Getting Ahead

How to solve problems without involving HR
Involving human resources in a problem usually means the situation will end badly, so try to find your own solutions whenever possible, Laurie Ruettiman writes. The first thing an HR person usually does with a question is put it into Google; there's no reason you can't try the same tactic. If you're dealing with an ethical question, go around HR and contact your company's ombudsman or chief compliance officer, she writes. The Cynical Girl blog (1/29)
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5 steps to ensure your career survives hard times
Setting up an emergency fund, diversifying your skills and experience and strengthening your network are all ways to build a career "insurance policy," Alan Henry writes. You should also consider "finding ways to take some of your interest areas, hobbies, or passions that you may want to turn into careers someday and turning them into a second income stream," he writes. Lifehacker (1/30)
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Making the Connection

How strong is your network?
Building strong individual relationships is more important than just growing your online number of connections, Steve Tobak writes. "[O]ne personal, face-to-face relationship is worth a thousand online ones ... if you never really get to know someone, that relationship isn't likely to amount to much," he writes. Inc. online (free registration)/Last Word blog (1/29)
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The Landscape

Initial unemployment claims edge up in U.S.
First-time jobless claims in the U.S. rose 38,000, to 368,000 in the week that ended Jan. 26, the Labor Department said. Economists anticipated 345,000 initial claims. The four-week rolling average viewed by many economists as giving a more accurate picture of labor market conditions rose only 250. Google/Agence France-Presse (1/31)
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Your Next Challenge

How to make a good impression with a hiring manager
As the job market improves, some ways to boost your chances of landing a position include having someone proofread your resume, omitting in an interview any "information about the drama of your personal life" and writing a follow-up thank you note, Melissa Cohen writes. BostInno (Boston) (1/31)
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Balancing Yourself

Learn to kick the job stress habit
Research shows job burnout increases the chances of developing heart disease or having a stroke, so take steps to turn down the stress, Ben Fanning writes. "Question whether you really have to watch the news on TV every night or whether spending some quiet time with music or reading might be preferable," he writes. "Just turning ... the intensity down a notch can make a big difference." SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership (1/31)
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The Water Cooler

Surfer sets record by riding 100-foot wave
Professional surfer Garrett McNamara this week rode a 100-foot-high wave off the Portuguese coast, beating his own record for largest wave surfed by about 22 feet. Photos and video clips show McNamara in action -- little more than a speck on the side of a towering swell. Time.com (1/30)
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SmartQuote

A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.
John Burroughs,
American naturalist and essayist
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