Cynthia Colby of Sympatico, on the other hand, thinks being nice means being weak. According to Colby, when someone is likable, other people want to work with her, be around her. Nice people do things to make other people happy, at their own expense, she believes.

Physical therapist and president of Waterfalls Day Spa, Sara Daly, and speech language pathologist and vice-president of Waterfalls Day Spa, Laurie Webb, agree with Colby that nice people are generally weak.

In business, people don't expect you to be nice," Daly and Webb believe. "Likable has a level of respect to it ... it is okay to disagree at times in business ... you are still likable, but you may not be nice."

For Melinda Mallari of Precision Market Services, likable people are people who others find it enjoyable to be around. As she sees it, it's easier to forgive the imperfections of likable people. She went on to say that she finds certain kinds of nice people - those who have a condenscending or self-righteous air - distasteful. "You can appreciate how nice they act, but not necessarily want to be around them," she concluded.

Only six of the query respondants thought it was better to be nice than likable. The remaining seven didn't have a specific preference.

Vera Newhouse of Edelman was among those who feel it's better to be nice than likable in the workplace. "I think the difference between being likable and being nice is that a nice person is more genuine and loyal. They exhibit qualities of being an employee who cares and who will work well in a team environment," she explained. With someone who is likable, Newhouse said, "You like an aspect of the person's personality but not everything about the person."

Author of Nice Girls Can Finish First, Daylle Deanna Schwartz, offered this unique perspective, suggesting that it's okay to be likable and nice simultaneously. "People should always be a healthy version of nice at work, which means being courteous and respectful to all, but also letting people know that you respect yourself and expect to be taken seriously," she asserted. "People can nicely stand up for themselves and get their point across in ways people will listen to, all with a smile and positive attitude."

When trying to decide how to stand out during their job searches, it's a good idea for college students and recent graduates to focus more on being sincere than on trying to be what others say they should be. Whether it's in their nature to be nice or likable, as long as they come across as genuine - and, of course, qualified - they'll probably get the jobs they desire.