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.

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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?

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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.

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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 Report.

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.

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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?