present a speech. They liked working with her because she brought a contagious enthusiasm, a willingness to put in the time required, a deep desire to learn new things, and an ease in relationships that made her a delight to be around. That is solid gold to an employer, and something they are willing to reward, even in someone with a modest understanding of, or experience in, a particular field or professional area.

Second, learn how to articulate and present the skills you have. It isn't easy to reflect a “good attitude” on a resume - which is one of the reasons why a job searcher must never rely on a resume alone. Resumes tend to focus on documenting the other kinds of skills, rather than the ones we have been focusing on. But this is where reference letters and the interview come in. Be sure you collect reference letters from significant work experiences and internships. I have written many reference letters myself, and when I think about the content of them, character is always an important element and something I never fail to touch on. I think this is true of most reference letters and also reference checks by phone. Since a good interview should in many ways be a storytelling event in which you describe instances in which you displayed relevant skills, make sure your stories reflect the kinds of skills we have been talking about.

Whether we call it character, personal management skills, or simply a good attitude, the kind of person you are has never been more important. Don't dismiss, under-value or overlook these very powerful skills that employers are seeking as never before.

The above is an excerpt from The Last Job Search Guide You'll Ever Need: How to Find and Get the Job or Internship of Your Dreams, which is available for sale for $19.85 in our bookstore or $27.00 at Amazon.com but for free to those who subscriber to our free career newsletter. This hot new book contains job search secrets of the most experienced, most knowledgeable and most respected career experts. Learn career planning, job hunting tools and tactics, interviewing, cover letter and resume writing (lots of samples!), networking, and how to find an internship. Written by 149 career experts. To receive a free copy, subscribe to our free career newsletter.

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