Fortune came out with a he-said-she-said type of questionnaire that posed seven work-related challenges. It asked if the strategies from watching reality TV would be better than reviewing the New York Times, or visa versa. The one that stood out to me as having the least-clear strategy choice was the lesson of what not to do in interviews.

He said: Many writers (myself included) liken the interview process to dating — both involve anticipation, conversation, humiliation, and (if you get lucky) consummation. And that makes dating shows, with their over-the-top characters doing all the wrong things, like instructional videos for interviewing. Great example: I think Daisy from Rock of Love said "like" and "ya know?" at least 50 times during her video testimonials. Yikes.

She said: Point taken. What can compete with Daisy's wide eyes and red lips, whatever the heck they're saying? Still, the one place a newspaper really can help you is in an actual interview. I can't tell you how many recruiters have told me that they've been put off by a candidate's total lack of current events knowledge — in their industry and in general. So read, for crying out loud.

Photo courtesy of The CW