Here are a few numbers that stood out in the stories I've been reading this week. The stat tells a story which you can use to creates an action item. I first give the stat then offer what you can do with the information.

Think Outside the Cube for Career AdvancementThe Numbers

Fifty-four - That's the percent of hiring managers who believe they can tell when a technology professional is about to exit.

The Signs

A change in habits related to work or a noticeable lack of engagement with colleagues or projects, taking large numbers of single-day absences, or changing to more formal dress
The takeaway - Always dress like you're going for that interview and work like you just got the job.
Nine percent - The number of CFOs who plan to expand their IT department the second quarter, according to a survey of 1,400 CFOs by Robert Half. The survey also revealed that 2 percent expect to decrease the size.
The Takeaway - Be ready. Have the resume up to date now. You need to email it on the day you're asked for it.
65,000 - That's number of apps written for the iPhone and iPad. The number is so high experts say that it's nearly impossible for good apps get discovered.
The Takeaway - They haven't seen the one you're developing yet!
37,000 - That's the number of apps that are flashlights written for the iPhone and iPad.
The Takeaway - They haven't seen the one you're developing yet!
5 - The number of jobs that Dice lists with a search term of "Cattle."
The Takeaway - Think outside the cube. The IT department is melding into the business unit. For example, the 5 listings with the word cattle in the job description are from, Cargill, who expects its Sr. Tibco Integration Analyst to spend 50 percent of their time with the business units.
$36.5 million - That's the money Massachusetts will spend to build "an online resource tool that consumers and small business owners can use to access and compare health insurance plans."
The Takeaway - Show them how that you can do it with Amazon EC2, some off-the-shelf software, and a handful of programmers all for a million dollars and collect a $35.5 million bonus.