When it comes to determining your value to a company, remember that the number of years you've spent with the firm does not automatically mean you provide value, writes Jacob Baadsgaard. Instead, professionals should focus on being a tangible company asset and showing their employers how they provide value on a daily basis. Fast Company online (10/11) How to decide if you fit in a company's culture You can figure out whether you're a good cultural fit for your workplace by considering any concerns you may have and what your options are for resolving them, Bill Howatt writes. If you determine your company isn't aligned with your values and needs, you may ultimately benefit from seeking a better match elsewhere. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (tiered subscription model) (10/12)
Making the Connection
How to master pre-interview small talk Your primary objective during the small talk before an interview should be to find common ground with your interviewers, Catherine Fisher writes. Use shared professional contacts and similarities in school or volunteering backgrounds to develop this common ground while looking for ways to show you've researched the company, she advises. LinkedIn (10/10)
The Landscape
Report: 15% of gig economy is digital Just 15% of workers in the US and EU who are part of the gig economy have used digital platforms to earn income, according to a report by the McKinsey Global Institute. The report also found that more than half of independent workers are seeking to supplement a primary source of income. ZDNet (10/10)
.
SmartBrief Originals
Original news, insights, analysis and best practices from SmartBrief.com
Nobel Prize in literature goes to Bob Dylan Bob Dylan today became the first American to win the Nobel Prize in literature since Toni Morrison in 1993. The Swedish Academy's permanent secretary, Sara Danius, said after announcing the honor that people unfamiliar with Dylan's work should start with his 1966 album "Blonde on Blonde." The Washington Post (tiered subscription model) (10/13)
I think I'm the happiest I've ever been. Part of it is just learning what makes me happier and doing more of it, and learning what makes me unhappier and doing less of it.
