one. This feeling of job malaise is something more and more professionals experience as they dream about a job that provides more freedom.

You don’t need a crazy self-help guru to guide you in the right direction, and you certainly don’t need a life-changing moment to come to the realization that you can have the life you want. It takes work, planning and a little luck, but you too can quit your job, live abroad and work from the beach. (Click here to tweet this piece of inspiration.)

How do I know this? It’s what I did, and what I’m still doing.

Make the first move to a more mobile life

Your first step to free yourself from your corporate job is to start building skills and experience that drive jobs you can do from anywhere. Try part-time work to obtain accreditation in the following professions:

• Accounting
• Web writing
• Graphic design
• Travel writing
• Editing
• Affiliate marketing

You will not find this step easy, especially if you don’t already have skills in any of these areas. It took me months of 60-hour workweeks to establish rapport, build contacts and develop the right skills.

Don’t take the first remote job that comes along and immediately quit your steady job; that’s a sure way to wind up with no job at all. Be patient. Sudden moves in a positive direction can just as quickly lead to sudden moves in a negative direction.

Take the leap from the corporate world to the beach

You can find plenty of places with a good view of whatever you want to look at. I chose Cape Town, South Africa. Once you’ve planned properly, you can go almost anywhere your passport allows. A part of that plan must be to build savings for emergencies. Because inevitably, something will not go according to plan. You need to be ready.

After living in Cape Town for three months, my employer decided to hire cheaper workers. Though I was on the other side of the planet with no work, I had planned for this. I had a few months of living expenses saved. When you lose a big client, the smartest thing while you look for work is to upgrade your skills.

Build new skills through an online program or a course at a local university. Then you can build a more diverse client base. When you have a diverse range of clients, losing one client isn’t the end of the world. You have backups.

Use tools to stay sane and get paid

When you leave the corporate office behind to live abroad, be sure to take advantage of these resources:

Skype: Use this free necessity to call family back home and to help maintain your sanity. It’s also a great tool for letting clients talk your ear off. Be sure to set boundaries on clients. If they’re contacting you 24/7, you’re not free — you’ve made a prison of your life. Good clients will know this. If clients pester you, you should move on.

Online staffing platforms: Investigate a number of online staffing platforms to not only find new clients, but to lock in payment. Platforms such as Elance, oDesk and Guru can help you with protection against fraud.

VPN service providers: A VPN provider keeps you safe by encrypting all of your web activity. A VPN service also unlocks geo-blocked content, like Netflix and some YouTube channels, by giving you an IP address in America. If the United States aren’t your home base, you can still find a VPN that will help you unlock content from nearly any country you call home.

Time tracking apps: If you thought you didn’t have to worry about clocking your time anymore, think again. This is one of the most important tasks in your business; You need to track your time to invoice clients and get paid. This process also helps you get a handle on how you’re spending your time to see how productive you are. A number of time tracking apps include Harvest, Hours Keeper and Qlockwork.

As you plan for your dream life working from the beach, keep these three points in mind to develop your mobile career:

1. Build skills in mobile-friendly jobs
2. Establish connections with clients you trust before putting in your notice
3. Use apps and platforms that protect you, keep you connected and track your time investment

Take a look at the picture in this photo again — that’s my office on nice days! This could just as easily be your office if you take the right steps.

Matthew Yeoman is a freelance web writer and social media analyst on the Devumi.com Social Media Blog. You can find him there chatting about Google, YouTube, Pinterest, SoundCloud and Twitter News every Friday.

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The post How to Quit Your Job and Make the Beach Your Office appeared first on Brazen Life.

Five years deep into a career you thought you were meant for, you realize your professional development was aimed in a direction you no longer wish to pursue. Now you have to start over… or more effectively, repackage yourself. To do that, you’ll have to relate your current professional marketing pieces to your future role.

This may seem daunting, but focus on the process that helped you land your first position. The key here is relatable reflection.

To connect the pieces of your past, present and future, evaluate yourself

Effectively redirecting yourself takes a bit of soul searching to discover the areas you want to improve. Think about what you want to learn to do, what kind of lifestyle you want to lead and the past experiences you’ve excelled in.

In five years, what will you have gained? Which of your talents and/or skills do you want to further develop? Once you’ve identified the direction you want to move, you can include the reasons for repackaging yourself within your story. (Click here to tweet this quote.)

With your cover letter, resume, interview and personal brand, you have the opportunity to look back at what you’ve accomplished and how those accomplishments can benefit the new position (or industry) you’re interested in. Examining these pieces will help you identify duties and positions you enjoyed — or those you’ll likely never try again.

Use your cover letter to your advantage

As a piece that describes why you’re interested in the company and what you can do for them, your cover letter is a chance to emphasize your abilities and how your background can positively affect the company.

As you begin your letter, always refer to the recipient by formal name. Going the length of addressing the individual shows you’ve done the work of finding out who your position affects, unlike reverting to the generic “To Whom it May Concern:” or “Dear Sir or Madam.”

If you’re moving into a position completely different from your previous work, use the cover letter to let your potential employer know what you’re doing to prepare for the new position and what you aim to continuously improve upon moving forward.

Ensure the employer you’re focused on the desired position by being specific about responsibilities and roles you’re interested in carrying out. For example, if you’re applying for a marketing assistant position, note that you understand and accept the responsibility of carrying out successful social media campaigns.

Highlight transferable skills on your resume

Your resume usually includes the positions you’ve held in the past, but since you’re focusing on a new direction, you’ll want to highlight your transferable skills. Soft skills are great to display on your resume — such as your demeanor, manners, organizational skills, management skills and work ethic.

While you don’t want your resume to only consist of soft skills, think about the role you’ll be moving into. What skills have you acquired through past experiences and how do those skills, and the nature of them, benefit your new position?

For instance, if your past position was in human resources and you’re entering the marketing world, explain how you posted and advertised for open positions at your previous company and how you built relationships with employees of the company.

Businesses and organizations use mission statements or values statements to describe the reasons for doing what they do. Your version of a mission statement is your objective, which traditionally is placed at the top of your resume — so make sure it accurately and emphatically describes your core values, abilities and aspirations.

These should be genuinely similar to those of your potential future employer. Your listed references should be considered with this transition as well. Offer the contact information of past managers, supervisors and coworkers who will be able to speak about the skills you’ve used that’ll benefit your new direction.

Revitalize your personal brand

Your personal brand is how you package and represent yourself. Your aesthetic, values and skills tell your future employer who you are, your level of expertise, what defines your motives and what makes you memorable.

You can make yourself visually memorable by incorporating a logo to your resume and business card that’s simple, yet gives clues to what you’re all about. You also want to update profile pictures to accommodate your new potential position.

Use your analytical skills to highlight your areas of expertise in relation to your future position. Determine what will work in your favor and be beneficial for your new career. If you’re not sure which skills to highlight, search online with the job description of the new position and scout forums with conversations from people within the profession to see what kinds of situations they’re in.

Think back to times when you carried out similar tasks or handled situations. Which of your abilities did you use to solve problems? Don’t be afraid to face your weaknesses. Understanding and speaking about your weaknesses shows you’re self-aware, authentic and relatable.

It also tells the potential employer you’ve honed in on your areas of improvement in your new career. We’re all works in progress, so be able to clearly state what you’re doing to improve areas not your strong suits.

Repackaging yourself, or updating your resume, cover letter and professional narrative will build the bridge between your current position and your future path. Once you’ve established the new presentation of you, it’s time to put yourself out there with confidence. Best of luck to you in your new career.

Ashley Swinehart is a graduate from Youngstown State University with five years of recruitment experience. She works in conjunction with Corporate Ladder Search Partners, Inc. based out of Uniontown, Ohio.

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The post Changing Careers? How to Successfully Market Your New Self appeared first on Brazen Life.

But what if your job won’t allow a natural sleep cycle? Healthcare personnel and shift workers often find themselves coming home when everyone else is climbing out of bed, and while this can be uncomfortable and disorienting, few institutional resources are available to help newer workers deal with the effects.

When struggling employees ask their supervisors for guidance, they’re often dismissed with instructions to “Just make the best of it,” or “Try yoga.” If you work the night shift and you’re having a hard time adjusting, keep these tips in mind. (Click here to tweet this list.)

1. Develop a long-term timeline

You can maintain this lifestyle — for now. Powering through may be your best and only option. But if you know you can’t live this way forever, pick a point in the future when you’re sure the lifestyle will stop.

Let your boss know that you’ll need to switch to day shifts within six months or one year, and if this doesn’t happen, have a plan in mind to look for work elsewhere. (By the time you reach this deadline, you may have adjusted.)

2. Try yoga

The suggestion may seem dismissive, but attending a yoga class even once a week may have noticeable benefits. While you’re doing this, make a deliberate effort to eat healthier foods (including leafy green veggies and whole grains) and exercise at least 10 minutes every day.

3. Find someone to talk to

You may not need a licensed therapist, but find someone in your circle of family and friends who knows what it’s like to work at night. Lean on this person when you need to share what you’re going through. The experience can be surreal and isolating, and your coworkers may be reluctant to talk about it, since (like you, probably) they don’t want to advertise their struggles.

4. Respect your daytime sleep and insist that others respect it too

If your children, spouse or roommates can’t leave you in peace during the day, talk with them seriously about what you’re going through and be clear about what you need from them (e.g., a quieter space, less light, a room on the non-street side of the house, fewer interruptions).

5. Develop rituals that mark the distinction between “night” and “day”

When you wake up, follow a set of behaviors that train your brain to accept this hour as “morning.” Brewing coffee and making a daily ritual of breakfast can help. A few morning exercises can also help. Keep the pattern similar each day.

