Setting goals can backfire if it leads to tunnel vision or unethical behavior, experts say. "As much as setting rigid goals gives us a sense of security, real growth comes from being able to handle and manage randomness," says Anisha Vinjamuri, CEO of a management consulting firm.

Think of communication as a six-step process, writes Denise Yosafat, starting with knowing why you're communicating and including how you plan to communicate and what information you'll need to have first.

Glassdoor is one of the best job-search resources because of its employee reviews and salary information, writes Sherri Thomas. Other helpful resources include Indeed, which offers advanced search options, and LinkedIn, which can help job-seekers get referrals.

Employers are doing more to retain top talent, including altering benefit and retirement programs, according to a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management. While such strategies may work in the short term, employers over the long term need to invest in skill development and offer more job flexibility, the survey found.

To find your ideal employer, write down five to 10 target companies and conduct research on each one. Try to develop personal relationships within the company while using social media to make yourself more visible, Alex Freund writes.

Carnivorous plants have evolved to create digestive-fluid proteins in certain leaves, writes Ewen Callaway. The plants evolved to create various ways of catching prey -- a Venus fly-trap ensnares insects, for example.