The first weeks of a new job are easier to navigate if people take notes during training instead of relying on their memory and speak up if they feel more training is needed, says author Alison Green. New hires should observe cultural norms to avoid missteps with co-workers and touch base with their boss to learn if they're meeting expectations.

As advances in technology continually disrupt the workplace, those who embrace learning and seek opportunities to apply it will succeed, writes Ray Bixler, CEO of SkillSurvey. Stay current with industry trends and connect with others of different skill sets at work to increase your ability to contribute.

Talent recruiters admit a candidate's likability, social media presence and references are vital to their decision-making, and a poor first impression is almost impossible to overcome. They advise appearing knowledgeable and passionate about your work without relying on jargon to impress them.

Job search engines on Mashable, LinkedIn and Job.com correlate candidate experience and goals with employer needs, writes Corey Wainwright, reporting on several lesser-known job sites. Marketing, writing and design professionals should check out Talent Zoo, Behance, ProBlogger and others that cater to those specific industries.

During his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump called for paid family leave, lower health care costs, new trade policies and infrastructure investments to create new jobs. Trump previously said that he wants to close the skills gap, but he did not mention the issue in this address.

We're more likely to land a job we enjoy if we're honest about what we excel at and what we don't, writes Susan Packard, co-founder of HGTV. "We generally fall into categories of builder-entrepreneur or process-systems person. Our job in developing ourselves is first to identify which one we are, then to work on improving the other skill sets -- especially if we want a leadership position, because great leaders need both," Packard writes.

Work-life balance need not be a zero-sum equation. "If your understanding of work-life balance is 50% of what I do is work and 50% is personal, that becomes really difficult," LinkedIn Asia-Pacific Managing Director Olivier Legrand says. "Balance means equality on both sides. Harmony means you are happy with the amount [of time] you invest in both parts of the equation."

The Cold War-inspired Doomsday Clock, founded by the scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project, now includes cybersecurity as a threat to existence."Cyber-enabled information warfare is a threat to the common good," states the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, suggesting that cyberwarfare is bringing the end of the world closer than ever before, although the Doomsday Clock remains at two minutes to midnight, the same as when it was first set in 1953.