Turning down low-level projects can help you focus on higher-level tasks that are more beneficial for your career growth and the company's success, explains author Dorie Clark. When turning down work, do so in a manner that shows it's better for the company that you focus your time and energy on priority tasks.

Stay ahead of changing technology at work by investing time to learn new skills that you see as beneficial to your career progression within the next five years. Use new skills as a way to create the position you really want within a company, Ashira Prossack writes.

Ask questions that invoke thoughtful answers at networking events, as this helps create meaningful connections with people, writes Marguerita Cheng. "Part of making connections is helping people. When you meet people, pay attention to what they say to see if they have a problem you can help solve," says Cheng.

A study from IonTuition finds 66% of people want the ability to put retirement matching contributions toward student-loan repayment, up from 49% a year ago. Many people feel as though they have to choose between making loan payments and saving for retirement, experts say.

Most employers expect to negotiate salary, so they leave a little wiggle room in the initial offer, executive Tammy Perkins states. A Glassdoor study found that the average US worker could be making $7,500 more per year if they had negotiated for a better salary, and that adds up to hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of a career.

Companies are finding it hard to hire qualified workers in today's job market, so apprenticeships are starting to pop up in New York for careers not traditionally associated with apprenticeships. Companies such as IBM have launched apprentice programs, and Mayor Bill de Blasio announced in 2017 an initiative to create 450 apprenticeships in the health and tech industries by 2020.

Achieving true balance between work and personal life is unattainable, and chasing it can cause unnecessary stress and burnout, writes Marcus Ranney. Work-life harmony is achievable by finding meaning in your work through mindfulness and purpose.

Fossils of an ancient organism known as Dickinsonia were found to be 558 million years old, which research indicates that they are the oldest known animal. Ilya Bobrovskiy, a Ph.D. student at Australian National University, discovered the fossils on a cliffside in northwestern Russia.