6. Recognize what’s happening to you

Mental and physiological changes often have more damaging effects when they’re not expected or understood. A sudden burst of tears, unexplained anger or clumsiness may not feel directly connected to your sleep habits, and you may not technically feel tired when you experience them. But recognize these as the signs and symptoms of disrupted sleep, and know that when your body adjusts to its new schedule, these will probably subside.

Jenny Treanor is a career advisor and job search expert who provides consultation for staffing firms, hiring managers and job seekers across every industry. Her blogs and articles appear regularly on LiveCareer, home of America’s #1 Resume Builder.

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The post Working the Night Shift? 6 Tips for Surviving appeared first on Brazen Life.

You go to lunches, have a drink at happy hour and meet for coffee. Maybe you’ve even tried an online networking event. These are all great ways to build your professional network. But you may be overlooking one important and powerful person.

It’s surprising that even savvy networkers know so many networking tips, but seem to ignore one of the most valuable relationships in your office.

By focusing all of your time and energy networking with your peers and close superiors, you definitely set yourself up for success. But everyone knows this already. It doesn’t give you an advantage over Jane in the next cubicle.

If you want an advantage in your career, you need to start building relationships with amazing people others have overlooked. (Click here to tweet this quote.) Here’s how to do it.

Find out who really runs your office

Imagine a person who knew everyone in the office inside and out. They work directly with the CEO, and all her top management. This person knows high-level info about the personal lives and professional goals of all the company’s top executives. They know all the moving pieces of the organization.

And every time you get stuck on a big project, they can introduce you to someone who can help. Guess what. This person actually exists in nearly every office across the United States.

You’d be crazy not to start building a relationship with them!

These employees used to be called secretaries. Now their roles have expanded and they usually have the title of Executive Assistant or Administrative Assistant.

As a junior analyst, I never realized the best executive assistants in my office probably made double my salary or more. That’s how much their bosses (and the company) value their contributions and skills.

Looking back, I’m amazed by how many people throughout my career have written off these important individuals as “just admin staff” without getting to know them or their contributions to the organization.

Still not convinced? Admins in your office can be a wealth of information when it comes to office gossip, layoffs or employee changes. They work with top management, so they have a direct line to everyone’s superiors. And they understand the business’s inner workings thanks to the countless number of people they speak with all day long.

They can share this info with you and help you out when you need answers to a question or a solution to a problem. But only if you’ve taken the time to build a mutually beneficial relationship with them first.

Build relationships with your office gatekeepers

Executive assistants often feel underappreciated because people think of them as “just an admin.” As if that gives someone a right to ignore them until they need a coffee.

Take a page out of Ben Franklin’s playbook, and ask for small favors from your office admin. Franklin is famous for turning an enemy into a lifelong friend by simply asking to borrow a book.

He understood people like people for whom they have done favors. We all rationalize that we must actually like someone, otherwise we wouldn’t have been nice to them. Franklin used this technique to build lifelong relationships. And you can, too.

Here are just a few small favors you can ask to break the ice so you can start building relationships with your office gatekeepers:

• Get a tip on where to take the team for lunch
• Ask who to contact in HR about your new benefit plan
• Say your printer is broken and ask if they wouldn’t mind printing your file

It doesn’t matter what you ask. Just keep it simple, remember to stay polite and express your gratitude after they help you.

Of course there is always a danger in painting a large group of people with the same broad brush. Within every group, you’ll find just as many great people as people who are more difficult to work with. I encourage you to seek out great admins in your workplace or give another chance to someone you’ve already written off.

After all, your career is defined by the relationships you build.

Get more Career & Job Search Advice from Bob Berchtold at his blog, Cubicle Sherpa. And don’t forget to check out The Ultimate Guide to LinkedIn for Job Seekers, @CubicleSherpa, and LinkedIn.

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The post Smart Networking: Why You Should Get to Know This Person at the Office appeared first on Brazen Life.

But with the recession, small businesses and startups are quickly becoming more lucrative career launch pads. (Click here to tweet this quote.)

Read on for a few solid reasons why you should start your career at a small business to jumpstart your long-term career success.

1. Make big things happen

Although small businesses may not be able to match the big ones in terms of the pay, perks and benefits, these factors become less of a concern as their business grows. Many small businesses can offer their employees something many big companies can’t: flexibility.

Large corporations are set in their complex processes and patterns and do not offer scope for employees to get involved in the whole business. Small organizations can offer a more nimble work environment.

If you’re a self-motivated individual who thinks independently, proactively and creatively, then you can look forward to a plethora of opportunities to make something big happen and prove your mettle.

2. Expand your range of responsibilities

Small businesses employ fewer people, but these employees are hand-picked. Because the team is small, there’s a chance you were hired because you possess a skillset that no one else in the company does. You may have been recruited thanks to your distinctive thinking or your impressive problem-solving skills.

In keeping with your capabilities, your range of responsibilities may widen soon after you start performing well. From the get-go, you’ll be challenged to become more versatile, responsible, reliable and productive. With greater responsibilities, you’re bound to feel empowered.

3. Try your hand at different projects

In big organizations with a hierarchy and structure, often one person is assigned for every task. If you opt for a large corporation, you may be assigned one profile that you will have to stick to day after day. It’s easy to feel stuck in a rut when doing such jobs, with almost no scope for branching out.

When working with a small firm, you get to try your hand at various tasks — even those you never thought you could do. This exposes you to the various facets of the business, thereby giving you the opportunity to expand your skillset and add new talents to your repertoire.

4. Earn quick recognition

Because the processes and procedures in small companies tend to be less structured than those in their bigger counterparts, they tend to be shorter and transparent. This allows you to see the fruits of your labor more quickly.

We all have one friend who works for a large organization and often complains about how his hard work goes unnoticed and someone else getting the applause. In a small firm, it is almost impossible for a well-executed job to get overlooked or for the credit not to go where it is due.

5. Learn from those who made it happen

Working in small companies opens up avenues for you to interact with the business owners (instead of just the managers) on a one-on-one basis. Such a thing is nearly impossible in large multinational companies. It’s always great to be around people who think and work innovatively to create something from scratch.

Enterprising individuals who possess the gumption, intelligence and acumen to start their own venture have a very different mental and professional temperament than others. They are innovators (and mentors), and working with them gives you opportunities to learn several tricks of the trade.

The ongoing economic downturn is forcing many graduates (and even experienced executives) to consider employment with small firms. Some of your peers might not take these opportunities seriously. But getting your start at a small firm can help create a solid base for your career. Small businesses have come of age and have a lot to offer in terms of technology, resources and opportunities to ambitious individuals.

Andrew Cravenho is the CEO of CBAC Funding, an innovative invoice finance company. As a serial entrepreneur, Andrew focuses on helping both small and medium-sized businesses take control of their cash flow. Find CBAC Funding on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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The post Think Small: How Working for a Startup Can Pay Huge Career Dividends appeared first on Brazen Life.

Wrong approach.

Here’s what you need to do instead:

1. Assure people you’ll be giving frequent feedback

People want more feedback than they’re getting. Everyone, especially young and hard-to-retain superstars, constantly say in employee engagement surveys such as Gallup that they’re discouraged because they’re not getting enough feedback.

And it’s not just that they aren’t getting enough positive pats on the back. Sixty percent say they don’t get enough critical feedback that can help them improve. (Click here to tweet this stat.) Tell them you’ll be giving feedback weekly (or more often) and deliver on that promise.

2. Invite their feedback to you in every feedback conversation

The feedback culture you want to create is an exchange. You coach them and they make suggestions about what you can do to help them reach their goals faster.

3. Envision success for everyone to focus your feedback

Spend a few hours imagining the team as wildly successful. Record on paper your images of what each individual and the group as a whole will be doing and saying in the future — six to nine months ahead on your calendar.

Imagine recognition by customers and celebration by company leaders. What capabilities will each person need to develop to achieve the vision? Use these notes when picking out the most important and doable feedback topics for each person.

4. Invest plenty of time to clarify and re-clarify goals

You’ll increase their buy-in for feedback if you’re all on the same page about expected outcomes. And you’ll decrease the chances they’ll be confused or discouraged later. The bosses people hate are the ones who can’t explain what they want, but are quick to criticize. You’re a boss who explains what you want — not what you don’t.

5. Give lots of positive feedback, but make sure it’s specific and accurate

You want to encourage people, but you don’t want to come across as a parent figure who praises everything. It won’t be good for either you or them if they become dependent on you for their self-worth fixes.

On the other hand, positive feedback that resonates with what they know to be a strength or a hard-earned accomplishment builds credibility with your employees. If they feel that you “get them,” they’re more likely to believe you when you point out improvement needs.

6. Make feedback so helpful and frequent that it becomes a no-big-deal experience

Although your first feedback discussions with people may need to be scheduled half-hour meetings, they’ll get used to unthreatening hallway chats where you suggest a new approach they can use with a customer, how to expedite a meeting or fast ways they can acquire technical knowledge.

They will start to trust you. The trust gets big when they know they can count on you to bring up problems and never surprise them later with feedback you’ve withheld.

7. Act on the feedback they give you

As you ask each team member how you can better help them achieve their goals, how you can support them and how you can help make it a better workplace, acknowledge the value of their suggestions. And act on all feedback that makes sense as quickly as possible to demonstrate you believe in the power of feedback.

In giving more, rather than less, honest, timely feedback, you and the whole team will discover that feedback is a big plus and you as a leader will enjoy huge success.

Anna Carroll, MSSW, through EverydayFeedback.com, specializes in workplace trends and training. In her recent book, The Feedback Imperative: How to Give Everyday Feedback to Speed Up Your Team’s Success, she helps leaders at all levels overcome their obstacles to giving feedback.

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The post How to Give Quality Feedback When You’re a New Manager appeared first on Brazen Life.

Regular networking events are offered by groups all over San Diego. Check out this list to see which one is right for you. (Click here to tweet this list.)

