A few career-related articles on in descending order from useful to useless.

I'm going to hold off starting this cyber career road trip to post an e-mail that I received. I subscribe to many job-search websites, which contain information on job leads and articles that could be useful in my hopeful quest to find what I've been looking for since May of 2008 (with one sizable hiatus earlier this year, as previously mentioned).

This e-mail is from JobCircle, a site on which I don't even bother looking for jobs anymore because I haven't gotten even one e-mail back from any of their listed companies/job descriptions, let alone an interview.

I couldn't help but noticing their three featured articles listed in the e-mail.

Best Questions To Ask In Your Job Interview

This article, written by Caroline Howard, lists a number of questions that you can ask that you can ask to a prospective employer during a job interview:

1. How would you describe the ideal candidate?

2. How do you envision this position supporting you?

3. How does this position fit into the company’s long-term plans?

4. How would you define “success” for this position?

5. What can I do for you as follow-up?

This was definitely the most useful of the three articles listed. These questions also went on to provide brief elaborations of each question and it's importance--pretty advantageous in order to gain an edge by subtly psychologically leveling the hiring manager.

Also listed are 12 questions that you should not ask; mostly questions involving inquiring about the salary, leaving work early, a timetable of promotions, sick days, etc. I've seen other sites like this. These are mostly common-sense and redundant (I think only an easily-wowed kid would ask a potential boss how many people they've fired and how often they can stay home from school "sick"--save it, Ferris); and it seems like these questions are little more than a way of attempting humor to impress their fellow colleagues in their industry. However, this article was useful overall.

What Every Professional Needs In Her Desk Drawer

This title (written by Jenna Goudreau of The Other Half) immediately loses personal interest with me because the article targets female professionals when I am a male job-seeker, (What is this, Sex and the City?) So I might as well just give it a chance anyway, here's some of the list:

Hand Cream: Ok, I guess it's sort of useful. While I see the need to avoid dry skin and have clean hands, to devote an entire work day to periodic moisturization like you're in the shower or at Club Med seems counterproductive. The stuff may short-circuit the keyboard and start an office fire that will burn the bridges of your hard-earned networking contacts on LinkedIn.

Eye Drops: Most of us get dry-eyes or allergies, but what are you trying to hide, Tommy Chong?

Ibuprofin (and other pain relievers): Take for headaches, but the boss may get suspicious of your personal life with daily use.

Other listed things of importance are lint brushes, adhesive bandages and breath fresheners. I had to skip the sewing kit, the make-up and the hairbrushes. Article is sort of useful, but you can take care of some of that stuff at home. I don't know why it was listed as an article on my e-mail from JobCircle, because other articles are about things you can do to GET THE JOB, how can we maintain a proper workplace if we aren't working at the moment?

This next article, written by Susan Adams, was absolutely atrocious and gut-wrenching to read: Pimp My Cubicle.

Again, on a site that targets and caters to job-seekers that are looking to be employed into the American Dream that is the cubicle, how is this useful?

"When I need to be cool, calm and collected," he says, "I can just talk to my little bonsai tree." -Lee Burbage, Human Resources Professional at The Motley Fool

It's nice to know that when I spend 45 minutes to an hour on some job applications, the guy in HR is too busy talking to plants to read my cover letter in its entirety and thoroughly examine my resume!



This Motley Fool is pictured in the article with a mini-jungle set up around his desk. "Did you get a chance to look over my resume? No? Did Tarzan accidentally knock it off of your desk with his vine to be eaten by The Lion King???"

I know a day at work can be stressful, but damn! You wonder why the economy is in shambles and the unemployment rates are high across the board. When people are busy writing tips on how to 'pimp your cubicle,' inspiring many interior decorators-at-heart to disregard their tasks at hand to waste company time, potential production output suffers; and this college grad can't find a job?!? They say Hell is a place without reason, and reading this article makes me feel like I've jumped in the fire.