Working for a workaholic boss can be difficult, which is why it is important to communicate with the person and to be honest about the situation. "You may find out that your boss has absolutely no expectation that anybody in the company needs to work as hard as they do. ... They may simply enjoy [their job]," says recruiter Paul Harris.

Show your boss how you bring value to the company in terms of cost savings, such as marketing techniques, operations or reducing turnover. Couple this with showcasing recent accomplishments and wins, such as sales numbers or increased market penetration, writes Michelle Bogan.

You don't have to be the center of attention at networking events; in fact, it's an effective strategy to work the sidelines and meet with people one-on-one, writes Vinay Singhal. Instead of targeting the entire room, focus more on your walk, charisma, smile and gestures, adds Singhal.

Amazon is eliminating monthly bonuses and stock awards, after unveiling a plan to raise its minimum wage to $15 per hour. A company representative says the raise "more than compensates" for the benefit loss, but some warehouse employees say they will be paid less overall.

Customize your resume to include keywords that match the job description of the position you're applying for in an effort to get past the company's applicant tracking system. Also include a few sentences describing hobbies or interests to humanize the resume and provide some context to see if you're a good cultural fit for the job, writes career expert Anne Fisher.

Following your passion is only an effective approach if your passion aligns with your skills, Tomas Chamorro-Premuzik writes. "When it comes to objective markers of career success, you are better off being relatively good at something you dislike, if there is demand for it, than being exceptional at something you love, if there is no demand for it," he adds.

Determine the most important task that needs to get done each day, week or month and give yourself a reward for completing this goal. This simple exercise, writes Jason Selk, will help unhappiness and burnout from creeping into the day-to-day grind.

At last month's Deerfield Fair in New Hampshire, Steve Geddes' pumpkin took the top spot as the largest gourd at the festival with a prize of $6,000. Weighing in at 2,528 pounds, Geddes discovered that his prize winner also set the record for largest pumpkin in North America.