The winter break can be a good time for Ph.D. and graduate students to update resumes, research the job market and prepare for potential interviews, according to Jennifer Furlong and Stacy Hartman of the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. To get started, they suggest that job seekers journal about their experiences or take an assessment to guide a search, update LinkedIn profiles and find contacts to connect with, then draft emails or a LinkedIn post to let people know they're on the job hunt.

Pausing to take stock of your company's progress and resources and evaluating if you're prepared to face the next year's challenges, uncertainties and opportunities is an excellent way to deter end-of-year fatigue, writes Tara Rethore, CEO of Strategy for Real. Taking that review to a personal level -- listing out this year's accomplishments and strengths and next year's goals for yourself and with your peers -- can also bring new energy, write Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis, co-founders and CEOs of Amazing If.

Deloitte is using AI to assess existing employees' skills as part of an effort to strategically reassign them to high-demand roles. The AI-based approach aims to optimize talent utilization to avoid large swings in hiring and layoffs.

More than 50 community college programs have begun across the country to meet the workforce demands of the CHIPS and Science Act. "As these big investments come, we need the people," SEMI Foundation's Shari Liss said, adding, "There's a huge concern right now around, how do we sell this industry to students?"

The Employee Blood and Organ Donation Leave Act is among the pieces of legislation in Illinois that will go into effect Jan. 1. The law requires certain employers to provide employees who donate an organ up to 10 days of paid leave.

Getting fired from a job causes grief and self-doubt, but self-forgiveness is a big part of the recovery process, says psychotherapist Nicholette Leanza. "If they continue to persecute themselves for getting fired, it may become more difficult for them to learn from their mistakes and move toward self-improvement."

Enhance your productivity by getting up from your desk to move around, whether it's a walk outside, around the office or having lunch outside, moving your body can boost creativity and concentration, writes JiJi Lee. "The sunlight will re-energize you and the fresh air will clear your mind," Lee writes.

If you and your team are trying to close out important last-minute projects before taking holiday leave, this list is for you. It reveals which slower-paced songs get us into that motivation zone (hello, Brenda Lee, rocking around the Christmas tree at a calming 67 beats per minute) and which just irritate us. Unfortunately, Perry Como's "Christmas Dream" is more in nightmare territory at 184 bpm.