Social media has revolutionized the way recruiters search for talent, which means job seekers need to make sure their profiles are tuned to perfection. After all, you never know when the right person will stumble across your LinkedIn page at the right time. In the latest Mediabistro feature, career experts and seasoned freelancers tell how to get the most out of social media profiles during the job search. One thing you can include is:

Charity work and professional affiliations

Even if it doesn’t relate to the media biz, fulfilling work you do outside of a paying job can be a great conversation starter. Plus, you never know if the person scoping out your profile knows someone involved in that organization. So, if you spend Sundays tutoring kids at the local community center or helping your child’s PTA organization, include it on your profile.

Likewise, listing professional groups you belong to is a good idea because it builds credibility. (It’s the perfect chance to list those organizations that you pay to belong to just so you can list them on your resume!)

Read more in What Job Seekers Should (and Shouldn’t) Include on Their Social Media Profiles. [subscription required]

Now that Kate White is no longer the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan to focus on speaking engagements, digital media and her books, White’s been dishing advice to women in her new book.

The author of I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This: Success Secrets Every Gutsy Girl Should Know explained to The New York Post:

“We’ve made incredible strides, but I think there are challenges that women face that are not the same for men. I think sometimes we can still have that good-girl tendency not to grab the seat next to the boss at a meeting or not to talk on that project. We sometimes worry about what other people will think. I think men are maybe not as prone to that.”

As for her top ways women can get ahead in the working world, here’s a succinct version. Although her tips are specifically geared toward women, men may likely benefit from her sage words as well. Read more

If you think you’re a star employee because you can tick off all the responsibilities in your job description, think again. Your goal should really be to keep your boss happy, otherwise known as “managing up.”

In the latest Mediabistro feature, workplace experts tell the best ways to communicate with your higher ups and project efficiency and smarts.

No. 4: Keep your manager in the loop.

How do you keep from sharing too much or too often with your manager? Christina T. Schlachter, author of Leading Business Change for Dummies and CEO of the consultancy SheLeads, says it pays to just ask. “Take the lead in determining communication. Don’t wait for your boss to do it. Ask your manager how often he or she wants to hear from you and in what form.”

For more tips, read Managing Up: 7 Ways to Keep the Boss Happy. [subscription required]

Feeling stressed or stuck while you’re on the job is something that everyone goes through, but sometimes it’s a sign that your career is in need of a new direction. So, how can you tell if your bad day is really just a bad situation?

“When you feel depressed or like your stomach is in knots on Sunday night as you prepare for the work week, this is a sure sign you need a new direction,” said Tiffani Murray, an HR consultant and author of Stuck on Stupid: A Guide for Today’s Professional Stuck in a Rut. “Any job that’s a detriment to your health is not a job to hold on to.”

Read more in 5 Signs It’s Time to Leave Your Job. [Mediabistro AvantGuild subscription required]

Want to achieve longevity in your career? Look no further than LeVar Burton. The actor has starred in three iconic TV shows (Roots, Star Trek The Next Generation and Reading Rainbow, in case you’re wondering), directed films, written books, and he recently dove head-first into Silicon Valley by releasing the Reading Rainbow app.

So, how has he managed to re-invent his career so many times? By being a “self-starter,” he says.

“I found early on in my acting career that I didn’t do well just sitting around and waiting around for the phone to ring, for somebody to give me a job,” Burton explained in our Media Beat interview. “I’ve always been out there more pro-active than anybody else on my own behalf, because I just know that you’ve gotta make it happen. Nobody’s gonna make it happen for you.”

Part 1: LeVar Burton on Bringing the ‘Reading Rainbow’ App to Silicon Valley
Part 2: LeVar Burton on the Future of Reading Rainbow & Printed Books

Our Career Breakfast panelists had a lot more to offer than cookie-cutter advice about preparing for a job interview. If you missed our live broadcast, we’ve rounded up a few key tips and embedded the full video below.

Lars Schmidt, NPR’s talent acquisition leader, advised candidates to Google themselves to fully understand what the company may know about you. “You don’t want to be derailed by a question you’re not prepared for.”

Mediabistro VP of education and events Carmen Scheidel reminded viewers that the interview itself is a form of research, essentially a great opportunity to decide if the company culture is something that you can commit your career to.

Finally, HR pro Laurie Ruettimann advised job seekers to remain neutral — in both look and odor. That means no hot pink skirts or dumping on cologne. “You want to be memorable for your knowledge, skills and abilities, not for your wardrobe or how you smell.”

By nature, even the coolest jobs start losing their luster the day you start them. So how do you learn to re-love a gig once the honeymoon is over?

Tactic No. 1: Do something different. ”Become an elastic band. Push yourself to take on new assignments and gain some extra skills,” said Mark Swartz, senior career columnist for Monster Canada. “Be part of something bigger.”

“Know what you love and think about how to incorporate this aspect into your work,” said career coach and corporate trainer Carin Rockind. “Adding these passions will make you like your workplace and the rest of your job more.”

For five more ways that will help you go from hating to loving your job, read 6 Ways To Love The Job You Have.

This article is one of several mediabistro.com features exclusively available to AvantGuild subscribers. If you’re not a member yet, you can register for as little as $55 a year and get access to these articles, discounts on seminars and workshops, and more.