"Networkers, take initiative! If you are asking someone to meet with you to receive advice, information, or support, make an extra effort to impress him or her with your competence and energy.

"While common mistakes can sink an application, when a letter showed inexperience more than anything else, I tried to put myself in the candidate’s shoes.

Aaron Orendorff (photo, left) has some tips.

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"Want to boost your productivity?

Liz Ryan answers a reader's question.

"One of the biggest changes in social media marketing this past year has been its emergence as a major player for advertising dollars.

"After reinventing the wheel for myself time and time again I’ve come to realize that the secret to millennial success in the business world is a combination of grit and creative thinking.

"Analyze your start-up like an actuary.

"Devil’s advocates tend to pop up just when a project is about to launch.

"In his book, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, author and productivity Guru David Allen discusses his “next-action technique,” which basically involves taking action with one task to empower you to get to the next task.

"Suddenly, the interviewer won’t return your emails or answer your calls.

"Here are the top 10 network security challenges faced by small and midsize businesses (SMBs) in 2015 and tips to address them.

"Pinpointing your customers’ needs better may lead to better sales—but you’ve got to do some legwork first.

According to Bill Reichert, "Most entrepreneurs should just throw out their elevator pitches and start over.

"When we look back at small business lending in 2015, bigger has been better for entrepreneurs in search of capital.

"It's almost axiomatic - business growth requires a clear vision or goal and strategies to support it.

According to Eric Samson (photo, left), "In January 2015, MediaPost reported that CMOs are turning more of their attention toward social media.

"Of all the reasons why applicants’ resumes get tossed in the circular file, “the O word”, for overqualified, has long been in the Top Ten.

"A reader asked whether she needed to reply to an email.

"In real life, most people are fairly law-abiding, either by disposition or because we're afraid of getting caught.

"The meeting seemed to go smoothly.

"We spend a lot of energy looking for shortcuts to save time, and sure, those shortcuts add up.

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"Popular social networks are notoriously careful to not alienate their users, helping ensure that your ads won’t come off as overly intrusive and tiresome.