It’s easy to think that there’s one direction you should be moving in your career: forward. You’re supposed to keep putting one foot in front of the other until you finally reach the top of that proverbial ladder. But here’s the thing: Career paths aren’t always so simple. Just because something seems like it will get you one rung higher doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best decision for you long-term. (The Muse)

There is no argument about whether artificial intelligence (AI) is coming. It is here, in automobiles, smartphones, aircraft, and much more. The question now moves to how broadly AI will be employed in industry and society, and by what means. (Harvard Business Review)

Many times career change happens to us. Our industry starts to fade, our employer goes bankrupt, or we personally are downsized, fired, laid off, demoted or otherwise find ourselves at a crossroads. But occasionally we choose to change careers of our own free will. Here are some things to think about before you take the leap — or get pushed — into a new profession. (The Seattle Times)

When considering what it takes to succeed at work, we often focus on innate strengths: High intelligence, the ability to learn, the ambition to achieve, and the social skills to develop strong relationships. But these characteristics always coexist with weaknesses—aspects of personality that might seem innocuous or even advantageous in some circumstances but that when left unchecked can wreak havoc on careers and organizations. (Harvard Business Review)

Millennials are starting to take control in the workplace. There are now more than 75 million millennials in the workforce, more than baby boomers (just shy of 75 million) and Gen Xers (66 million). Now entering their late 20s and early 30s, the oldest members of the generation are starting to take more leadership positions in major organizations. Despite the fact that millennials are sporting one of the lowest rates of entrepreneurship in 25 years, 60% see themselves as entrepreneurs, and 90% recognize entrepreneurship as a mindset. (Forbes)

The fired and now-infamous Google engineer James Damore may have a federal case against his former employer. In the aftermath of Damore's 10-page memo criticizing Google's diversity initiatives and Google's subsequent decision to fire him for violating the company code of conduct, Damore has filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board. (U.S. News and World Report)

A new report from Concordia University St. Paul that analyzed data from the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) reveals that women aren’t pursuing master’s degrees in business administration (MBAs) as much as men, even though the U.S. Department of Education data indicates that the MBA is the most popular graduate degree, with over 188,000 students earning one during the academic year 2012-2013, the most recently measured year. During that same time, liberal arts and humanities was the most popular, with 344,000 students earning that undergraduate degree. (Fast Company)

Citing declining enrollment and a shift in student interest, the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business is phasing out its full-time Master of Business Administration program to make way for more part-time and specialized degree offerings. The college on Tuesday announced its last traditional full-time MBA students will graduate in 2019 amid plans to grow part-time programs, expand online options, and introduce more specialized master’s programs over the next three years — like a finance degree in Fall 2018. The move, in part, aims to increase the college’s investment in Iowa MBA programs that serve working professionals — like its part-time professional and executive MBAs. (The Iowa Gazette)

The 2017 Annual Conference and Exposition, presented by NBMBAA and Prospanica is coming up quickly. Now is the time to register to secure your sessions and housing. Visit our Conference page to learn about this year’s events, speakers and exhibitors. Register Now.

The world of computer accessories and gadgets is huge. Even if you've got brand loyalty, in most cases a single brand has two or three lines of headphones, speakers, or smart devices. More annoying is that accessories and gadgets vary in price substantially, so it can be difficult to decide whether the step-up to the next tier will be worth it. (Business Insider)

The sometimes-uncomfortable relationship between online service providers and their more unsavory customers changed in the wake of the Charlottesville tragedy. Companies that don’t take a public stand on the content they carry started to take one, with both GoDaddy and Cloudflare dropping infamous neo-Nazi site the Daily Stormer. Others, like PayPal, which had quietly taken one-off actions on hate sites in the past, started dropping customers by the dozens, including American Renaissance, League of the South, VDARE, and Richard Spencer’s National Policy Institute and AltRight.com. While tech’s crackdown on violence-inciting white nationalist sites came rapidly following the turmoil in Virginia, it took years of cajoling by activists and advocates to get Silicon Valley ready for action. (Fast Company)

Owners say it's important to prepare for cyberattacks, disasters and succession, but most lack formal plans as reported in a Nationwide survey; Millennials and African Americans are the most prepared to face risks. (PR Newswire)

One of the three big credit rating agencies has issued a warning to lawmakers regarding the debt ceiling. Fitch Ratings said in a statement that the AAA rating the U.S. now bears would be in jeopardy if Congress can't get a deal done before the deadline to raise the borrowing limit. (Business Insider)

Saving money is a tall order for the average American. In fact, 69% have less than $1,000 in the bank according to a 2016 GoBankingRates survey. Whether you're on a tight budget or simply unskilled at personal finance, the time to change is now. Consider planning for these expenses to avoid unnecessary debt and worry. (CNN Money)

For many soon-to-be retirees, a cool $1 million sounds like substantial savings goal, yet that largely depends on where you live. In some parts of the country, it will barely last a decade. Consider the cost of averages expenses for people age 65 and older, including groceries, housing, utilities, transportation and health care in every state to find out how long $1 million would really last. (USA TODAY)

The White House will not postpone a conference on historically black colleges next month, rejecting calls from African-American lawmakers who said President Donald Trump should shelve the event after his comments about the fatal protest in Charlottesville, Va.The Sept. 17-19 conference will go on as scheduled, Omarosa Manigault-Newman, director for communications for the White House’s Office of Public Liaison said Tuesday.