1. 6 Degrees

6 Degrees has something for everyone. If you consider yourself a social butterfly, their monthly happy hours (and bimonthly mixers, if you live in North County) provide the opportunity to meet and mingle.

They also offer Breakfast Speaker Panels every month, which has “become [their] most popular and highly attended events.” The topic of this series changes every time; for instance, experts spoke about sports and active lifestyle in July.

Finally, if you’re a higher-level executive or CEO looking to meet like-minded individuals, 6 Degrees offers exclusive Cigar and Scotch mixers every other month.

2. SCORE: San Diego

SCORE is an organization run by volunteers under the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and is a perfect fit for entrepreneurs. As with 6 Degrees, you can choose from numerous networking events. If you’re a woman who owns your own business (or aspires to), you’d probably enjoy the Women’s Networking Breakfast, put on every other month with a new speaker every time.

They also offer 40 workshops a year, almost all of which are either free or only cost a nominal fee.  Not only do these forums allow you to network with other entrepreneurs, but they also provide lots of useful information, from how to establish a marketing plan to understanding intellectual property laws.

3. San Diego Young Entrepreneur Network

This is a group on meetup.com founded by Will Caldwell, a young entrepreneur himself. Caldwell holds events about once a month, hosting speakers who give talks on startup-related content. More than 150 young entrepreneurs belong to the group.

As one review reads, “ Pretty awesome. It’s nice to meet other self-driven people. It’s a good motivation booster, looking forward to other events. ” From the mouth of a “young trep” — look no further for a push in the right (entrepreneurial) direction.

4. LeTip of Greater San Diego

LeTip is unique in that it’s not a place to network with people in your own field — instead, they have spots for one person for each profession. One member explains, “The great thing about this group is that there can’t be a conflict of interest between two members. For instance, there can’t be two chiropractors or two divorce attorneys.”

This gives members the opportunity to network outside of their chosen professions, and it allows for an exchange of tips, which are “referrals from people who may benefit from a member’s services.” LeTip meets every Wednesday at 7 a.m. for breakfast.

5. Mission Bay Networking Group

This group is similar to LeTip in that one person from each profession is allowed. Members range from a chiropractor to a lawyer to a seamstress and a travel agent. Ultimately, as their website reads, “The primary goal of Mission Bay Networking Group is to develop strong referral partnerships.” If you’re interested in open positions, they meet every Friday morning and once a month for happy hour.

6. San Diego Pros

One great thing about San Diego Pros is that you can attend several meetings to test the waters and see if it’s a good fit for you. They invite you to one of their weekly Thursday morning meetings, you attend for several weeks in a row, and then you’ll be extended an invitation to officially join.

They distinguish themselves from other similar groups on their website, explaining, “B2B (business to business) networking groups tend to be expensive and demanding of referrals to members’ businesses. The San Diego Pros believe that by investing in the relationships within the group, the exchange of business happens as a natural byproduct.”

7. Network After Work: San Diego

If you’ve ever Googled “Networking Events,” you’ve probably heard of Network After Work. They’ve established a presence in 19 cities and counting. There are over 1,700 members in the San Diego meetup.com group alone, and each event “ranges in size from 150-600 professionals, and take place [monthly] in each city’s top nightlife destinations.”

This event is for you if you want to mingle (with cocktail in hand) with other young professionals at San Diego’s hottest spots — spots that include Fluxx nightclub, Vin de Syrah Wine Parlor and The W Hotel Rooftop.

8. Women’s Wisdom

As the name suggests, this is a females-only group. Women’s Wisdom hosts monthly luncheons that include “speakers, networking, table displays, vendors, business introductions, shout outs, door prize drawings and lots of gifts!”

The goal of this group is clear from the website byline: “Women Empowering Women In Friendship and Business.” Young women looking for support, encouragement, business advice and friendship, look no further.

Are you planning on attending any of these events? Share your experiences and tips below!

Betty Vine is a freelance writer based in San Diego, California. She currently writes for Brain World Magazine and is interested in psychology, politics and all things GenY.

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The post Networking in San Diego: 8 Groups for Broadening Your Professional Network appeared first on Brazen Life.

And in most cases, that’s A-OK. But in the madness of non-stop emailing, have you lost your sense of value for the tool? Let’s bring it back, because every single email you send is a chance to improve your network.

Effective email networking

Email can be a valuable tool to build your network both in-person and online. It’s crucial to following up from in-person meetings or interviews, expanding conversations that started on social media or pitching your favorite blog’s editor. And even in your daily back-and-forth with colleagues, each email presents an opportunity to earn their respect, trust and admiration.

But to make your emails work harder for you (and the person you’re corresponding with), follow these few rules to nail each email from the get-go.

Rule #1: Be brief

Brevity, just like in the boardroom, is clutch in emails. Most people are easily overwhelmed by the enormity of their inbox for two reasons:

• They have far too many emails coming in
• The emails they receive might as well be books (As in, print out the PDF and take it along on your next bathroom break)

Don’t let your emails follow this trend. In fact, a brief email, no matter who’s reading it, can pack 10x more punch if it’s three lines or less.

Here’s the key: Get right to the point. Don’t scurry or beat around the bush. Open the email with exactly why you’re emailing.

Hi John. I was so pleased to meet you at the convention last week, and I’d love to get together to continue the conversation we started on social media marketing.

Bam. He knows exactly what you want.

Rule #2: Be helpful

Open-ended questions leave a lot of room for indecision. If it’s within your ability, propose a solution to your question.

How does coffee next Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. at the Starbucks on Smith Street sound?

If the time frame or location doesn’t work, they’ll let you know. But you’ve just eliminated at least one wishy washy and unhelpful message asking what they had in mind. Give concrete options that can help the person make a decision more quickly.

Rule #3: Be conversational

Don’t forget to be yourself. It’s entirely possible to be personable and professional at the same time. Use a conversational tone, and close the email by referring to something you both have in common, a conversation you had or something you know they care about.

By the way — how about those Red Sox? Can you believe they came back last night?

Adding a personal element shows you’ve paid attention to the details. It can be a link to a video, a fun resource you think they might appreciate or a caring inquiry as to how their latest trip went. Take the time to do your research and infuse it with your personality — it will resonate. Tools like Rapportive make this even easier by giving you a glimpse of your correspondent right within Gmail.

Put it all together, and here’s what it looks like:

Hi, John -

I was so pleased to meet you at the convention last week, and I’d love to get together to continue the conversation we started on social media marketing.

How does coffee next Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. at the Starbucks on Smith Street sound?

By the way — how about those Red Sox? Can you believe that come back last night?

Take care!

Suzy

There you have it. In three lines, you’ve respectfully caught the attention of your potential connection, set up a coffee date and made it easy for them to give you a “Sure, see you there!” or respond with an alternative.

Rekindling the love of email

Once you learn to leverage email as a relationship building tool, you’ll no longer feel bitter every time an email notification pops up. In fact, you’ll see it as an opportunity.

Building your network with email communication is effective and simple if you use it respectfully. (Click here to tweet this quote.)

And if you can’t abide by brevity and tact, I’ll make a simple suggestion: Take a sip of water, clear your throat and pick up the phone, friend.

Sara Frandina is a New York-based copywriter + editor with a relentless love of words and an insatiable appetite for books, travel and popcorn. She spends her days happily creating copy + crafting content for her clients at sarafrandina.com.

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The post Your Emails Suck. These 3 Rules Will Make Them Exponentially Better appeared first on Brazen Life.

And what’s the very first thing your recipient will read? Your greeting. There are a lot of less-than ideal ones out there, but a recent Business Insider article declared one the worst:

“To whom it may concern.”

Business Insider warns:

“Though the greeting may seem innocuous, it comes off as impersonal and old fashioned — and reeks of a mass-produced spam letter.”

We completely agree, and we’ve even got two more to add to the list:

• Dear Sir or Madam
• Dear Webmaster

A better way to start an email

The common thread through these greetings? They’re impersonal. As the article suggests, you should take time to figure out who you’re writing to — and then use their name. This small act of personalization will give your email a much better chance of being read, and being taken seriously.

To find the appropriate person’s name, comb through the company’s website, look it up on LinkedIn, or even call the company to ask directly.

Brazen editor Alexis Grant also recommends the email tool Rapportive, saying: “Sometimes I even use [it] as a research tool, typing an email into Gmail’s “to” field without any intention of writing to that person just to see what information Rapportive pulls up.”

However you do it, just make sure you never use “To whom it may concern” ever again.

Which one of the introductions above is your least favorite? Do you have any others to add?

Susan Shain (@TravlJunkette) is a travel blogger who loves helping people discover adventure through international travel or alternative careers.

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The post Email Tips: If You Want a Response, Never Start a Message Like This appeared first on Brazen Life.

Perhaps you’re not interested in becoming an entrepreneur, but still want a more flexible lifestyle than a 9-to-5 gig permits. For the Millennial generation, in which entrepreneurship is increasingly becoming the norm, it’s almost taboo to admit that you have no interest in running your own business.

So where can these workers stuck in the no-man’s-land between traditional work lives and lifestyle businesses find career solace?

Lifestyle careers.

A lifestyle career combines the stability that comes from working for someone else with the freedom that comes from being able to travel or set your own schedule.

These options are ideal for corporate workers looking to transition into a more flexible work schedule while still providing for themselves financially. You may enjoy the taste of freedom so much that you transition into a full lifestyle business!

1. Tutor

Parents worldwide look for an excellent education for their children. Tutoring can be done in an entrepreneurial fashion by placing advertisements around the neighborhood, reaching out to parents individually or posting in forums online.

