Before negotiating a pay increase, research salaries for similar positions and be prepared to emphasize the assets you provide to the company, says Claudia Telles, a hospital employee who recently negotiated a $30,000 raise. Practice what you'll say during the discussion, and avoid bringing up your current salary.

Highly motivated professionals often undermine their productivity by trying to focus on too many tasks at once. Instead, identify your biggest priorities and update them regularly, write Francesca Gino and Bradley Staats. "Making priorities explicit will help you devote sufficient time to them," they write.

Improve your LinkedIn profile by using your summary to speak to potential clients about what you have to offer, writes John Nemo. Look to practice personal branding in an authentic way, and update your profile consistently, he writes.

Despite reports of stagnant hiring and workforce cuts, Silicon Valley is still looking for talent, with tech unicorns leading the way with over 1,500 job postings, DataFox reports. Firms including Dropbox, Zenefits and Uber Technologies are looking to fill positions, with the highest demand reported for growth-strategy experts. "Startups with strong fundamentals are still hiring and taking advantage of layoffs at other companies to grow their teams," DataFox's Anisha Sekar said.

A carefully crafted email to someone you've found on LinkedIn is often a better way to get a job than filling out online applications, Jeff Haden writes. The person receiving your email likely receives hundreds of messages per day, so you should plan yours carefully to make sure it stands out, he writes.

Florida-based World of Beer is looking for interns to travel worldwide and test brews while recording the experience on social media this summer. The brewpub chain is offering a $12,000 stipend and is accepting applications through Saturday.