Have you ever applied for a job or completed an interview, only to never hear back? These scenarios can be frustrating, especially when you don’t hear back from a job you were really excited about. While there are many reasons this could happen, many of which you have no control over, there are a few common mistakes you may be making that cost you the job.

Submitting a generic resume. When making a resume, you want to show off your skills and achievements. However, you also want your potential employer to see why you are perfect for the job. Instead of having one, generic resume, you should have several that are tailored to specific positions. Take a look at the necessary skills listed in the job description, then add the skills that apply to you to your resume. Focus on being relevant for the job first, then you can focus on being impressive.

Making mistakes on the application. This can be anything from a simple spelling mistake, to something bigger like placing the wrong email or answering the wrong question. If a potential employer sees mistakes on the application, then they’ll assume you’ll make mistakes on the job as well. Make sure you proofread your application, as well as your resume or cover letter several times before you submit. Better yet, have a friend or family member proofread it as well.

Seeming disinterested or lacking confidence. It’s okay to still be unsure about a job or nervous during the interview stage, but acting disinterested or lacking confidence during the interview can be a huge turn off to a potential employer. To combat this, make sure you have researched the company ahead of time and prepare questions to ask the interviewer. Knowledge can make you more confident, especially when asked an interview question such as “What do you know about us?” Having questions prepared will also show confidence and tells the interviewer that you are interested in the job. (Read last week’s blog to learn more about appearing confident)

Appearing to be a flight risk. Companies don’t want to hire people that might leave in only six months. If you’ve had a long list of jobs in a short amount of time, make sure you have good explanations for each. Also, make sure you aren’t only showing interest in the company, but the job itself. If you focus solely on the company, it will seem as if you’re only interested in the position to get your foot in the door. By also showing interest in the specific job, they’re less likely to get the impression that you’ll want to leave or transfer soon after being hired.

Congratulations — you’ve been promoted! On one hand, you’re probably excited to start the next phase of your career. On the other hand, you’ve just entered what can be one of the most difficult career situations you can go through: transitioning from peer to superior.

Here are five tips to make the transition a little easier:

1. Reevaluate your personal relationships with coworkers. You’ll need to accept that you can no longer be as close with the people you once called your peers. You are no longer a co-worker, you are now the person who assigns works and is in charge or productivity.

2. Talk to the people in your department one-on-one. Have a conversation about the expectations you have of one another and how all of you can work together to make the transition easier.

3. Remain professional at all times. You can no longer participate in break-room gossip or vent to the employees you once confided in. You need to establish boundaries and treat every employee with respect.

4. If you did form friendships with employees, don’t allow them to affect your new duties. You can maintain those relationships outside of work, but you can’t give your friends special treatment.

5. Remember that your new position isn’t about being popular. What’s more important is  being a leader and helping everyone in your department achieve results.

Most people, at the beginning of their careers, set goals for the future. This could be a series of promotions, working towards a specific company or even starting your own business. The reality is you probably can’t achieve those goals by simply showing up and working the daily 9-5 grind.  You’ll need to put in a little extra effort to make them a reality.

Here are 3 ways you can invest in your career to ensure future development:

Take on more projects. There are many benefits to taking on extra work. First, it will impress your superiors. Taking on extra projects will demonstrate your commitment to the field and to the company. Second, it will give you more experience. More work means you are spending more time developing your skills and improving your professional potential. Additionally, consider freelance work, if possible, to gain both experience and new contacts.

Seek out development opportunities. This can come in many forms including  networking events, conferences relating to your field or internal training programs offered by your company. You can take courses that improve your professional development. Learn HTML to increase your marketable abilities or take online courses like the ones offered by Next Step Academy. Anything that can expand your knowledge and give you an edge in the field.

Request feedback. While initially asking for feedback can be uncomfortable, it can be one of the best ways to improve and invest in your professional development. Ask your boss how they think you are doing in your current position. Ask about your strengths and possible shortcomings. You may also want to inform them of your goals and ask what it would take for you to achieve them.

There are plenty of ways to develop your professional potential. Learn more with Next Step Academy’s course “Realizing Your Professional Potential“!

