You'll be more productive if you get the least enjoyable tasks of your day out of the way first, said Drew Stevens. "Get the calls, the reports, the meeting with the nasty client all out of the way first and the remainder of the day is easier," Stevens said.

If you have a co-worker who likes to corner you and talk to you at length, offer a plausible excuse right away for why you can't talk, writes Patrick Allan. If that's not possible, mention that you can only chat for a couple of minutes.

While most professionals assume that a mentor should be an older person, there are advantages to having a younger mentor, writes Kathy Bloomgarden. For instance, a younger mentor can keep you up to date on new technology trends while providing you with a fresh perspective.

Two conflicting studies are spotlighting the ongoing debate surrounding the gradual minimum wage increase to $15 per hour in Seattle, Wash. A recent report out of the University of Washington found that employers cut hours significantly to compensate for higher wages, while a study from the University of California at Berkeley found a much lower rate of worker displacement, which some experts say is the result of the city's economic boom, not adjustments to the minimum wage.

Women who decline to provide their salary histories to a potential employer end up making 1.8% less than women who do disclose their previous salaries. Meanwhile, men who refuse the same request make 3% more than their female counterparts, according to Pew data.

Professionals who find themselves getting annoyed by the simplest things are likely suffering from burnout rather than a poor career fit, writes Emily Heaslip. Burnout can also make employees less likely to make small talk with colleagues.

Asteroids may provide valuable sources of platinum, gold, iron and other resources for future mining expeditions. "While the psychological barrier to mining asteroids is high, the actual financial and technological barriers are far lower," Goldman Sachs said in a report.