Asking "why" betters your chances of a promotion Consider the answers to "Why now?" and "Why me?" when seeking a promotion, writes personal branding consultant William Arruda. The answers will help show superiors how your accomplishments and qualifications distinguish you from others on staff. Forbes (2/25)Why work friendships need boundaries Work friendships are vital to our well-being, but employees have a role in protecting office culture by avoiding gossip and cliques, write Alyssa Pry and Jeanie Ahn. If not, they risk alienating some team members who are not as close to them personally as others, which may dampen morale and productivity. Yahoo (2/25)
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Making the Connection
Soft skills learning is hot on LinkedIn LinkedIn reports its most popular online courses teach skills that improve how well people connect with others, writes Abigail Hess. These courses focus on body language, pitching one's personal brand and working creatively in a group. CNBC (2/22)
The Landscape
Panel: Younger workers value lifestyle, wellness benefits Brokers told attendees at an industry conference that the growing percentage of younger adults means employers need to focus on innovative benefits to attract and retain the best employees. They said benefits geared toward wellness and living a more balanced life are important, including maternity and paternity leave, flexible hours and gym memberships. Employee Benefit Adviser (free registration) (2/25)
Your Next Challenge
Know your value and the trends before talking salary The intersection of certain skill sets, such as engineering and project management, provides an advantage for people entering salary negotiations, according to research by Randstad North America. Candidates should study salary trends pertinent to their position and geographic location prior to detailing how they improved performance for previous employers, writes Gwen Moran. Fast Company online (2/25)How to get algorithms to approve your resume Most businesses use applicant tracking systems that rank resumes by keywords related to the job requirements, writes Hannah Morgan. She advises submitting a resume with these keywords in your job titles to get past the machines as well as a custom, cleanly formatted design to appeal to the decision-makers. U.S. News & World Report (2/25)
People will have more physical energy and mental focus by incorporating small steps into their daily routine, such as packing a healthy lunch, planning the next day's priorities the night before and finding at least 15 minutes of solitude each day, writes executive coach Rhett Power. "It may seem paradoxical at first, but doing the same thing repeatedly each day can actually help you avoid burnout," he writes. Thrive Global (2/25)
Rather than the common use of fingerprints, LG's upcoming G8 ThinQ will use the palm of a user's hand to unlock the phone. The technology uses the front-facing camera -- similarly to facial recognition -- to view and authenticate the veins on the palm of the hand. TechCrunch (2/24)
Don't worry about the overall importance of the problem; work on it if it looks interesting. I think there's a sufficient correlation between interest and importance.
David Blackwell, statistician, mathematician and first African-American inducted into the National Academy of Sciences
