Getting Ahead

• Psychological tricks for turning your workspace into your happy place
  You'll feel more calm and secure at your desk if you sit facing the entry to your cubicle instead of with your back to it, Sally Augustin writes. Also, set up some leafy plants and avoid the color red, which research says can remind you of the color used to highlight errors on schoolwork and "brings the idea of failure unconsciously to mind," she writes. Harvard Business Review online/HBR Blog Network (1/9)     

• Why you should consider getting a second job
  Taking on a second job can not only bring in extra money but also can help you learn new skills and try out a new industry, experts say. Just make sure taking a second gig doesn't hurt your performance at your first job, they say. Fox Business/Bankrate.com (1/13)     

Position yourself for advancement with University of Saint Mary’s accelerated MBA. Accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE), USM’s online MBA program offers five concentrations to choose from. Our program is 100% online, which allows you to earn your advanced degree without interrupting work or personal schedules.

• Why trusting Facebook could cost you your job
  Workers who trust Facebook to protect their data could be putting their employment prospects at risk, writes Jessica Miller-Merrell. Information that companies aren't supposed to have access to -- such as demographic information, ideological beliefs and even supposedly "private" messages -- can all be leaked to bosses via the social channel. "Keep in mind that companies are increasingly using social media as a form of an online background check," Miller-Merrell writes. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Social Media (1/13)     

• CEOs say they're ready to hire
  The CEOs for some of the world's largest companies, including General Electric and Boeing, say they plan to hire U.S. workers this year, and economists predict U.S. employers will add jobs at the fastest rate since 2006. “The next few years are going to be a different picture than what we saw in the last few," Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya said. Bloomberg (1/13)     

Featured Content

• What job interviewers are really fishing for with their questions
  Recruiters often have hidden agendas for the innocent-sounding interview questions they ask, writes Jayne Mattson, executive at a career consulting firm. Recruiters might, for example, inquire about a former boss to find out if you would be a good cultural fit at the company you're applying, she writes. Mashable (1/15)     

• Other News

• 15 websites that can help navigate your job search
  Careerealism.com (1/15)     

Position Title Company Name Location Sales Representative Power Home Remodeling Group Cranford, NJ Click here to view more job listings.

• How to beat the most depressing day of the year
  Research suggests Jan. 16, nicknamed "Blue Monday," is the most depressing day of the year, in part because people are reaching the peak of their post-holiday letdown. But you can overcome Blue Monday by identifying the routes that you're most motivated to take toward your goals, Jessica Pryce-Jones writes. The Wall Street Journal/The Source Blog (1/15)     

Top five news stories selected by SmartBrief on Your Career readers in the past week.

• What your boss is secretly thinking (The QuickBase Blog)

• Tips for learning the art of chit-chat (CareerBliss.com)

• Wanna get ahead? Wake up earlier (The Business Insider)

• How to explain weaknesses in a positive light (TheDailyMuse.com)

• How to be a leader when you don't have any authority (WorkAwesome.com)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

• The weird stuff people have left behind at the Travelodge
  While visitors to Travelodge hotels in the U.K. most often forget devices such as phone and laptop chargers, they occasionally leave behind some more memorable items. In addition to other oddities, guests have accidentally left a hamster, an urn filled with ashes and an expensive watch collection at the hotels. The Telegraph (London) (1/12)     

People who never have any time on their hands are those who do the least." --Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, German scientist      Have a favorite famous quote? Share it and we may publish it here!