Being given a stretch assignment from your manager is an opportunity to advance your skills, says Mikaela Kiner, founder and CEO with uniquelyHR. "The assignment should help you do one or more of the following: Build new skills, increase your visibility, try out a new discipline or geography or gain an experience like managing people that you haven't had before," she says.

Improve your compensation package by negotiating for perks before accepting a job offer, Rebecca Koenig writes. Benefits could include a company car, the flexibility to work from home or an extra vacation week, she writes.

Let your personality shine through in your job applications and when you're networking, writes Liz Ryan. Asking questions and being conversational during an interview will help you differentiate yourself from the competition, she writes.

IBM is suing former Chief Diversity Officer Lindsay-Rae McIntyre for allegedly violating a noncompete agreement by taking the same job at Microsoft. IBM argues McIntyre is taking "trade secrets" to Microsoft, saying she has vast knowledge of IBM's diversity and inclusion practices.

Even if you've been in the industry for a while, make clear to interviewers that you're willing to learn and adapt to new environments, writes Jane Burnett. Although you should be confident, stay humble and remember you're not in control of the interview, she writes.

Keep an eye on how much time you're wasting online with an app such as ManicTime, writes Michael Grothaus. You can also try enabling parental controls to stop yourself from accessing social media at certain times of the day or using the "do not disturb" mode on your mobile device.

German lawyer Guido Grolle said that someone has sent him more than 100 pizza deliveries as a prank. Grolle pressed charges in January, but police are still unsure who is behind the orders, which recently have included sushi and Greek food.