Getting Ahead

Let the IRS be your career counselor
Tax season is a good time to take stock of your finances, Laura Vanderkam writes. Use your W-2 and online resources to figure out how your salary stacks up with others in your field. If you notice your salary provides your entire income, it might be time to formulate a career backup plan in case you get laid off, Vanderkam writes. CBS MoneyWatch (3/8)

10 ways to handle manipulators
Some of your co-workers will try to use fake sympathy or intimidation to manipulate you, executive coach Joyce E.A. Russell writes. Limit your interactions with these people as much as possible and find a confidante to share your misgivings with. "When you first start defending yourself against a manipulator, they’ll try harder to control you. Remember this and stay firm, don’t get defensive and don’t take the bait if they push you," Russell writes. The Washington Post (3/8)

Making the Connection

The danger of social networking
Mixing your professional and personal lives on social media can enhance your likability, but oversharing can make you seem less competent, finds a study by three business schools. One of the major pitfalls of social media is that people don't actually see how others are reacting to their posts, which makes it harder for people to recognize when they're breaching the boundaries of professionalism. MediaPost Communications (3/8)

Other News

The Landscape

Analysis: Don't get too excited about latest jobs data

Reuters

U.S. employment statistics show a misleading scene of the labor market, experts say. While 446,000 part-time jobs were created last month, full-time jobs decreased by 276,000. Fewer Americans are working full time compared with a year ago. The New American (3/10), MarketWatch (3/8), TheStreet.com (3/8), The Christian Science Monitor (3/8)

Your Next Challenge

Preparing for commonly asked interview questions
Be ready to talk about your biggest achievements and what excites you about the job before the interview, career coach Alison Green writes in this blog post. These are common questions interviewers ask along with why you think you'd do well at the job. "[I]f you can't make a compelling case for why you'd be fantastic in the role you're applying for, it's unlikely that the interviewer is going to take the time to piece one together on her own," Green writes. U.S. News & World Report/On Careers blog (3/6)

Balancing Yourself

Use boredom busters to keep workers productive
One bored employee can bring down the energy of an entire team, research shows. To combat boredom, leaders should use tactics such as team brainstorming sessions, physical activities and occasional breaks, Iliana Snow writes. B2C Marketing Insider (3/7)

Most Read

The Water Cooler

What would you do with 1,426 unimaginable fortunes?
There are 1,426 billionaires on Forbes' latest list, with a combined net worth of $5.4 trillion. If they used their collective wealth to form a country, it would be the forth-richest nation in the world, ahead of Germany and only narrowly behind Japan. Forbes (3/4)

Editor's Note

SmartBrief's inside look at #SXSW
SmartBrief is attending the South by Southwest Interactive Festival, with tweeting @SmartBrief and blogging at SmartBlogs. Here's some of our coverage so far.

• Live at #SXSW: 6 innovation lessons from the world of standup comedy
• Live at #SXSW: How the WWE became the social champion of the sports world
• SXSWedu Snapshot: What's changing in education?

SmartQuote

Let me listen to me and not to them." -- Gertrude Stein, American writer and feminist Share: