If you become aware that a colleague is being paid more than you for similar work, stay calm and process your feelings before taking action. Ask your manager what you can do to earn a pay increase while getting additional information from human resources regarding the company's pay structure, writes Rebecca Knight.

Demonstrate you're ready for a promotion by striving to make your boss' life easier and by understanding the company's needs beyond the scope of your role, writes Margaret Buj. Professionals who overdeliver and learn from mentors are more likely to become company leaders, Buj writes.

Give yourself time to recharge between networking activities to make the experience less nerve-racking, writes Katherine Keller. Offer your full attention to people you're meeting for the first time, but avoid the temptation to make promises that you can't keep.

Volkswagen's works councils Chairman Bernd Osterloh says the company may need to lay off workers if it receives steep fines for violations of US environmental laws. "Should the future viability of Volkswagen be endangered by an unprecedented financial penalty, this will have dramatic social consequences," Osterloh said. VW employs more than 600,000 workers worldwide and 2,200 at its Tennessee-based plant in the US.

It's impossible to consistently place the right keywords in your resume to get it noticed among the piles of other applicants, writes Nick Corcodilos. Instead, it's best to pursue opportunities where you already have personal contacts who can provide you with a referral, Corcodilos writes.

Over the course of a year, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly grew 1.5 inches in space, height that disappeared when he landed on Earth. The added height was the result of the discs in his spine expanding.