When has a negative or positive attitude hurt or helped you in your career?

FORBES: What's with the Attitude? Everything!

If you graduated early, point out relevant internships or classes that helped you accelerate, Ms. Pollak says.

WSJ: Job Hunting in the Off Season

"You cannot come and say 'Excellency, you must to this or do that because my country has helped you a lot, '" Hun Sen said.

CNN: Cambodian strongman lashes out at Asian trade group

Or do you give back to the commons that helped you get your foot in that door?

FORBES: Silicon Valley Start-up Common: Where Tech Winners Give Back

And no, a turkey sandwich is not payment for something that helped you overcome an obstacle and either created value or additional revenue for your company.

FORBES: No, You Can't Pick My Brain. It Costs Too Much

To get such a waiver, you hire the people who used to administer or who helped craft the policies.

FORBES: Obamacare Waiver Process Is Like Scene From Atlas Shrugged

For the UK, you'll remember the likely fall in inflation (helped by stable or falling oil prices) was one of my biggest "reasons to be cheerful" in 2012.

BBC: Davos 2012: The unfinished and the unmentionable

And the interest rate freeze is I think merited, because look at what's happening -- if you're a big bank that helped get us into this mess, you go borrow money from Abu Dhabi or somewhere.

CNN: Part 1 of CNN Democratic presidential debate

As the Recovery Act funds that saw through many states over the last two years are phasing out -- and it is undeniable that the Recovery Act helped every single state represented in this room manage your budgets, whether you admit it or not -- you face some very tough choices at this point on everything from schools to prisons to pensions.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama and Vice President Biden Address National Governors Association | The White House