Are you losing focus during the day and finding it hard to stay on task? All you need is 18 minutes set aside throughout the day to get back on track according to Peter Bregman, the CEO of Bregman Partners and author of 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done.

Here’s how to use this technique and get things done:

Take 5 minutes in the morning to get organized. This is your time to sit down and think about what you need to get done during the day. The key is to be realistic about what you can accomplish and what will make the day successful. Make a to-do list, then put those into a calendar or daily schedule you can follow.

Check in once an hour for a whole minute. Set an alarm every hour throughout the work day and take a minute to refocus. Have you been productive throughout the past hour? Are you on track to finish your daily to-do list? Taking a moment to breathe and evaluate the time you’ve worked so far can help you get back on track and prevents you from getting lost in the eight-hour work day.

Take 5 minutes in the evening to evaluate. Turn off your computer and put your work away, then review how the day went. Reflect on how you feel, what you learned and whether you finished everything that needed to get done. This reflection period can be helpful the next morning to be more realistic about can and cannot get done in a single day.

Need a little more help managing the work day? Next Step Academy has you covered with our “Time Management” course.

For many reasons, the career you have now may not be the best place for you in the future. Facing a career change can be scary when you consider starting over, but they can be necessary for personal growth and fulfillment. If you’re still not sure whether or not you need to rethink the future, here are four signs that it’s time for a change.

You are often tired or bored. If you are constantly tired or bored at the office, it could mean the work is no longer challenging for you. What was hard and rewarding when you first began has become an easy and passive task. This is a pretty good indicator that it’s time to find your passion again and look for a new position, or seek out a similar position that allows for more growth and challenge.

The future doesn’t excite you. When you first started working in your current position, you were probably excited about the work you were doing and where it could take you. If your future at the company no longer excites you or you no longer see a future, finding a new career could be the right move. This may mean you just need to find a different employer, but this could also mean that you need to change industries. Figure out what excites you now and move in that direction.

Your health is suffering. A job that overworks you, is physically demanding or is especially stressful can wreak havoc on your body. Physical and mental stress can weaken your immune system and cause headaches, ulcers and prevent you from concentrating. If a job is putting a physical strain on your body, then it’s definitely time for a change.

You dread going to work. There’s a difference between enjoying your weekend and living for the weekend. There are many reasons you could be dreading work, like you may not like your coworkers or your boss, you dislike the work you do, you don’t agree with the company’s ethics or you may not like the workplace culture. If your work makes you miserable, regardless of the reason, it’s time to move on.

Considering a career change? Brush up your resume and sharpen your Interviewing Skills.

There will be many times over the course of your professional development where it is respectful and useful to send a thank you letter to show gratitude. This could be to a potential employer after an interview, at the completion of an internship, to a teacher who has been a significant role model or to someone who has agreed to write you a reference. There is no downside when it comes to taking the time to be thankful for opportunities and guidance.

The value of saying thanks. Sending a thank you letter, first and foremost, will make you stand out. If you’re trying to gain employment, an interviewer will look more favorably upon the candidates that chose to reach out and say thanks over those who didn’t. Thank you notes can also help build and maintain strong connections. Upon leaving an internship, a thank note could ensure you are asked back as a permanent employee in the future. Regardless of the circumstances, people respond well to being thanked and are more likely to give you opportunities if they know you are grateful for their help.

Make it personal. This starts by addressing the letter appropriately, especially if you are writing a post-interview thank you note. Don’t just address the note “To whom it may concern,” learn the name of who interviewed you and address them specifically, “Dear Mr/Mrs last name.” You should also avoid generic phrases. Give specific details highlighting what you’re thankful for, why you are thankful and how their time will help you grow in the future.

Choose the right medium. A handwritten letter is more personal and shows that you put a lot of thought into the process of saying thank you. In most cases, this should be your first choice. However, there are exceptions. If you have exceptionally bad handwriting, a word processed letter may be a better option. Sometimes you may not have a physical address, especially with a professor, in which case email is an acceptable choice. Email is also acceptable if most of your prior communication has occurred via email.

