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I always had a sweet spot in my heart for pitchman Billy Mays. Not just because I think my impression (BILLY MAYS HERE!) is pretty solid, but because Billy was a true American success story. Whether you loved or hated his style, there is no denying that he built himself up into an iconic figure. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone not familiar with his trademark delivery and appearance. (Black hair dye, some hair gel and a blue shirt.)Here are several career lessons to be learned from the college dropout.- Have your own style. Loud. Obnoxious. You might call it yelling, Billy called it projecting. Whatever you label it, it was undoubtedly effective. Standing out from the pack and becoming associated with success (OxiClean, Awesome Auger, etc.) can only help your career. Attach yourself to winners and future victories have a better chance to follow. It might appear that Billy accepted every product that came his way, but there were hundreds - if not thousands that he rejected.- Sell … [Read more...] about Billy Mays: American Success Story

I tend to know what I want out of life. And if I make a mistake, I correct it as quickly as possible. More often than not, thanks in part to a perfect mix of in-tune instincts and obsessive research, I make the right choices.Marrying the perfect woman. Check.Buying a great house. Check.Landing my dream gig...No check. Why is it that in a world where I am confident about the decisions I make, I am still unsure about my career choices and where I am heading next?I like what I do. It pays the bills, it's challenging (at times), and I generally like the people I work with. Yet at this job, and everyone that has preceded it, I find myself asking the same question over and over again...IS THIS IT?It was this reoccurring question that led me to start Jobacle.com back in 2005. I'd like to hope I'm closer to the answer than ever before, but I'm simply not sure.  It's a moving target.My first mistake might have been expecting this feeling to fade; the answer to rear its glorious head. But … [Read more...] about My Career: More Questions Than Answers

Our pals at CareerCast have released the following...What do firefighters, surgeons and senior corporate executives have in common? More than you may think. They are among the nation’s most demanding jobs, according to a new CareerCast.com study.While firefighter reigns supreme as the most all-around demanding job, surgeon and senior corporate executive rank second and third, followed by police officer. Considering that firefighters regularly work long hours in hazardous, life-threatening situations and have the most physical demands of any of our top jobs, their landslide first place finish is no surprise, but police officers often endure the same sort of demands yet they ranked fourth. What gives? While police officers ranked higher for the physical demands of their job, their average work week and stress scores were considerably lower than that of a surgeon or a senior corporate executive.Also on the list of the most demanding, high-risk blue-collar occupations are roustabouts … [Read more...] about America's 8 "Most-Demanding Jobs"

I recently blogged about things that I like more in my 30s than I did in my 20s.Looking back on my "younger years," I can also see many differences in my attitude towards work. One of the big shifts is how much time I spend thinking about work when I'm not at work.Over the years I have been able to re-train myself to eliminate work thoughts when I'm off the clock. I have found that this has improved my home life, reduced the feeling of dreading Mondays, and led to a better career experience overall.I'd love to outline a laundry list of how-to tips, but, quite frankly, it comes down to a simple action: STOP.When you find your thoughts gravitating toward work, or you catch yourself blathering on about last week's office events--tell yourself to cut it out. Even if you enjoy what you do and see great benefit in thinking or talking about it on "your" time, there is something to be said for compartmentalizing your work/home endeavors. Read more of Andrew G.R.'s post at US News and World … [Read more...] about Why Your Weekends Aren't For Work

You’re probably not. An expert, I mean. Many of us think that we’re experts at so many things, but in reality, we’re just small fish in a big pond. There’s a theory out there that says it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert at something. A few weekends of tinkering or even a few years of casual practice won’t work. Reading a book on a topic won’t even cut it. 10,000 hours of dedication to a single subject is a hefty investment. Let’s calculate how much time it would take to become a real expert on something that isn’t related to your job (according to this ubiquitous and completely random 10,000 figure). · If you only practice on the weekends for maybe 10 hours total, then that makes 1,000 weeks (just over 19 years). That’s a long time to practice on something that may not even interest you that far down the road. · If you double it to 20 per week by studying 2 hours extra per weekday in addition to … [Read more...] about So You Think You’re An Expert, Eh?

Your cube is gross. There, I said it. You really need to clean it up. Toss out the old candy wrappers. Shred those old files (and any incriminating holiday party photos). But that’s just the surface of the whole cubicle mess. We want you to get energized and see things in a whole new light! Let’s dig a little deeper, shall we? Physical When it was time to leave my old job, I had accumulated loads of junk on and around my desk. Now, part of the problem was that I was pretty organized for the first year and a half, because I had two cubicle spots to spread out my work (i.e. “junk”), and when someone was placed in the second slot, everything had to be crammed back into my side. Another part of the problem is that I was always too busy with work to actually stop and pick up the papers, handbooks, and countless other piles of stuff. However, I was putting myself through a hassle for no reason at all. Taking the time out of your day, week, or month to clean up your … [Read more...] about Clean Your Cubicle

An open letter to Spencer Pratt and heidi Montag... Dear Speidi,This is a challenge: sit in my cubicle for a day and I guarantee it will be harder than anything you have experienced in the Costa Rican jungle.Challenges include 8-hour meetings, cleaning out the community refrigerator, withstanding co-workers never-ending stories, and surviving the infamous paper-cut chamber.Your privacy will be stripped away; your posh lifestyle checked at the door. Reservations for lunch? Hell no. You get a brown bag with a turkey sandwich and 45 minutes. Ready...go! And you better have exact change for the vending machine.Your canned tans will fade under the heat of fluorescent lights. Too hot? Too cold? Whatever. Your boss controls the thermostat so he'll decide how comfortable you will be.Want to call your agent to get you out of here? No problem. Just keep in mind that the Communications Policy you signed indicates that any calls/Internet activity may be monitored. Your fellow cubemates will do … [Read more...] about I'm a Cube Dweller, Get Me Out of Here

Some of the stranger Jobacle topics come to me while I am driving to and from work. Today I would like to speak to you about your pre-work bathroom ritual. Come on now, don't be bashful. From what I gather, people have very stong opinions on going to the bathroom at work. So let me ask: How desperate are you to "eliminate" waste before you get to the office? … [Read more...] about Do You "Eliminate" Before Work?