If you’re looking for more direction (and an escape from handling all marketing and client acquisition yourself), there are plenty of brick-and-mortar and onlinetutoringservices eagerly looking for new tutors. Some companies begin as low as $10/hour, while more senior tutors may make over $100/hour! Generally, these companies allow you to set your own working hours and holidays, allowing you to work around your own schedule — not theirs.

Depending on your education, expertise, location and availability, you can command a non-trivial annual salary from tutoring online or face-to-face.

2. Nanny or Au Pair

Do you like kids, teaching and traveling the world?

Au pairs are foreigners brought to another country to take care of children and introduce them to another culture (and maybe language) in the process. Generally, host families provide their au pair with living quarters within their homes and provide a stipend.

To ensure your safety, as well as that of the family, turn to an established service that connects qualified caretakers with suitable families.

If international travel isn’t your bag, there are still plenty of companies who match nannies with families within the same country. Some families even provide housing for their live-in nannies.

3. Pet sitting and dog walking

Are you an animal lover? Do you enjoy being outside?

Most cities have more pets than sitters, allowing you to charge a premium for a 30-minute walk in the park — literally. Much like tutoring, you can find your own clients in your neighborhood or work with a company that will handle marketing and potentially even insurance.

Many pet parents will hire someone who will actually spend the night when they are on vacation, essentially paying you to sleep! If you’re willing to work over holidays, you can also command a higher sitting fee.

4. Teach English abroad

If you’re a native English speaker, you probably qualify to teach English overseas. Many foreign countries hire foreigners to teach children English. Generally, you do not need to speak the language of the company you are going to (although it could only help.)

While at first glance the pay may seem lackluster compared to the other jobs on this list, you can find a teaching job in a country with a low cost of living. This often overlooked fact will allow you to put more money into savings and potentially enjoy luxuries you would not normally be able to afford in your home country.

All these jobs allow you the flexibility that comes with a lifestyle business without as much of the marketing, bookkeeping and other entrepreneurial tasks that consume business owners’ day-to-day work. If you’re looking for an out from the corporate world and are not totally convinced that entrepreneurship is the right path for you, one of these jobs may be a great fit.

What other jobs make for great lifestyle careers?

Mallie Rydzik is a lifestyle and career design coach for Millennials. She created The Off-Road Millennial blog and podcast to inspire others to chart their own career paths. Follow her on Twitter at @MetNightOwl.

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The post 4 Insanely Flexible Jobs That Will Help You Escape Corporate America appeared first on Brazen Life.

You feel like it’s time to move on, but at the same time you wonder what you’ll do if it doesn’t work out. So what can you do to put a safety net in place for when you move on?

Follow these five tips when you quit to find yourself on the business end of an open invitation to come back to your old job: (Click here to tweet this list.)

1. Jump into a pool with your coworkers

The more quality personal relationships you have with your colleagues, the more receptive your employer will be to inviting you back if things don’t work out with your new job.

Not sure how to get “in” with your coworkers without awkwardly inviting yourself to eat lunch with them? Try gambling. Fantasy football and NCAA squares pools for March Madness work best, but you can make bets on anything. The key is to run a pool where you send out weekly updates.

More contact yields stronger relationships that can help keep the “come back home” option open.

2. Give more notice than necessary

Warning: if you haven’t bonded with some of your coworkers, you may want to tread softly on this one. The rule of thumb is to give two weeks notice when you’re ready to move on, but in the two jobs I’ve left, I’ve given more than four weeks notice in each case.

Why? Because I didn’t want to screw over people I had personal relationships with. That sense of loyalty — the pull of wanting to change jobs but not leave the people behind — only exists when personal relationships are in place.

3. Bust your hump until the last day

Do whatever you need to do to resist coasting once you give notice. In fact, you should work harder after you give notice than you have any other time up to that point. Your legacy will only be as good as your last impression.

If the last thing people remember seeing you do is kicking your feet up while spilling crumbs from your farewell cake down the front of your shirt, the door for you to come back will close faster than you can get to the curb.

4. Leave for something your company can’t offer

At least that’s what you should tell them. If your company can’t match what you’re leaving for, it makes the breakup much more bearable for your employer.

Your boss can’t argue with a hefty pay bump, a huge increase in responsibilities or an opportunity to move to a new city. You defuse the chance of your boss viewing you as a turncoat and maintain a clear path for your return if you need it. The strategy of pursuing a new job that offers something your employer can’t provide applies to ALL careers — even when you’re an NBA superstar like Lebron James.

5. Stay in touch after you leave

Of course you’ll do all the usual stuff like sending your personal email and connecting on LinkedIn. But you need to raise the bar to stay connected with people once you leave.

Remember the morale-boosting gambling pools I talked about? You can still stay on the team after you leave your company. Staying involved and trash-talking from afar provides an opportunity to be on top of mind for everyone involved.

You’ll also want to send holiday cards to stay in touch with people. Just as some people swear by handwritten thank you notes, a handwritten card shows you value your relationship enough to put your former colleagues on your short list (even if the list isn’t that short.) They’ll feel special that they are one of the few people you go out of your way to write a note to every year. If you receive holiday cards in return, you’ve played your hand well.

If you can successfully execute all five of these strategies, you should have no problem hearing those magical words “give me a call if it doesn’t work out.” How’s that for job security?

Eric Butts is a Management Consultant and CPA. By day he solves complex business problems for some of the world’s most well-known brands, and by night he teach others how to carve out successful careers in the business world. Follow him @EButtsCPA.

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The post Quitting Your Job? 5 Ways to Make Your Boss Beg You to Stay appeared first on Brazen Life.

The average American has approximately 32 apps on their smartphone. While the last thing you may want to do is download another app, consider just a few more to boost your productivity, stay organized, and reduce stress — so you can focus on that game of Words With Friends without worrying about what you need to do tomorrow at the office. (Click here to tweet this list.)

Evernote

Tired of taking disorganized notes via the default note taking app on your smartphone? Evernote has emerged as one of the most popular programs for entrepreneurs and entry-level admins alike to organize their thoughts. The app, which is available for desktop and mobile devices, allow you to create notebooks in which to organize notes, which can be manually entered text, clipped data from elsewhere, pictures, and more.

You can even tag each note in Evernote to cross-reference notes across notebooks, so if you wanted, for example, to reference certain people, you could find all the notes about your boss — which may be scattered across different notebooks or projects — with just a few clicks. The cross-device syncing makes finding and adding notes a breeze, especially when you need to switch devices on the fly.

Any.do

Everyone has their own method of managing daily tasks, whether through a multitude of Post-It notes next to your computer or an ever-growingGoogle doc. Some companies work with group-based task managers such as Basecamp and Asana, but if you’re looking for an easy to manage your daily tasks, look no further than the free Any.do. This app, which also syncs between desktop and mobile devices, is clean and simple, and it allows you to easily add and complete tasks with reminders based on location, time of day and urgency.

If you use Chrome, you can also add an extension to manage your tasks right within your browser — a great feature for those who live and breathe within the scope of the Internet during the day.

RescueTime

Speaking of using the internet, it can be easy to get lost and lose track of all productivity when someone messages you on Facebook. If you just don’t know where the time goes, consider using RescueTime, which is available for desktops and Android smartphones, to track what exactly you do all day.

You may be surprised just how much time you spend on Facebook or trapped in email. Recognizing these bad habits is the first step to changing them, thereby helping to increase your productivity, get more done, and hopefully land that promotion you deserve.

LinkedIn

We’ve all heard about LinkedIn, but you may not know just how powerful it can be on your phone. With the LinkedIn app, which just received a huge makeover to improve the user experience , your can easily find information about people you’re about to meet or Skype in just a quick minute.

With the LinkedIn app on your smartphone, you’ll have smarter meetings, as you’ll be able to access background information without spending several minutes on Google. For those looking for a job, the LinkedIn app can be crucial to establishing a personal connection with those who are interviewing you — something that could make or break a potential opportunity.

Jobr

Finally, if you are, in fact, looking for a job, you’ll want to be sure you have Jobr installed on your smartphone. Billed as the “Tinder for job seekers,” this app syncs with your LinkedIn profile and curates from job boards. Jobr creates a profile based on your LinkedIn profile, and from there, you can swipe right or left on jobs the apps thinks you might be interested in. If you swipe right, your profile will be sent to a recruiter representing that job. It’s an easy way to quickly scan through open positions.

Though it functions similarly as Tinder, job seekers should not take it as lightly; looking for a job is a serious process, and you should be cautious about what info you put into your profile,  as well as what messages you send via this app. However, it does break down the often complicated process of applying for a job and could be an easy way to connect with companies you’re interested in working for.

What other smartphone apps would you list as must-haves for young professionals?

Kelly Clay is a freelance writer based in Seattle. She can be found on Twitter at @kellyhclay, on her personal blog at kellyhclay.com, and usually with a cup of coffee in hand.

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The post 5 Awesome Smartphone Apps Every Young Professional Should Use appeared first on Brazen Life.

Whether you’re into tech, social justice, or helping a favorite cause in your free time, there’s a networking option for you. Get your business cards ready for events with these eight groups. (Click here to tweet this list.)

1. Boston Networking Club

Polish your power suit and your elevator pitch before heading to one of Boston Networking Club’s monthly soirees. Events are hosted in upscale venues packed with up to 300 20-to-40-somethings, but members also get the chance to connect through a dedicated LinkedIn group.

2. Boston New Technology

This nonprofit hosts monthly product showcases where attendees can get up-close and personal with a selection of local startups. But it’s not just for investors — tech enthusiasts and wannabe developers are welcome as much as entrepreneurs. Be sure to come hungry. Not only are these monthly events free, but dinner’s on the house, too!

3. Wonder Women of Boston

The Wonder Women do it all: bi-annual networking events, guest speakers on art and culture, and monthly coffee shop meetups. Those monthly meetups, called Sip+Shares, have a rotating host, varying locations, and are limited to just eight women — a real chance to get to know your neighbor. A sliding-scale membership ($20-$60 for individuals) offers early access to event registration, and students are welcome.