Proofread. This cannot be stressed enough. Even if you are typing your thank you letter or emailing it, proofread it several times before you send your final draft. Autocorrect doesn’t catch everything and one small mistake could ruin the effect of the letter. It always helps to have a second pair of eyes, so consider asking a friend or colleague to proofread your letter as well.

Send a gift. While inappropriate in certain situations, such as a post-interview thank you, a gift can be a little something extra to show how much you appreciate the time someone spent helping you. It doesn’t have to be huge, just something small to show the person you value them. For example, a gift card to the campus coffee shop for a professor, or offering to take a business reference out to dinner. A small gesture to accompany your letter can show your genuine appreciation.

Need some help proofreading? Next Step Academy’s “Basic Grammar/Writing Toolkit” for useful tips and editing advice.

Whether you’re applying to a new school or a new job, at some point you may need a reference. This could be a written reference submitted with an application or a contact a potential employer will reach out to. In either case, there are guidelines to follow when asking someone for a reference.

Make sure you ask. If you’re asking someone to be reference that a potential employer is going to call, make sure you remember to actually ask! Otherwise, they may be totally unprepared for the phone call. This can reflect poorly on you on both ends and you may not get the shining reference you were hoping for.

Ask the right way. For a professor or past employer, an email is a sufficient way to ask for a written reference. However, make sure you ask the right way. Tell them about the school or the position you are applying for, how the opportunity will help you build your future and make sure you emphasize how grateful you are for their help. Sign the email with “Thank you for time and I look forward to your response” or something similar. If the reference is going to be called, you may want to consider asking them to be a reference with a phone call as well.

Give enough notice. Start asking for references before you start applying for jobs, internships or schools. Especially when you’re looking for jobs, the hiring process can be quick, so it’s good to nail down references ahead of time.

If you know you a need a written reference by a certain time, it’s good to give the person you ask a minimum of two weeks to write it but typically don’t give them longer than four. You want to give them enough time to write a good reference, but you don’t want to give them so much time they forget. It’s also a good idea to give them a deadline of a  week or two before you actually need it, giving you a little extra time just in case.

Follow up. After your written reference has been submitted or you’ve submitted your application, send a note or email thanking your reference once again for their help. Also make sure you tell them each time you use them as a reference so they can be prepared. When you land the job, are accepted to your dream school or receive an internship, make sure you follow up once again telling your reference the outcome. This is a great way to maintain a relationship and they’ll love to hear how they helped you achieve your goals.

Before you send an email asking for a reference, brush up on your professional writing skills with Next Step Academy’s “Business Writing” course!

You arrive at work coffee-buzzed and ready to get to business. Then sometime after lunch the caffeine wears off and the end of the work day seems further away than it did in the morning. Even if you love your job, it can tough to stay motivated and productive. Here are a couple of ways to stay on-task and focused during the day.

Do: Take regular short breaks

It may sound counterproductive to take breaks in order to be more productive. However, a quick walk around the office or chat at the water cooler helps break up the day and gives your mind a rest. No matter what, always take your lunch break to refuel for the afternoon.

Don’t: Reach for another cup of coffee

Drinking coffee in the afternoon can affect your quality of sleep, causing you to wake up feeling sluggish and drinking more and more coffee to compensate. This creates a vicious cycle of poor sleep and caffeine consumption. Studies show that the optimal time to consumer coffee is three to six hours after you wake up. If you wake up at 6:00 in the morning, drink coffee between 9 and 12, but cut yourself off in the afternoon.

Do: Create a to do list and stick to it

At the beginning of each work day, spend a few minutes creating a to do list. Assess how long each project will take and be realistic about how much time you have to complete your list. A checklist can help you remember all the little things you need to do and keep you on track throughout the day.

Don’t: Multitask

When you start a task, make sure you finish it. Do not go back and forth between different projects or try to do multiple things at once. Nobody can truly multitask and it will just leave you feeling burned out. You’ll most likely spend more time working trying to multitask than if you start and finish one item at a time.

