Maintain your perspective as the ultimate decision-making factor in your career when taking professional advice, Alyse Kalish writes. "Once you see others' advice as something you can take rather than something you have to take, the pressure's off, and you can make decisions that align with your values," she writes.

An underwhelming performance review can be an opportunity to demonstrate you can take advice, says Tammy Perkins, chief people officer at the Fjuri Group. Seek guidance from a mentor on the best ways to move forward and improve.

Establish clear communication boundaries right away when developing a relationship with a potential mentor, writes Monica Torres. Be clear about what you need and what you can give while keeping in mind the amount of work you're expecting the other person to do.

Laws on medical-marijuana use are influencing court decisions on workplace drug policies. A panel of lawyers has outlined four points employers should know, including that more courts are ruling in favor of medical-marijuana users who sue employers after being fired for failing a drug test.

Thank-you messages are still a relevant way to reach out to hiring managers and networking partners after interviews and meetings, writes Karla Miller. However, it's best to email the notes.

A pair of select board member candidates in Bolton, Conn., used a coin toss this week to determine the winner in their election race. The toss gave Republican Michael Eremita the win over Democrat Kim Miller and saved the town about $2,500 it would have spent on a special election.