4. Boston Volunteers

Trade in your tie for a tool belt, or your briefcase for a textbook. Boston Volunteers offers a variety of opportunities like serving at a soup kitchen, helping at nonprofit events, or tutoring at-risk students. There’s no commitment; just pick an activity listed and lend a helping hand alongside fellow of local professionals. You’ll come away with a smile on your face — and maybe a few business cards in your pocket.

5. Boston Girl Geeks

“Drinking, cat eye glasses and throwing around css terms are not required, but are appreciated” in this group of tech- and science-savvy women. Monthly dinners feature guest speakers, interactive discussion, and plenty of cheer. You’ll leave with new contacts and a new confidence in letting your geek flag fly.

6. Socializing for Justice (SoJust)

This group puts the “social” back in “social justice.” Alongside professional development events, online forums, and job listings, the group also hosts family friendly social events. You never know what connections a day at the beach might reveal. Event registration costs less than $20, and some social gatherings will just cost you $2.

7. Young Women in Digital

From HR to PR to B2B marketing professionals, this group meetsbi-monthlyfor a mix of speed networking, professional development, and creative collaboration. Side hustlers are not only accepted, but also encouraged. With tickets under $20, you can take a break from burning the midnight oil to meet a few fabulous women.

8. Effortless Networking for Job Seekers

Looking for a job, or thinking about your next career move? This group will help you brush up on your networking and job search skills as you make connections with fellow motivated locals. Monthly events are designed to help you fine-tune your networking techniques by trying them out on a welcoming crowd.

Lisa Rowan is a writer and editor in Washington, D.C. A frequent visitor to Boston, her favorite way to network is over cannolis in the North End.

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The post Networking Events in Boston: 8 Fun Ways to Widen Your Professional Circle appeared first on Brazen Life.

Yet in our ever-connected world, brusque emails, limited tweets and terse phone calls have become the highways we use to communicate with others. One of the most important and meaningful means of correspondence, however, has taken a lowly priority: the handwritten letter.

A handwritten letter sets you apart from everyone else

Taking the time to send a handwritten letter after an interview or to a CEO you admire might be a more effective tool for landing a job than scouring LinkedIn or a college job board. Why? The art of the letter is a fading practice and it will help you stand out from the crowd – immediately.

The next wave of job-hunters who just graduated from college has probably seen more evites than Hallmark cards. And that’s not to say there isn’t a time and place for harnessing the power of technology. But think of the impact a letter could have in a world where the youngest generation in the workforce has had little to no experience writing them.

Think about the letters you’ve received in the past. Remember those that affected you so profoundly you still keep them today?

Have the same kind of profound impact on someone else — pen a letter

Despite knowing the impact these letters have on people, we don’t send them nearly as much as we should. Laziness, lack of time and bad handwriting are all reasons we don’t. But in reality, we don’t send as many letters because we’ve forgotten about the power of the handwritten word.

Our society’s instant communication has transformed the way we interact and lessened the impact of the messages we want to convey. Here are a few reasons why we need to unplug and start writing – on a real piece of paper:

It’s a novelty

If you type up a note and email it to a CEO, chances are it’s going to find its way into his inbox alongside the hundreds of other emails he gets every day. If the subject line doesn’t grab him, your note will most likely move down the list into digital oblivion.

When looking for a job, letters and email can work hand-in-hand. The speed of sending email lends itself to a quick “thank you” immediately after an interview. A handwritten letter, which will take some time to get there, is a thoughtful follow-up that’ll keep you fresh on someone’s mind.

It’s tangible

You can hold a postcard in your hand. You can pin it to your wall and reflect on it. It’s more permanent than a phone call and more personal than clicking a Like button or thumb-typing a text message. Postcards, journals and letters are reminders of places we’ve been, memories we’ve made and relationships we’ve built.

Ever gone through old boxes and found birthday cards from years ago or letters you wrote your parents from summer camp in grade school? Those are possessions that can’t be taken away if your computer crashes.

To a potential employer or mentor, a letter is a physical reminder of your interest in them or their company. To you, a letter can be a reminder of where you’ve been in your career and where you want to go.

It forces you to consider and reconsider what you want to say

There’s no cut-and-paste or spellcheck. Writing by hand forces you to be precise – and personal – as you balance what you want to say with how much physical space you have to say it.

In some industries, being able to craft a well-written thank you note is a prerequisite to landing a job. Some employers won’t hire candidates who don’t follow up with a handwritten note — others require their employees to make photocopies of the thank you notes they send to prospective clients to emphasize how important it is to conducting good business.

It takes time; instant communication has robbed us of our patience

A letter or postcard takes more time to write, more time to reach its destination and more time to hear back from the recipient. Writing a letter is a good way to stay on someone’s mind over a long period of time.

Having time to unplug and reflect on your experiences by writing about them not only conveys a high level of interest to the person receiving the letter, but it also carves out time for you to think thoughtfully about the next phase of your life and career.

In an age where handwritten letters are almost obsolete, your colleagues, friends, family and business connections will relish the feeling of receiving a personalized letter. Nothing says care, concern, congratulations or contentedness like a letter, and that is something you can write home about.

Andy Bailey is lead entrepreneur coach with business coaching firm Petra and serves as the entrepreneur organization’s global membership director. Visit his blog at www.petracoach.com for more business and leadership insight.

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The post Why You Should Stop Emailing – and Write a Letter Instead appeared first on Brazen Life.

Instead of trying to separate, then balance, your personal and professional lives, try a different approach. Toss out the idea of a black-and-white existence and blend the two.

Our work is an extension of who we are — more so than it’s been in the past. To be fulfilled in your career, look at your job and life, and figure out how the two can intersect. (Click here to tweet this idea.) Identify what makes you happy, what motivates you, what excites you. What gives you an extra bounce in your step?

When you find out what those are and a way to interject them into your professional life, you’ll find fulfillment to a higher degree. Your life will make sense for your work, and your work will make sense for your life.

Work becomes playful and you’ll find meaning when you play. Your friends become your colleagues and your colleagues your friends.

If you’re stumped about how to take action, here are a few things you can do to get you on your way to living in the grey:

1. Create opportunity

Think of two people in your life — from your personal or professional network — who should meet. Look for people with common interests or similar goals. Shoot a quick note to each explaining why they should meet. Introduce them and see what happens.

When you add value to the lives of people in your world, it comes back around.

2. Share your aspirations

Tell one of your friends or family members about a business article you’ve read or why you love a certain brand. Seek out their insight on the topic and engage them in conversation you might not have otherwise had. This is a great way to nurture your (healthy) obsessions. Name your aspirations and share them with the ones you love.

3. Make your colleagues your friends

Make a lunch date with the coworkers, freelancers, contractors, peers and mentors who help you build your business. Celebrate your collaborations by getting to know each other in a non-work way. Talk about hobbies, travel or pets. Anything that’ll help everyone get to know each other on a deeper level.

Just make sure there’s no work-talk.

Let us know what happens as you try these things. Share your results with us in the comments below.

Nidhi Thapar is the Editor + Community Manager for Live in the Grey. Join the Live in the Grey 10-day Risk Makes Life Remarkable challenge, get out of your comfort zone and be brazen!

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The post Work-Life Balance is a Myth — Here’s What You Need Instead appeared first on Brazen Life.

A recent Wall Street Journal article reveals doodling may actually be good for you and your career. Citing sources in neuroscience, psychology and design, the article calls doodling a “thinking tool,” saying recent research has shown it can help you focus and grasp new ideas.

The benefits of doodling

If you’re a doodler yourself, your first-hand experience probably backs up the research.

The doodlers quoted in the article ranged from a teacher to a med student to a philosophy professor. They all said doodling during meetings and lectures helped them pay attention and unify their ideas.

And not only does doodling help you organize your thoughts, it might even help you remember them.

The WSJ reports:

“People who were encouraged to doodle while listening to a list of people’s names being read were able to remember 29% more of the information on a surprise quiz later, according to a 2009 study in Applied Cognitive Psychology.”

Carrie Smith, the artistic entrepreneur behind Careful Cents, agrees:

“Since picking up my sketching and doodling again I notice that my productivity has greatly increased — I can actually recall stuff easier, too. I find myself doing it most when I’m on calls with clients and while taking notes of webinars, classes and etc. It helps me focus because I can make references to what I’m learning in a much more fun way versus just writing letters. I also find more creative ways to handle problems that arise because I’m thinking more outside the box.”

So the next time you find yourself doodling at the office, don’t feel bad — be confident about your unique way of processing information.

Do you doodle? Does it help you focus?

Susan Shain (@TravlJunkette) is a travel blogger who loves helping people discover adventure through international travel or alternative careers.

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The post Could Doodling Make You More Productive? appeared first on Brazen Life.

Granted, if you’ve been living off your credit cards for awhile and you’re about to be evicted, you can’t be picky about where your next paycheck comes from.

But if you want to make the next big step in your career, you can stand to be a bit more selective. (Click here to tweet this quote.) Go into each interview with an evaluative eye, and value yourself enough to turn down the wrong job.

Look out for these eight warning signs. If you notice several of these red flags throughout the interview process, think twice about accepting that job offer.

1. The hiring manager doesn’t respect your time

You arrived early, dressed the part and delivered smart, well thought-out answers to every question. But did your interviewer fare so well? Did they leave you waiting for 30 minutes? Did they constantly check their phone throughout the interview? Did they act as if they’d never seen your resume before?

It’s not a good sign when someone comes unprepared to an interview and fails to show you basic courtesy. If the hiring manager is late, unprepared and distracted, imagine what it’d be like to work with this person every day.

