Professionals should consider their motivation before agreeing to take on extra work, including whether they are passionate about the duties to be performed or are more motivated by financial benefits, writes Regan Walsh. The most important consideration of all may be whether the option to turn down the extra work even exists, Walsh writes.

Recent college graduates must be ready to improvise as they navigate their careers, said Warby Parker co-founders Neil Blumenthal and Dave Gilboa in a commencement address at Northeastern University. New grads must take deliberate steps toward continued development without being scared off by the complexity of new opportunities, they said.

Personal hobbies can help professionals foster career skills such as the ability to network with others, according to recent research. By using your cooking skills to host gatherings, learning a foreign language or playing recreational sports, you can bolster leadership skills and expand your network, among other benefits.

Traditional economic models tell us that wages rise when unemployment is low. Yet, in this time of near-full employment, wages are standing still.

Three-day weekends can provide an opportunity to jump-start continuing job searches, writes Jillian Kramer. Prepare for social events by developing an interesting pitch for yourself and take time to update your LinkedIn profile and other social media accounts, Kramer writes.

You might concentrate better if you work in a secluded area that isn't filled with bosses and colleagues, writes Rohini Venkatraman. It can also help to work in an area without distracting bright colors or by positioning your desk to face away from areas of heavy traffic.

Crows have been observed mourning the death of their own by gathering together and cawing, writes James Ross Gardner. Researchers studying this behavior have to obscure their faces because crows can recognize human faces and possibly associate them as the dead crow's killer.