Weekly Roundup: Top 5 Career and Tech Hiring Tips – September 12, 2014

Welcome to CyberCoders' Weekly Roundup! Every week, we handpick the top five stories from around the web that offer great insight into hiring in the tech industry. 

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1. How to Graciously Say ‘No’ to Anyone (Mashable)

Saying “yes” to everything that’s asked of you is the fastest way to burn out, unhappiness and lack of productivity.

A lot of times, we get caught up in the instant gratification that comes from helping others only to fall behind ourselves. Alexandra Frazen over at The Muse talks about how she overcome this hurdle when a friend asked her to help her with a project.

“There was no compelling reason why I ought to say “yes!” to her request—other than just to ‘be nice’ and ‘help out a friend.’ And while I do love being a nice, helpful friend, sometimes, the answer is ‘not this time.’” Frazen writes.

Declining fast. Explaining why. And proposing an alternative solution is the best way to tactfully say “no.” The late Steve Jobs once said: “Focus is about saying no.”

2. Ask the Experts: How Do I Ask for a Raise? [Fast Company]

There’s really no easy way to ask for a raise. It takes careful planning to pose the question tactfully and successfully. The best time to ask for a raise? Lolly Daskal, leadership development and CEO coach and consultant explains:

When one or more of the following has happened:

• Your job description has changed and your responsibilities have grown.
• You’re frequently praised for a job well done.
• You’ve nailed down a big accomplishment or innovation.
• You can demonstrate that you’ve made a specific positive contribution above just doing your job.
• You can point to a track record of consistent performance.

3. Google Offers to Secure Gmail, Documents on Your New iPhone [Business Insider]

If you’re planning to upgrade to the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, “bring it to work and Google will you protect your Gmail and documents.” The new iOS Sync will beef up the security on your iPhone and iPad if you’re a Google App customer.

4. IT Preps for iPhone 6, iOS 8 in the Enterprise [Tech Target]

The news of Apple’s latest iOS 8 for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus devices means there’s a big opportunity for IT to ramp up and adapt to the larger screens.

"Having that ability to run an almost desktop-like app because you’ve got screen resolution and real estate to be able to do that is going to be a big deal for a lot of people," Bob O'Donnell, founder and chief analyst for TECHnalysis Research.

5.  5 Reasons Why Apple Pay is the Sleeper Hit of the Apple Event [Mashable]

Not impressed with the iPhone or Apple Watch? Wall Street wasn’t either.

Some say the most impressive thing that came out of the Apple announcement was Apple Pay. It has the potential to literally change the way we pay for stuff.

“It uses Apple’s Passbook app, NFC (in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus), a special authentication chip and Touch ID, the built-in fingerprint reader found in the iPhone 5S and now iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.”