Getting Ahead

• How to get your career out of a negativity rut
  If you feel yourself getting mired in negativity that stymies your career, some ways to get unstuck include doing something creative that brings you joy or saying "yes" to something unusual for you, Kathy Caprino writes. "You'll discover just how versatile, courageous, powerful, contributive and unique you truly are," she writes. Forbes (11/30)      

• 3 tips for reaching your career goals
  You'll be better able to reach important career goals if you'll seize opportunities to interact with key influencers and set objectives that can help you reach bigger things, says Roy Cohen, a career counselor. For example, try taking a class or get a certification to boost your visibility and chances for a promotion, he says. AOL Jobs/CareerBuilder (11/30)      

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• Reconnection is a key element of networking
  You can immediately become a better networker by doing things like creating a monthly rotating file of people you need to reconnect with, writes Darrah Brustein, co-founder of Equitable Payments. "Reach out when you have an interesting article to share, want to see how they're doing, or ask about their latest trip, etc. Let people know you'll stay in touch every month or so, then do it!" she writes. Forbes/Young Entrepreneur Council (11/30)      

• Health care law draws concern about hiring, costs
  Many small businesses and employers that rely on low-income workers say they are rethinking their business models in light of how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act might affect business. Some say it might reduce their hiring or force them to move to more part-time workers, while others have begun to implement the benefits as a way to hang on to top talent. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (11/30)      

• Study: Managers are more interested in cultural fit than skills
  Job seekers are more likely to be offered a job if they have a similarity to the hiring manager, a study by Northwestern University has found. More than half of interviewers reported "fit" as the most important hiring criteria, beating out analytical thinking and communication, according to the study. The Huffington Post (12/3)      

Featured Content

• Why the holidays are a great time to find a job
  Don't give up job hunting during the holidays as many hiring managers will be more readily available during what is traditionally a slower and quieter time, experts say. The holidays also give job seekers a good chance to volunteer and network with key people. The Wall Street Journal (12/2)      

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• Disconnect to find balance in your life
  Aim for better work-life balance this holiday season by disconnecting from your gadgets at a certain time each day, delegating more and going "completely off the grid once a week," Meghan Biro writes. "Life can be beautiful, but you'll never notice if you're checking your email, tweets or Facebook updates," she writes. Forbes (12/2)      

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

• How to handle feedback without getting defensive (CareerBliss.com)

• How to keep your energy up all day (CNN)

• Are you too boring to hire? (GlassDoor.com)

• Millionaires often follow one of these career paths (Time.com)

• How to leave every conference a winner (TheDailyMuse.com)

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

• Why Wile E. Coyote would love Amazon.com
  Amazon's free-shipping deals extend to some surprisingly bulky purchases -- up to and including a 1,509-pound safe that would ordinarily cost $700 to ship. "These days, if Wile E. Coyote wanted a safe to drop on the Road Runner, he would be better off ordering from Amazon than Acme, which probably charged for shipping," writes Jeremy Olshan. MarketWatch (11/29)      

Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time." --Betty Smith, American author       Have a favorite famous quote? Share it and we may publish it here!