2. Everyone seems miserable

We all have our bad days, but a general feeling of misery hanging over the office should give you pause.

It’s OK to ask the interviewer what they like about working there; if they struggle to come up with a reason, it could mean that none exist. Encountering employees who seem unhappy, angry or bored is a red flag.

3. You’d be stepping backwards, not forwards

If you’re changing careers, you may have to accept a pay cut as you build new experience and skills. But be careful about how big of a step back you’re willing to take.

For example, if you’ve worked as a managing editor for the last few years, you probably shouldn’t accept an editorial assistant position just because you’re desperate for a change of scenery. Unless it’s guaranteed you’ll move up the ranks quickly (and get that in writing), the step in the wrong direction will raise a red flag on your resume.

4. The company seems unstable

Do your due diligence to research the company, both online and by asking your network. You want to know if this organization recently laid off a big portion of their staff or is struggling financially.

Find out if this is a job you’re still likely to have six months down the road. And don’t be afraid to address these concerns in the interview.

5. The company has a bad reputation

Whether because of a scandal or poor business practices, if the company isn’t well-respected in your industry, you don’t want that scarlet letter on your resume. Could working here could hurt your career advancement down the road?

Again, milking your network for information and online research (Glassdoor is a great resource) can usually tell you a lot about how the company operates and perceptions past and present employees have.

6. The company’s morals don’t match your own

Respect your beliefs enough to turn down a job that goes against your morals. If you’re a staunch anti-smoking advocate, don’t take a job at an advertising agency whose main clients are cigarette companies. If you’re a Democrat, don’t take a job on a Republican’s campaign.

Working for a company that goes against your values will make every single work day difficult. You’ll also send mixed signals when you’re job searching down the road.

7. The recruiter seems dishonest

Maybe you discover that the job advertised is actually significantly different than the one you end up interviewing for. Or you’re offered a certain salary and benefits, then they change their mind at the last minute.

If the company seems like they’re trying to pull one over on you, do you really want to put your career in their hands?

8. The pay is simply too low

You should be willing to be flexible for a job you really want, but don’t undersell yourself or allow yourself to be taken advantage of. Know your worth — but be realistic about your prospects.

Get details about the full compensation and benefits package before accepting any job offer.

If you encounter any of these eight red flags as you’re interviewing for a job, think twice about the job offer on the table. Remember that you want your next job to be the right move for you professionally — not just another dead-end job you’ll want to leave in a few months. If a job isn’t the right fit for you, hold out and keep searching for something long-lasting.

Have you made the decision to turn down a job? What were the red flags for you?

Michelle Kruse is the Recruitment Editor and Content Manager for ResumeEdge.com, a resume writing and editing service, where she manages a team of over 40 professional resume writers. Her prior experience includes 10+ years of hiring and recruiting experience and a background in coaching and leadership development.

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The post Why Declining a Job Offer Could Be the Best Decision You Ever Make appeared first on Brazen Life.

In short, if you’re slipping at work, there could be a few reasons: (Click here to tweet this list.)

1. Fear and failure to begin with the basics

Think you know it all? Don’t be too sure. We all are often guilty of assuming that we are already aware of the basics in our field, which then leads us to skip reading the instructions and reviewing the fundamentals.

Deep down we fear that revisiting the basics may reveal our weaknesses to the world. This marks the onset of problems. Publicly we remain deluded and misjudge our capabilities but then our work begins to suffer because of our lack of knowledge and escapism.

Start by focusing on the details and taking small steps, as this will increase your awareness, strengthen your foundation and improve your performance on the job. Knowing the basics also improves your chances of professional growth.

2. Rushing through the work without giving too much thought

What do you do when you are assigned a new task? Many professionals jump at it so that they can quickly get over with it. This may be one of the reasons why you are underperforming as you may not be taking enough time to understand what is required of you.

Don’t rush through just to get the work done — you’ll end up making the same mistakes and will eventually spend more time rectifying the errors.

Time management is obviously important for professionals but the key is to slow down and try not to finish everything in one day. You will then see an improvement in how you manage the tasks and get better results.

3. Lacking concentration and getting distracted

Studies show that there are several hours in a day that are whiled away because professionals are sidetracked. You too may be wasting precious time because you are not focused enough and also need to spend extra hours correcting the mistakes that you made due to your lack of concentration.

To boost your performance, focus clearly and practice what you are doing. Even top professionals in their respective fields don’t shy away from practice to achieve perfection.

4. Allowing frustrations to get the better of us

Frustration is likely to mess up your day in the office. Whatever work you try to do, your frustration will interfere with it because the anger will continue to build and the adrenaline will flow. Then work will further irritate you and every task will get the better of you.

Instead, you should seek new ways to prevent yourself from getting overwhelmed and frustrated. Accept that things don’t always go as planned. It may not be a smooth day at work but when you learn to control your emotions and master your mood it leads to things becoming easier and more workable.

5. Doing something we have no real interest in

If you don’t put your heart and soul into what you do, you may lose interest in the work and your performance is likely to deteriorate.

Doing a job that you find boring or laborious will most certainly lead you to being bad at it as you are not motivated enough and don’t have that drive to give your 100 percent. You will only aim at completing the work, without caring much about the standard of quality.

By doing something you are passionate about or at least are interested in, you tend to execute better as there is a willingness to learn new things and improve. Climbing the professional ladder becomes difficult when you have no desire to exhibit your capabilities. To progress in any field, you must have a desire to continue working and an objective in sight.

Devika Arora is a professional writer who has been writing articles and blogs with a special focus on career development and job search. She is currently working with a popular job search portal Naukrigulf.com addressing the employment needs of young professionals.

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The post 5 Underestimated Mistakes That Will Seriously Hold You Back at Work appeared first on Brazen Life.

You go to work, throw yourself into whatever project you’re working on, and don’t notice what’s going on around you. You forget you have coworkers and get distracted by emails and the latest celebrity gossip.

By the time you realize it’s the end of the day, you’ve avoided what you’re supposed to be doing and haven’t accomplished what you need to. You go home feeling disconnected, frustrated, tense, stressed, annoyed or any other combination of negative emotions.

You can get out of this awful cycle by practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness means you experience life in the present rather than reliving the past or worrying about what might happen in the future. It allows you to focus more on work, so you get more done at the office — which means leaving work at your job instead of bringing it home.

Here are three ways you can practice mindfulness at work:

1. Create a ritual to start your work day

It’s great to have a ritual to start your day so you don’t just sit down at your desk, dive into work and lose awareness of what’s going on around you. When you get to work, take a minute to look around your work environment. Is it organized? Is it comfortable?

It’s easier to get lost in your work and avoid your surroundings if they’re disorganized and uncomfortable. Straighten up so your workspace is somewhere that you want to be. Make yourself a cup of tea or get your bottle of water out so you don’t dehydrate. Breathe deep and get comfortable.

2.  Take regular breaks

A break can last a few minutes, but make sure to turn off your “work brain” when you’re taking it. (Click here to tweet this thought.) This will prevent you from going through your work day on autopilot and forgetting to look away from your computer for a bit.

You can use your break to connect with your coworkers by focusing on them, rather than drifting off into thoughts of what you “should be” doing. Take some time to enjoy lunch away from your computer and phone to avoid reading email. Or stay at your desk and enjoy a few short minutes of meditation or deep breathing. You’ll find you’re more focused after these breaks.

3.  Check in with your body

Pay attention to the sensations of your body — is your back tensing up? Are your hands cramping? Do you feel pressure in your chest? All of these physical signs let you know what’s going on. They signal that it’s time to slow down and eat lunch or drink some water.

Maybe you’ve been sitting too long and need to stand up and stretch. Or you need to look away from the computer screen for a few minutes to give your eyes a break and avoid a headache. Or if you’re continually feeling tense and have a hard time relaxing, it may be time to use that vacation time you’ve been saving up.

Which one of these mindfulness practices will you try out first?

Nicole Liloia, LCSW is a stress+less coach and therapist who helps smart-yet-stressed women center themselves and develop self-care plans that stick so that they can stop feeling overwhelmed and start enjoying their lives. Find her strategies to stress less and live more at www.nicoleliloia.com

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The post This One Change Will Make You Far More Productive at Work appeared first on Brazen Life.

“What are you going to school for?” I asked the student organizer at a university event I spoke at.

“Oh, finance,” she answered.

“So working with numbers really lights you up, then?” I said.

“What do you mean?” she replied.

“I mean, are you stoked about finance? Do you love that world?”

Blank expression. “Oh, God no. I pretty much hate it. But being an accountant is good money. And my dad wants me to do this. And he’s paying my tuition.” And she just shrugged, as if it all made perfect sense. I saw two things in her future: A Mercedes. And Prozac.

Cut to your own aspirations. You’re hoping, plotting, reaching. You make a plan to get it, a bucket list, the degree, the job, the big goal.

Except you’re not chasing the goal itself, you’re chasing a feeling

We have the procedures of achievement upside-down and inside-out. We go after the stuff we want to have and accomplish, and what we want to experience. (Click here to tweet this quote.) Then we hope and yearn we’ll be fulfilled when we get there.

But it’s backwards, and it’s burning us out. What if first, we got clear on how we wanted to feel in our life, and then we laid out our intentions? What if your most desired feelings consciously informed how you plan your day or your year, your career, your holidays, your life?

You know what’ll happen when you have that kind of inner clarity attached to outer action? You’ll feel the way you want to feel more often. Decisions will be easier to make. You’ll know what to say “No” to and what to say “Heck yes” to.

Getting truthful

We can deceive ourselves into thinking that certain things will bring us happiness. Self-deception is part of self-discovery. Inevitably, we’ll do things for the wrong reasons.

Learning to stay close to our soul is an organic process, full of missteps along the way.

