Getting Ahead

Are you falling behind, or do you just think you are?
While it's useful to compare yourself to colleagues, keep in mind that such comparisons are more complicated than they seem, Rhymer Rigby writes. For instance, someone working at a different firm may be making more money than you, but their schedules might not be as flexible. "Similarly, some metrics can be deceptive: a colleague may earn more than you for no reason other than that they drive a harder bargain," Rigby writes. Fast Company online (2/13)
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Lies, logic and creativity
There are a number of traits that mark highly creative individuals, writes Jeffrey Baumgartner, including being thoughtful, playful, logical and spontaneous -- but also being markedly less honest than less creative counterparts. "The reason for this seems to be that creative people can use their creativity to justify their actions in ways that less creative people cannot do," Baumgartner writes. InnovationExcellence.com (2/13)
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Making the Connection

Sensible advice for managing your LinkedIn profile
LinkedIn users with complete profiles are 40 times more likely to benefit from the network than users who are missing information, writes Sandy Jones-Kaminski, who identifies seven elements that your profile needs in order to appear complete. She advises not to go overboard on displaying recommendations, and to seek advice from a colleague to identify which recommendations should stay on your profile and which should go. B2C Marketing Insider (2/13)
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The Landscape

How Obama is looking to create jobs
President Barack Obama's proposals to generate more jobs include spending $50 billion on infrastructure, spending $15 billion to employ people to tear down homes in neglected neighborhoods and spending $6 billion to help communities that are losing a major plant. The Boston Globe (tiered subscription model)/The Associated Press (2/13)
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Your Next Challenge

Tips for getting good references
The best job references are past managers who will "speak glowingly of you," Alison Green writes. You need to alert references they may be contacted and prepare them on key points that you want to highlight with employers, she writes. U.S. News & World Report/On Careers blog (2/13)
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Balancing Yourself

Dark chocolate is a heart-healthy snack, RD says
Dark chocolate is a "virtuous food" that studies show has cardiovascular benefits, but it gets a bad rap, writes registered dietitian Tamara Duker Freuman. One ounce of dark chocolate has 170 calories, about the same as nuts, and can have benefits if eaten two to three times per week, Freuman writes. U.S. News & World Report/Eat + Run blog (2/12)
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The Water Cooler

Happy Valentine's Day -- have some vinegar
From the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries, Valentine's Day was a chance for people to send anonymous hate mail to one another. The "vinegar valentines" featured mean-spirited caricatures and acerbic poems listing the recipient's vices, and were often targeted at specific demographics such as doctors, teachers and feminists. Slate/The Vault blog (2/13)
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Editor's Note

Your SmartBrief has a new look
Noticed a change? SmartBrief on Your Career has the same valuable content but with a reworked design to make reading and sharing stories easier, especially on mobile devices. Have feedback on the change? Send it our way!
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SmartQuote

Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights.
Pauline Kezer,
American politician
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