Do: Avoid distractions

Keep your work area clear and don’t open up browsers unless you need them. You might say you’ll only check social media for five minutes, but that can easily turn into half an hour. If it helps, there are browser extensions such as Work Mode for Google Chrome that can block websites for a set amount of time. This way you won’t be tempted to check your feed or watch the most recent viral video.

Don’t: Stay late

Finishing up a project after normal work hours once in awhile is okay, but don’t make it a habit. You should have a set time where you pack up and leave everyday. You’ll be more productive and realistic about how much work you can get done in a day if you give yourself limits. If you work from home or have a flexible  schedule, make one for yourself and stick to it.

Need more help staying productive? Take Next Step Academy’s “Time Management” course!

When it comes to building a business or finding new career opportunities, who you know can be the most important tool for growth.  Networking is a necessity for making connections and establishing relationships with people in your industry. There are different ways to network, each with their own set of benefits and uses.

Traditional networking events. With a simple internet search, you can find plenty of networking events — held as frequently as every week — in your area. These traditional networking events usually take the form of a speaker or presentation with a meet and greet afterwards. These types of events are best for meeting new people, especially if you’ve just graduated and don’t know anyone in the industry.

Hosting your own event. If you are already established in your industry and want to make a few new connections or acquire new clients, host your own smaller networking event. Invite clients, business partners or former coworkers and perhaps ask them to invite a few people of their own. Plan an activity that your guests will enjoy. This can be attending a musical, going to a sporting event or even a wine tasting. Even if you don’t gain a new connection from the event, it’s still a great way to strengthen the connections you already have.

Double “dating.” A double “date” (not an actual date) in the business world has the same effect as hosting your own networking event, but on a smaller scale. If you have extra tickets to a show, invite a current client, connection, or strategic partner to go along with you. Ask them to bring someone they think you should meet and you’ll do the same. This is a great opportunity to make an ideal connection you may not have met otherwise.

Reconnecting. This strategy is meant for following up with connections you haven’t spoken with in a while, whether it’s a former professor, classmate or coworker. You and your current connections likely run in the same circles. Meeting up with old connections can be a great way to break out and meet people outside of your current network.

Surveys show that employers hire more than a third of their interns as full-time employees. Give yourself an edge by following these proactive strategies for turning an internship into a career.

Choose the right internship. If you want an internship to turn into a full-time position, make sure you choose the right internship for you from the beginning. Internships can be a great way to gain experience in different fields, but not every opportunity is the right place for you to start your career. Choose an internship that relates closely to your dream job or can help you get there. If you wouldn’t be interested in a full-time position at the company, then don’t choose an internship there.

Be professional and bold. Throughout the course of your internship, it’s important that your employer sees you in a positive light. Remember, when you’re an intern your every move is being scrutinized. Always dress and act professionally while you’re in the office. Don’t be afraid to ask questions at meetings or to take on extra work. Show your employer that you are assertive, but not overbearing and willing to go the extra mile for the company.

Meet with your manager and set goals. At the start of your internship, ask to meet with your manager. Be honest about your interests and career goals. Let them know what you want to accomplish during your internship and what you want to accomplish throughout your professional life. This isn’t the time to flat out ask for a permanent position, but it is a great way to lay down the groundwork and show your dedication and interest in the company. Also consider meeting with your manager regularly and asking for feedback to see where you can improve.

Attend all intern activities and work events. Larger companies that hire many interns often hold events for interns, as well as general work events. Attend most, if not all of these events. In addition to showing interest in the company culture and getting to know your peers, these events can also be a great networking opportunity. Making a good impression on the people within the company — especially those who make the hiring decisions — can only help you when a position opens up.

Keep in touch after the internship. If the company doesn’t hire you after the internship ends or if it was a summer internship and you’re continuing school in the fall, make sure you leave on good terms and keep in touch. Don’t be afraid to be persistent. Contact the company periodically, letting them know you’re still interested in working for them and asking if there are any openings. If you’re looking for a position after graduation, ask if you can continue to put in 5-10 hours a week during the semester. That way you are still involved with the company even when you can’t direct your full attention to the work.