Let’s go back to the university student, who, despite loathing accounting, was going to become an accountant to please her father. She could arguably say that pleasing her dad made her “happy.” And she “feels good” about that.

But that’s not whole happiness. In truth, her pursuit is driven by fear. Perhaps fear of independence, fear of disapproval or fear of hardship.

Her focus isn’t on being happy. Her focus is on not being unhappy. There’s a vast and absolute difference.

We can always find ways to justify our behaviors to meet soulless goals. It was the right thing to do. It’s the bottom line. I had obligations. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. There was a lot of money on the line. I was too far in. It’s the way it’s always been done.

I’ve worked hard to hit targets and launch stuff that made me feel flat and less than proud. I’ve joylessly pursued goals I didn’t fully believe in, because I wanted to be successful. That’s twisted.

And it never paid off, no matter how good I looked while I did it, no matter how together everyone else thought I was. It cost me — big time. My definition of success needed a major overhaul.

And that’s what’s required when we decide the journey matters as much as the result and that we want to have a good time: we radically alter our personal definition of success.

How do you create meaningful goals?

You desire map. Here’s a crash course in desire mapping:

1. Get clear on how you most want to feel – your core desired feelings.
2. Create goals that’ll make you feel that way. Do you want to feel courageous, bold, connected, creative, empowered…? Awesome! Clarity rocks.
3. What do you need to do, have and experience to create those feelings? Break it down and those become your goals for the year and your plans for this weekend — and your future.

Danielle LaPorte is the creator of The Desire Map: A Guide To Creating Goals With Soul (Sounds True bestseller of 2014), author of the bestseller, The Fire Starter Sessions (with Random House/Crown), and co-creator of Your Big Beautiful Book Plan.

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The post How to Set Smarter, More Meaningful Goals for Your Career appeared first on Brazen Life.

If your company says it values teamwork, but runs a grown-up version of The Hunger Games, you might have a culture problem.

If your coworkers spend more time trolling LinkedIn for better job opportunities than doing actual work… well, you get the idea.

A rancid company culture can manifest itself in many ways, from dysfunctional processes to ineffective communication structures. Any one of these is a sign it’s time for a change.

You probably have some great ideas for making things better (free donuts, anyone?), and you don’t need to be in charge to change your company’s culture from within.

You’re more powerful than you think

Most often, people within an organization have a bigger impact than they realize. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Hogwarts is terrorized by Professor Umbridge, who refuses to teach spells in Defense Against the Dark Arts class. What do Harry, Ron, and Hermione do? They start a club to learn how to defend themselves and teach other students.

You don’t have to start your own version of Dumbledore’s Army to make a difference. You’re the one at the heart of the work, which means the passion, creativity and motivation for change can stem from you. (Click here to tweet this quote.)

As the public face of the company, it’s in management’s best interest to keep you happy. You make the sales and interact with customers every day, so if you’re off-message, the company’s in trouble.

Employees are also powerful when organized. The advent of the organized labor movement led to eight-hour workdays, paid lunch breaks and other conditions considered standard practice today.

By consciously adopting a different way of doing things, you can change company culture. The reason employees have this power (whether they realize it or not) is because their day-to-day behavior drives company performance.  

Your actions don’t have to be extreme to be effective. You can launch small initiatives, like a company recycling program, lunch outings or staff appreciation days. These changes don’t make headlines, but they can improve morale, boost productivity and increase employee engagement — which all contribute to the bottom line.

You can shape the way your organization does business, but it takes time to make it stick. Here are five ways you can initiate change in your company culture (without undermining your leaders):

1. Provide constructive feedback

Let people know how their behavior affects others. People are sometimes oblivious to the impact of their actions. Propose alternatives, consider how your suggestions will affect all levels of the organization and know that not everyone may agree.

2. Acknowledge misalignments

You’ll never win people over by attacking and criticizing them — even if they do suck at communicating. Recognize misalignments, but do so in a way that doesn’t put people on the defensive. Nobody likes to be attacked or put down, and your supervisor won’t appreciate these “contributions.”

3. Lead by example

Don’t wait for company-wide policies to change — or worse, succumb to the norm and perpetuate the problem. For example, if you want to improve communication between departments, become the model for it. Find a more efficient process for everyone, and get the change started.

4. Experiment and reflect

Look for small, low-risk situations where you can innovate and make mistakes. Try an online scheduling tool and prove how much time it saves. If people like the results, management will likely adopt it.

One of our associates developed a better way to analyze the qualitative data we collect for clients. His new approach added value by increasing the depth of our analysis, so we adopted it. The people closest to the issue usually have figured out how to do it better, but many times, they feel it’s not their place to speak up or fear their supervisor may disapprove.

5. Manage up

Do whatever you can to enhance your manager’s effectiveness. Learn her communication style. Work around her weaknesses, and complement her strengths. Make your manager’s job easier, and you’ll become indispensable and influential.

If you have a positive relationship with your manager, she’ll be more open to your ideas, and you can become a bigger catalyst for change.

Like most important things, change takes time. After all, it took Harry seven books to defeat Voldemort (not that your boss is Voldemort). But by demonstrating how changes will contribute to the company’s bottom line, leading by example and establishing a healthy relationship with your manager, you can make a difference. And as a bonus, your weeks won’t feel like they should be over by Tuesday.

Chris Cancialosi, Ph.D., is Managing Partner and founder at gothamCulture. The team at gothamCulture focuses on identifying the underlying causes of organizational obstacles and assisting leaders in developing and executing breakthrough strategies to elevate performance. The team provides critical, thought-provoking insights to leaders who desire to use organizational culture and leadership as key drivers of performance.

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The post Unhappy at Work? 5 Simple Ways to Change Your Company Culture appeared first on Brazen Life.

If you live in the UK, this is no longer just a perk; it’s your right.

As reported by the BBC, a new law recently went into effect that gives all UK employees the right to ask for flexible working privileges, and more importantly, requires employers to provide a legal reason for saying no.

This is in contrast to the United States, whose Department of Labor states: “The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not address flexible work schedules. Alternative work arrangements such as flexible work schedules are a matter of agreement between the employer and the employee.”

Many UK workers are eager to take advantage of the new law, with a recent Glassdoor survey finding that 17 percent of employees are planning to submit or resubmit a flexible working application.

But is a flexible working law a good idea?

Tom Ewer, the online entrepreneur behind the popular blog Leaving Work Behind, thinks it’s a step in the right direction, saying:

“To me this is a sign of the times, and I mean that in a positive way. I believe that as a culture, we need to shift from an attitude of employees being ‘present’ at work for a certain amount of time to simply judging people on their performance… Having said that, I don’t foresee this prompting any huge immediate shift in the UK working environment. It’s a great start, and I’m sure some people will take advantage, but I would imagine that the majority of business owners will find a reason to reject such requests.”

Though the BBC cites government estimates of £475m in economic benefits in the next 10 years,mainly due to increased productivity and lower turnover, concerns remain. The BBC reporter points out the law could make it “harder for those more in need of flexible working, increasing the risk of discrimination claims, and adding unnecessary red tape.”

Claire Mulry, an American citizen who’s lived and worked in the UK for 10 years, doesn’t foresee any big changes:

“Most business want more from their employees than a traditional 9-5 day, so I think it’s great that employees can request a flexible working pattern in return… [But] I don’t think it will dramatically change the working environment. As someone without dependents who enjoys an office working environment, I will not be applying, but I hope employers are open and able to deal with employee requests for those who need it.”

Still in its infancy, there’s no way to tell how this new law will affect the economy or lives of UK workers. But one thing’s certain: over here in the States, we’ll be watching.

Do you think flexible working policies should be written into law? Or should this be up to each individual employer?

Susan Shain (@TravlJunkette) is a travel blogger who loves helping people discover adventure through international travel or alternative careers.

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The post This New UK Law for Employees Might Make You Wish You Lived There appeared first on Brazen Life.

Why, you ask?

Because you’re lying to yourself.

The reality of being a self-starter

The reality is that it’s easy to be aself-starter when you get to do something you enjoy.

The reality is that it’s easy to stay highly-motivatedwhen you know precisely what must be done – and how to accomplish that task at a high level.

The reality is that it’s easy to feel driven when you know the outcome you’re after and precisely how to make it happen.

Much harder is being able to “start” when you lack a clear understanding of how long the task will take or how hard it will be.

Much harder is staying “highly motivated” when the path forward becomes increasingly challenging or ambiguous.

Much harder is staying “driven” when you begin to second-guess whether the outcome will really be worth the effort required to achieve it.

The secrets of real self-starters

Real self-starters – people who have the ability to keep moving forward even when the path is unclear, challenging and ambiguous – reinforce their natural willpower and self-discipline with structure. (Click here to tweet this quote.)

Specifically, they create simple systems and processes that enable them to protect both their time and mental energy and preserve it for the highest-value, highest-effort work.

If you want to protect your time and energy – and do more higher-value, higher-impact work, here are three specific areas for which real “self-starters” often create systems to preserve and protect their precious time and energy. This is why true self-starters get more done in the same amount of time the rest of us have.

1. Make “me time” a priority for 90 minutes each morning

The CEO of a startup once told me the following: “The only part of my day in which I am in complete control is between the time my alarm goes off and 8 a.m.” Unless you’re a doctor or an emergency responder, that statement is likely also true for you.

Given that you only have a limited window of time under your complete control, it’s essential that you make those moments count.

