Your next move

Ask the most successful people you know how they got to where they are, and you’re likely to find a common thread in their answers: Bit by bit. Our professional destinies are rarely decided by one big, dramatic moment — more commonly, growth is the result of lots of small steps that eventually add up to the arc of a career. 

It’s the kind of thing we often can’t appreciate until we have the benefit of hindsight. But barring the discovery of time travel, we have no way of knowing how what we do today will affect what happens tomorrow. So, sans a DeLorean, navigating our work lives often comes down to one simple question: What’s the best thing to do right now?

In today’s Wake-Up Call at Work, we’ll talk about the choices we can make at this moment — or, in some cases, the choices we shouldn’t make. We tapped our network of business titans, industry insiders, and career experts to bring you thought-provoking stories about examining the obstacles in your path and deftly deciding how to proceed. Their practical advice is the kind of wisdom that’ll stick with you for years to come. And who knows? Maybe one day you’ll be sitting with your grandchild, answering their career questions, and find yourself saying, “You know, I read in a newsletter once…”

You’re Worth It

These days, layoffs are happening at companies big and small, and fears about a possible recession still haven't abated. What does that mean for the employees who are lucky enough to have a stable job — and want a little salary bump? CEOs may be tightening their belts, but that doesn’t mean your path to a bigger paycheck is necessarily blocked. We’ve got a guide to how to ask for a raise during uncertain economic times, including the best moment to make the request and how to sharpen your case.

Regrets, They’ve Had a Few

Ever made a work-related decision and then…immediately regretted that decision? To err is human, but to get advice on how to err a little less often is divine. That’s why we asked 10 professional powerhouses about the worst career mistakes they’ve ever made, and their candid recollections are overflowing with common mishaps that you should avoid on your journey to greatness.

Safe and Sound

Twenty years ago, most of us had no idea how many hours of our lives we’d eventually spend staring into a screen. (According to recent studies, about 85% of U.S. adults have a smartphone, and say they keep those devices close at hand during every waking hour of their day.) The upside of our devices is obviously access to Candy Crush, but the downside is the potential to expose your high-stakes personal data. “Any company or individual who’s lived through the last couple decades has added so much technology to their lives and to their business that they are inevitably vulnerable to something,” says Royal Hansen, Google’s VP of engineering for privacy, safety, and security. Addressing those vulnerabilities is all of our responsibility, whether you run a country, a business, or a household. We’ve got the scoop on what we can all do to mitigate our cyber risks.

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