Companies added more workers than forecast in December, a sign that the U.S. labor market was gaining momentum heading into 2012, according to a private report based on payrolls. (Bloombergl)
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In the midst of the eurozone meltdown, a new crisis has gone unnoticed: a shaky derivatives market. (Fortune)
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Occasionally you need to go the extra mile. Sometimes you need to complete a major project, tackle a task you’ve put off, or just knock out a ton of work in one day. Here’s the best way to turn a normal workday into an incredibly productive workday. (Inc.)
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The new year is a perfect time to reflect on your professional development over the past 12 months so that you can prioritize your career goals for the next 12 months. Whether that self-assessment leads you to search for a new job or to map out a strategy for advancement with your current employer, take this opportunity to consider how you'll put a plan in motion. (Kiplinger's)
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Even with a strong personal value proposition (PVP), attractive opportunities won't land on your doorstep. You must go out and find them. That's the hard part. The best source of possible jobs is networking. The way to succeed at networking is to reach out broadly to people who can help. The way to fail is to limit your contacts to the few people you know well. Massive outreach is the only reliable path to victory. (Harvard Business Review)
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In 2012, creativity and adaptability will be key to landing and keeping a job for many workers, as staff levels remain lean and employees are expected to respond to a wide variety of demands, experts say. (Wall Street Journal)
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When white leaders succeed, people often say it is because they are competent. When black leaders succeed, people say it happened despite their incompetence. At least, that's what two business-school professors found after reviewing news coverage of 113 top college quarterbacks – generally viewed as team leaders – in the 2007 football season. (Wall Street Journal - subscription required)
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For the past half decade India’s infrastructure industry has enjoyed a Sea Link moment; a blast of growth when one could imagine that the private sector could deliver all the new roads, bridges, power stations and airports that the country needs so badly. The government says the boom will continue. The trouble with this rosy prediction is that the balance-sheets of many Indian infrastructure firms are as potholed as the roads they resurface. (The Economist)
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The Greek government has stepped up the pressure on its eurozone paymasters by warning that unless a new bailout for the recession-hit country is agreed within the next three months it will be forced out of the single currency. (The Guardian)
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For some aspiring entrepreneurs, business school is like protective bubble wrap. Students get to leverage the experiences of faculty and alumni to test their ideas. Prize money doled out at business plan competitions allows for experimentation. And the support of student entrepreneurship circles may take some of the sting out of pursuing a solo endeavor. But do some schools provide more support than others when it comes to starting a business? (Bloomberg/Businessweek)
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When Research in Motion said in December that a new line of BlackBerry phones would not appear until the end of 2012, the announcement provoked equal parts of shock and disbelief from analysts. (New York Times)
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Apple may have sold as many as two million fewer iPads than expected this holiday season, and Amazon’s new Kindle Fire tablet may be to blame. (All Things D)
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The rich have gotten richer, thanks to the stock market and the Bush tax cuts, a recent report has found. Growth in income from capital gains and dividends has widened the divide between the wealthy and the poor in recent years, according to the non-partisan Congressional Research Service. It supplanted wage inequality as the primary driver of the growing income gap. (CNN/Money)
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Not many people think of shantytowns, illegal street vendors, and unlicensed roadside hawkers as major economic players. But according to journalist Robert Neuwirth, that’s exactly what they’ve become. In his new book, Stealth of Nations: The Global Rise of the Informal Economy, Neuwirth points out that small, illegal, off-the-books businesses collectively account for trillions of dollars in commerce and employ fully half the world’s workers. (Wired)
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If the grocery bill hurts more now than it used to, you're not alone. The cost of staples like ground beef, chicken, eggs and potatoes has spiked over 10 percent in the past year, three times the cost of inflation overall. (NPR)
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The Christmas chaos is over and you notice that there’s a larger pile of gift cards than in years past, including a handful that you really can’t use. You’re not alone. (MarketWatch)
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Yahoo Inc. on Wednesday named PayPal President Scott Thompson as its new chief executive officer, nearly four months after the troubled Internet company fired its last CEO. (MarketWatch)
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What's in store for business travelers this year? Strategic changes for American and Southwest, more hotel "reflaggings," and a growing army of iPad users on the road. (Portfolio)
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In a move that has angered Republicans, President Obama on Wednesday announced he's making a recess appointment of Richard Cordray to be the first director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, sidestepping the Senate confirmation process. (CNN/Money)
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Darden serves a million-plus meals a day. So why does the CEO say its Olive Garden chain needs fixing? (SmartMoney)
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"Everyone deserves a second chance." It’s a sentiment that embodies our deepest hopes: connection, achievement and salvation. A former employee recently reminded me how life-changing a second chance can be. (Bloomberg/Businessweek)
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Nearly everyone has the desire to be more healthy. No big secret that one of the principle elements to this is how you eat. Eat better, and you’ll feel better. Feel better, and you’ll be more on top of it. Be more on top of it, and you’ll perform better at work. Perform better at work, and you’ll succeed more. (Inc.)
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