How should you spend your precious morning minutes? Based upon the patterns and habits of other self-starters, your morning routine should likely include of a mix of the following activities, each and every day:

• Exercise. You don’t need to log an hour-long workout every single morning. The key is to work out long enough to create a physiological change in your body: At least 20 minutes or more of sweat-inducing activity.
• A healthy breakfast. Sure, we all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day. What’s unique about the habits of true self-starters is that they often eat the exact same thing every morning – typically some combination of veggies, fruit and protein.
• Reflection. While some may prefer to do this at night, the morning is a good time to pray, journal, meditate or practice an alternative form of reflection. In the words of one solar company COO, this regular daily activity helps “maintain perspective and keep first things first.”
• Generosity. Think it’s better to give than receive? One Fortune 500 HR executive I work with likes to start each day with one act of generosity – sometimes a letter to a friend, other times a networking introduction or helping a colleague with a work project.

2. Master your email inbox like a boss

Just like a great start to your day, a well-organized system to manage your inbox will help you preserve both your energy and time.

These are three common characteristics among the email habits of real self-starters:

• They read and respond to email only at specific, scheduled, times during the day. This runs in stark contrast to the default mode of reading and responding email virtually all day.
• They have a “start” time and “end” time for email. They establish (and communicate to colleagues) a defined period before which or after which they do not checking or responding to email. (Often times, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.)
• They spend no more than 10 minutes writing any particular email. As one Fortune 500 SVP shared with me, if the email takes longer than 10 minutes to write, it’s a conversation that should be taking in person or via phone. How much time have you spent trying to craft the “perfect” email?

3. Stay on top of money management

Fears and emotions related to money — how much we have, how much we need and why — can corrupt our ability to focus and do truly meaningful work.

Similar to the way they manage their inbox, real self-starters use systems to ensure they don’t waste precious time or energy “worrying” about money. While some use professional money managers and financial planners, here’s a simple step to get you started:

Schedule time for money management each month. LearnVest CEO Alexa Van Tobel, likes to say that you should “treat your financial life like your social life. Put it on the calendar.” A common benchmark is 45 minutes a month.

Use this time to ask and answer these five questions:

1. What was my personal cash-flow? In other words, how much money came in and how much went out last month?
2. How much money did I save last month in either a company-sponsored 401(k) or individual retirement account (IRA)?
3. What did I buy last month? Of those expenditures, which brought me the greatest happiness?
4. What will I do differently with my money this month as a result?
5. If I had more money right now, what would I do differently – personally or professionally?

True self-starters are more than just strong-willed and self-disciplined; they’re also organized. More specifically, they use structure and systems to protect and safeguard their most valuable time and energy – to ensure that it is spent on their most challenging, meaningful work.

What systems and processes do you use that help you to make progress – even when it’s hard?

Ben Sands writes at Regret Free Life where he helps the smart men and women make great decisions about the stuff they care most about. For useful ideas about your career, money, relationships and path forward join his free newsletter.

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The post 3 Steal-Worthy Secrets of Amazing Self-Starters appeared first on Brazen Life.

Trying to break away from the pack? Here are a few ways you can improve your performance at work and stay a few steps ahead of everyone else. (Click here to tweet this list.)

Excel at organizing

The first step to being more productive and keeping yourself ahead of the game is to get yourself and your workspace more organized. You’ll never waste time searching for an email or a document you worked on six months ago. It’s all neatly filed and at your disposal.

Start with your inbox first. Go through all of your emails and organize them so you can refer back to a point if needed. You might not need ten folders, but have one for company emails (updates from human resources about health benefits or tips from IT) and one to save important emails from your boss.

You never know when you need to find that one memo your boss forwarded to you a week ago.

Next, get your desktop and folders on your hard drive organized. If you don’t need a document or it’s out of date, either get rid of it or put it in a folder specifically for out of date items. A cleaner desktop will help you prioritize what you need and indicate where you can find useful information.

Be the early bird

Though it may pain you to get out a bed a little earlier, being the first in the office is never bad. It shows your dedication and excitement to get started.

Unless your boss gets into work more than an hour before you, try to beat him or her to the office. Even if you’re not the first, your boss probably won’t know when he or she walks in and sees you with your coworkers. Your boss will only see that you’ve arrived early and are already hard at work.

Whatever you do, try not to be the last person. It’ll get you noticed in a bad way and does nothing to get a jumpstart on your workload.

Lay off the multitasking

Most people think they’re pretty good at multitasking. Most people are wrong.

Studies have shown that only about two percent of people can multitask effectively. Chances are you’re not part of that small percentage, so put down your phone, close the Facebook tab on your browser and concentrate.

At best, focus on one or two projects at a time. This will ensure your full dedication to those projects, and you have a better chance of completing them on time. The quality of the projects also goes up once you’re properly focused.

Close social media tabs

You know you shouldn’t, but you do it anyway. All you wanted to do was check your sister’s vacation photos, and suddenly, you’ve wasted a half hour scrolling through Facebook. What’s worse, your boss passed your desk, and you think she saw your browser open to the site.

Most companies have policies against employees using social media sites like Facebook and Twitter while they’re on the clock. Some go so far as to block the sites entirely, but a lot of the time, it’s not an option when companies use social media to promote their brands.

Social media does take away from your overall productivity, so before logging on, remember you won’t get ahead or make a good impression if your boss sees you scrolling through pictures or pinning your favorite photos on Pinterest.

Befriend colleagues

You might think of them as competition, but succeeding in the professional world is a team effort. If you’re the social pariah at work, you’re going to have a hard time staying ahead of everyone, even if you work nonstop.

Though you may not always like them, your coworkers have experience and knowledge to offer. You never know when you’ll need help with a project, and if you’re on good terms with your colleagues, they’ll be happy to give you a hand.

Helen Sabell, CEO and Principal of The College for Adult Learning, is passionate about adult and lifelong learning. Connect with Helen on LinkedIn, Google+ and Twitter.

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You already avoid pictures with red Solo cups. You don’t share anything you wouldn’t want your mom to see. You keep a close eye on your privacy settings. These are necessary strategies for job hunters in the digital age. But they are likely not enough to make you hirable.

When employers search online, they want your digital presence to give them more than a person free of red flags. Employers want to get a sense of – buzzword warning – your authentic self. (Click here to tweet this thought.)

Except there’s one caveat.

Although employers say they want to “get to know the real you,” they filter that online info through their assumptions of what it takes to succeed professionally. And your oddly obsessive interest in cats is probably not what they’re looking for to gauge your potential for career success.

How do we know what employers want? We asked. My colleagues at The University of Texas at Austin and I asked several employers: What are you looking for online? What would make you more likely to interview or hire someone? Less likely? And we discovered that though employers say they want to get to know the “real you,” our research suggests employers want people with things most of us expect of politicians:

• An electable personality. Employers want people who are confident and professional online, yet not arrogant. Good employees will communicate in a way that shows they are stable, friendly, curious, creative and reliable. Unsurprisingly, employers want to hire candidates they think will work well with others.
• Appropriate endorsements. Employers use your recommendations and connections to gauge your proficiency and trustworthiness.Glowing recommendations and connections to people employers know and trust seemed to increase the chances of an interview or offer. Conversely, employers said that being connected to “inappropriate networks” doomed candidates. (That’s right — employers used the word “doomed.”)
• A curated public image. Employers said they wanted to see “a consistent, professional presentation that cuts across social media.” They want to see you’ve taken time to think about your online presence. Employers interpret inconsistencies between your offline and online presence as potential deception.
• The right kind of private life. Employers were more likely to interview and hire people who had clear lines between their personal and professional lives. They valued people who had “acceptable… professional interests.” All passions are not created equal. If your Instagram photos display your interest in wine or cooking, you show maturity and curiosity in the world around you. Pictures of your beer pong championship or Pokémon card collection… not so much.
• Mainstream values alignment. The employers we interviewed wanted workers whose values align with both their own personal values and the values of their organization. Some organizations disqualified candidates that had “pictures depicting a socially liberal lifestyle.” Others disqualified candidates for expressing spirituality “too strongly.” In general, people who showed respect for their work, life and relationships did better than those who complained frequently.

Now after reading that list you may be thinking: “What a great way to recreate myself as a corporate drone and have no personal life.” Or perhaps all of the above makes perfect sense, but you just don’t have a personal PR team to help you manage your online image. You may also have genuine concerns that this cybervetting stuff could verge on illegal discrimination. (It can, which is a key reason we continue to study cybervetting and share our results with employers and policymakers).

But how can you address this? Given all the different things we do online these days, not all of these expectations lend themselves to easy advice.

Yet there are strategies that can help you meet employers’ expectations without necessarily giving up friendships, social support, recreation and all the rest-of-life stuff you do online.

Consider what you want out of life

What are the tradeoffs if you prioritize your professional life online? What do you gain and what do you lose?

Part of this process involves figuring who you are and who you want to be. By acting online and offline in a way consistent with what you value, you simplify the work of impression management and increase the chances of finding a good professional match.

This is easier for some of us than others. Biases based on race, gender, sexual orientation, political views, and even favorite hobbies still affect hiring decisions.

Get advice and feedback

Talk with people who know you well and people who know the industry or occupation well. Ask friends what three words come to mind when they evaluate your online image. Feedback can help you understand how your online identity could affect your career and the rest of your life.

Curate accordingly

Decide how much you want to curate your online information to match who you are and want to be. Then do it. Assuming that you aren’t entering a spy-training program, having some information online is generally better than nothing. Manage privacy settings, check Google and Bing, update your profile photo and share your expertise in relevant online communities.

Choose and manage digital relationships carefully

We are known by the friends we keep online. If you haven’t done so, use LinkedIn to develop and maintain a network of relevant professional connections. Ask people with whom you’ve worked or volunteered whether they can offer you an endorsement.

And of course, consider not doing certain things online (or keeping them as private as possible.) Is sharing your Farmville progress or Words With Friends score doing much to help your image as you’re hunting for a job?

Brenda L. Berkelaar is an author, teacher and researcher at The University of Texas at Austin Moody College of Communication. Her work helps people navigate and thrive in contemporary careers and life in the digital age.

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