career

Peppering your conversations with "like" can seem like the norm or even cool in high school, but when it comes to the working world, it can discredit your professionalism. You might as well throw in a "whatever" or "as if!" while you're at it. It disrupts the flow of your conversation, and also makes you sound unsure of what you are saying.

However, this doesn't mean that you can't use the word at all. The word "like" is properly used in some instances:

• You're comparing the similarity between two items: This shirt is like the one I have.
• You favor something: I like him
• You're giving an example: A sport like football.

Here are some things you can do to curb the use of the filler:

• Record yourself: Try to record yourself talking on the phone with a friend and watch how often you say the word. This will make you more aware of how much you say "like." You may start automatically noticing your usage when you're talking.
• Make a conscious effort: Make an effort to stop saying "like" in all your conversations. The more you practice, the more second nature it'll become to you.
• Join Toastmasters: Join your local Toastmasters to improve your public speaking skills, which most definitely will include the banning of the use of the word "like."
• Slow down: You may be interjecting the word "like" in your conversation as fillers because you need more time to process your thoughts before you speak. Start slowing down your speech and take pauses when you need them. People often worry about pauses making the conversation uncomfortable, but it actually shows that you're thinking before you speak, which is always a positive trait.

Who doesn't need more money? We've given you many ideas to earn extra income, but sometimes there are intangible factors you may or may not have control over that affect your salary. Thankfully, we have scientists hard at work in their labs trying to figure out the answers for us. Here are various results of research studies of the things that impact income:

• Height: An Australian study found that 6-foot men earned $1,000 more than guys who were two inches shorter. "Taller people are perceived to be more intelligent and powerful," says the study.
• Regular exercise: People who work out regularly, according to a study in the Journal of Labor Research, earn nine percent more than their couch potato peers. Perhaps your monthly gym membership is literally paying off.
• Popularity in high school: Being well-liked in high school isn't something we can change right now, but if you were one of the cool kids, you're in luck. A National Bureau of Economic Research study says people who were among the top fifth most popular students in high school, earn a 10 percent premium on salary four decades later compared with the bottom fifth.
• When you marry: College-educated women who marry past their 30s make more income, while men who marry earlier see more financial benefits, according to a study by the National Marriage Project. One reason could be: women who marry earlier tend to have kids earlier as well, which forces them to take a break from their career during a period when they'll see a lot of growth. As for men, perhaps those who marry earlier tend to be more secure and confident than their single friends, leading to higher productivity.

Read on for more.

We're happy to present this post from our partners at Yahoo! Shine:

What's in a name? Lots and lots of "Benjamins," ($100 dollar bills, that is). Unless your name happens to be Benjamin, in which case, some research suggests, you had better stick with Ben.

The Ladders, an online job-matching site, recently crunched the numbers in its database of over 6 million career professionals to determine the top names for corporate executives as well as the names of the highest earners. They found that people with first names longer than five letters lose out on about $3,600 in salary every year—and that's per letter. So, for little Alexander that means potentially missing out on more than $500,000 over the course of a 40-year career.

Want insight on how names affect other aspects of life? Read on.

These days, it's hard to just stick with one company. Whether it's the job market or just the way things work now, many people are finding themselves working for multiple companies in the span of just a few years. Read the stories of some of today's job hoppers from our partner site LearnVest:

These days, job hopping is practically a way of life. Gone is the idea of spending four decades at one company, ultimately retiring with a gold watch and a pension plan.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median number of years workers stay at a given job is only 4.6, which allows them to rack up as many as 10 gigs in a lifetime.

The problem: Many employers still see job hopping as a deal breaker. Nearly 40% of recruiters and hiring managers say that a history of hopping is the single biggest obstacle for job-seekers, according to a recent survey conducted by recruiting software company Bullhorn.

We found four serial job hoppers who were willing to dish about their adventures in the labor market. Then we asked a crack squad of career experts for advice on how these hoppers can find a gig that will make them want to stick around.

Read on to get the details.

