• 5 career tips to embrace next year
  In the new year, take charge of your online identity, focus your energy on solving problems at work and seek to rise above "the cult of the average," career experts say. Also, investigate possible accreditations you can earn to become more attractive to your employer and pursue volunteer work to expand your skills, they advise. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (tiered subscription model) (1/2)      

• How to lead like Bilbo Baggins
  Viewers or readers of "The Hobbit" might assume the wizard Gandalf or the dwarfish leader Thorin are the adventurers' only leaders, but as the tale progresses, it's the meek, reluctant Bilbo Baggins who emerges as the true hero, Doug Guthrie writes. "Ultimately Bilbo rises to the occasion, despite the fact that his colleagues don’t always think he's up to it," Guthrie writes. Forbes (12/27)      

• 4 rules to keep in mind when making introductions
  Before you introduce someone to one of your contacts, you should let your contact know what's going on so he or she isn't caught off guard. During the introduction, you should explain why you have chosen to help those two people connect. You should also remember that you don't have to agree to make an introduction just because someone has asked you to do so. TheDailyMuse.com (12/26)      

• Senate still has no agreement to avert "fiscal cliff"
  Senate leaders failed to agree Sunday on a compromise to avert the "fiscal cliff" of tax increases and spending cuts scheduled to take effect Tuesday. Talks took a new direction late in the day, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., opening talks with Vice President Joe Biden on how to break the deadlock. More discussions are planned today. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (12/30), The Washington Post (12/30), Chicago Sun-Times (12/31)      

Featured Content

• Job seekers should target small firms in the winter
  Job hunting in the winter can be especially challenging because some companies recruit more heavily during the summer and fall, experts say. Job seekers might have better luck in the winter if they target small or midsize companies, which are more likely to have budget openings in the new year, author Lindsey Pollak says. The Wall Street Journal (12/29)      

Position Title Company Name Location Associate - Performance Improvement/HR Strategy & Optimization Huron Consulting Group Chicago, IL Entry Level Systems Engineer Job SAIC Columbia, MD Associate Brand Manager - Foodservice Kraft Foods Chicago, IL Associate Content Producer (Contract) (13382) Electronic Arts Los Angeles, CA Account Executive Ziff Davis Greater New York City Area, NY Customer service Representative/Bookkeeper Duval Art Couture Nationwide, United States Click here to view more job listings.

• 6 voluntary benefits most coveted by employees
  Offering voluntary benefits is an inexpensive way for companies to boost morale, Michael Motyka writes. "The most popular benefits are those which foster health and wellness, and provide for families or individuals in times of need," he writes, noting that disability insurance and life insurance are among the voluntary benefits that employees will be most grateful for. The Employee Benefits Blog (12/27)      

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

• 4 reasons your résumé isn't getting any bites (U.S. News & World Report)

• How to ramp up your LinkedIn presence next year (RepCapitalMedia.com)

• Professionals need to cultivate 3 types of networks (Harvard Business Review online)

• Have your skills reached a plateau? (The Wall Street Journal)

• 3 questions to help plan your career (Blogging4Jobs)

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

• The men who flew for 64 days without a break
  In the 1950s, the Hacienda Hotel in Las Vegas dreamed up a wacky publicity stunt: Have a two-man team fly a Cessna 172 for more than two months without landing. The plan involved pumping fuel and handing canisters of food to the low-flying plane from a speeding supply truck. The aviators had to take baths by dousing themselves with water while clinging to the outside of the plane. Jalopnik.com (12/27)      

• SmartBrief will not publish Tuesday
  In observance of New Year's Day, SmartBrief will not publish Tuesday. Publication will resume Wednesday. Enjoy the holiday!      

New Year's Day is every man's birthday." --Charles Lamb, English essayist       Have a favorite famous quote? Share it and we may publish it here!