Being picky on LinkedIn doesn't make you a snob, it's just smart. After all, if you add everyone and their moms to your account, you're diluting the strength and integrity of your connections and network. How can you be a trusted connection if you had no idea your connection Jane Smith is a scam artist? It can be hard navigating the ins and outs of the professional social media network, so you should have a few ground rules for accepting LinkedIn requests.

You should only let a connection add you if she meets one or more of these requirements:

• You've worked or communicated with the person more than a handful of times, and you like her professional attitude and track record.
• You don't mind the connection tapping into your network.
• The person is someone you would feel comfortable reaching out to for networking purposes.
• She is someone you know in real life.
• You want to help her out.
• She is someone you respect and admire.
• Someone you trust has referred her to you.

Don't feel bad if you decline someone's request; it's something that happens often, and you're only hurting yourself if you weaken your network. Adding and accepting a LinkedIn request is a gesture of trust, and it should be made with careful consideration.

With a cable network to manage, a school in Africa to run, and shows to host, Oprah Winfrey might just be one of the busiest women in the world. And as Winfrey's health and fitness adviser, Bob Greene is definitely used to guiding busy professionals. Greene says one of the biggest excuses people often give is the "lack of time." Here are some steps to living a healthier lifestyle even if your plate is full:

• Prioritize and identify. "Prioritize what is most important in your life, and identify where you spend your time and energy. They should sync up! Before doing so, you might want to list all the things that are more important than your health and well being. When put this way, most people have a tough time justifying not having enough time to work out."
• Reduce time spent on other activities. "Systematically look at the time that is spent in activities that don't lead to your specific goals or benefit your life in a meaningful way. Most people do spend some time in these activities and benefit from whittling them down to the bare minimum."
• Build activity into your current schedule. "If you live close enough to work, walk or bike. Even shopping for groceries can be aerobic if done quickly enough, and getting it done faster saves more time! Take the stairs, park farther from your destination, wear a pedometer, these are all effective techniques to get more activity efficiently."
• Practice eating healthy."While it probably does take more time to plan and prepare healthy meals, once you get your recipes and ingredients down pat, it does get easier and more efficient. There are a slew of new healthy cookbooks that have 10- and even five-minute meals. Acquire a repertoire of these recipes and cookbooks. Also, collect menus (from both take out and dine-in restaurants) so you know where to go and what to order ahead of time."
• Get friends involved. "Partner with other health-conscious friends to share making dinner (or lunch) for each other. Each person can take a night where they are fully responsible for the entire meal. This not only saves time in preparation, you combine healthy dining with spending time with people in a social setting. Bonus because it's with people with similar goals of maximizing their own well-being."

Want more health advice from the wellness expert? Here's your chance to win a trip to Maui and meet Oprah and Bob Greene for a hike and to lunch at her farm.

Photo courtesy of of O, the Oprah Magazine

We've all been there before — it's midnight when you suddenly remember a work email you promised to send at the end of the day. You're tempted to send an email right then and there because you either have a deadline, or you don't want to forget to send it again the next day. Before you make any rash decisions, stop and consider the situation. Unless the email is an emergency and you actually have people waiting to hear back from you, then I advise you hold off on it till the next day. It's also OK to send it if your colleague lives in a different time zone where it's daytime to your night. Here are reasons against sending late-night work emails:

• They most likely won't read it until the next day. If it's related to work, many people often tune out of their work life once they are home. There are a lot of people who either resolve to not check their work emails after work, or not to respond to any work emails until they're back at the office. You're most likely not going to get a response if no one is waiting on you, so hold off on emailing until you're back to your cubicle.
• You'll be reminding them of work during their downtime. Even if your colleague checks her email after work, you don't want to add an additional stressor and remind her of the daily grind that they're trying to escape from.
• The a.m. time stamp is a little iffy. Even if you're more of a night owl, keep those habits to yourself and try not to send off an email at 1 a.m. It might make people wonder what you're doing up in the middle of the night.