In a previous article, I talked about how important it is to get references from the right people – the ones who can speak to your job performance, like your boss, a direct supervisor, manager, or team leader. It’s also important to get the right kind of reference – one that documents your accomplishments, not just your duties and the time you spent on the job.

Whenever possible, request a reference in writing. That way you don’t have to worry if that person changes firms or is otherwise unavailable to provide an oral reference. The reference should include information about the position or title you held, dates of employment, and in what capacity the person writing the reference supervised or evaluated your work. But the bulk of the reference should be qualitative in nature. It should focus on what you accomplished during your time in that position and what results your work produced. The more specifics the writer can provide, the better. Also, if you received any acknowledgements, commendations, rewards or promotions as a result of your performance, those should be included as well.

Because of fear of possible lawsuits, employers may be reluctant to provide more than just basic statistical data about your employment history. If the person you are requesting the reference from hesitates, tell them you are only asking that they include information that is a matter of record, not their personal opinion. If they are willing to provide more or to be contacted to discuss privately, that is always a plus.

Basically, what a recruiter or prospective employer wants to know is whether the previous employer was pleased with your work, considers you a good colleague, and would hire you back again. They can fact check your employment history themselves.

Salespeople will tell you that to be successful you have to believe in what you are selling. That same idea applies to work in general. If you are considering making a job or career change, ask yourself, what do you believe in? What really matters to you? What do you value most? You may have some financial or prestige goals in mind, but set those aside for the moment. There are many paths to attaining wealth and influence. Career success and job satisfaction result not from external rewards but from fulfilling one’s own goals and aspirations.

While it’s good to have mentors and role models, the fact is, you cannot walk someone else’s career path. Some people discover early on what they want to devote their energies to. For many of us, that may come about through trial and error, opportunity and necessity. Either way, there is no formula for success, only options. It’s up to you to determine what success looks like for you.

Start by taking some time to think about what’s most important to you in a job or career, what gives you satisfaction, and what you want to accomplish. Then take inventory of your skills and talents. What do you do well? In what areas would you like to develop? Now start to map out a kind of matrix or diagram in which you match your career goals and aspirations with your skills and talents. Highlight the areas where you find a high degree of alignment. You want to look for opportunities within that “sweet spot” where your values and your abilities converge. Don’t worry if you don’t find your “perfect” job right away. For now, focus on getting onto the right path and acquiring additional skills and experience that will eventually take you closer to your goal.

When our work and our values are in harmony, we have are free to be our best selves and to do our best work. We have a sense of purpose, of direction and of satisfaction that only comes when we have met the highest standards—those we set for ourselves.

Too often today people look upon networking as a numbers game. They gauge their success by how many followers, “friends” or connections they have accumulated through various social networking platforms. Sometimes these connections can prove helpful. But proper networking, the kind that can open doors for you and connect you to the right people, is about quality not quantity. You need to engage with people and cultivate a relationship. That means you have to have something to offer to make it worth their while.

As consultant Jeff Shuey points out in an article for Entrepreneur magazine, of course the people you meet know you are networking to gain something; they are, too. If you want to connect with and influence people, talk with them about what you can do for them, not what they can do for you. “Everyone is good at something,” says Jeff. “Whatever it is that you are good at … highlight it, emphasize it, and offer it to your network.” Be a giver rather than a getter and you’ll be amazed when you call on people for help they’re going to make it happen for you. Why? One, because you’ve proved you are someone worth knowing. Two, because they are confident that providing an introduction or recommendation for you is going to reflect well on them, too. The give and take is all connected in that way, and it is not always obvious who may turn out to be the key contact that gets you where you want to go. So, you have to keep giving and have faith that it’s going to work out in the end.

I’m not interested in having the world’s biggest contact list. Names, telephone numbers, email addresses have little value in themselves. For me, what’s more important is getting to know who someone is, what they do, and what they care about. It is that depth of knowing who someone is and showing real interest in them that will enable you to call on them one day, or prompt them to call on you. And that is the person who is going to open a door for you, the one that is going to make a difference in your life.

There’s no getting around the fact that to successfully compete for a position you need the requisite skills and experience. Employers need to know that you can perform the work that will be required of you without much training, orientation or oversight. They also need to know that you are someone they can work with, someone who will take direction and get along with the other staff in the company. As numerous studies have shown, no matter how talented an individual may be, if he or she does not fit the company’s culture, trouble will shortly ensue. That’s a disruptive and costly mistake the employer wants to avoid.

When you are interviewing for a position, it’s essential you keep in mind that attitude matters as well as aptitude. You may have a great resume, but if you come off as a prima donna who thinks they know it all, or is not willing compromise or take direction, or who shows no interest in the company and its goals, you will quickly eliminate yourself from consideration. There’s a difference between confident and cocky. Sell yourself, but keep in mind that part of selling yourself is showing the employer why you’re a great fit for their company and the position. Make them feel comfortable and assured you are someone they will enjoy working with day in and out.

Employers I’ve helped recruit for frequently report back how dismayed they were with an applicant’s poor attitude. Even if the position or company is not at the top of your list, if you accept an interview go in with a positive, inquisitive attitude. You only have one chance to make a first impression, so make it one you’ll be proud of.

There’s a lot to be said for initiative. It’s an admirable trait. It can open doors and make you stand out from the crowd. Employers like to see initiative in candidates. They regard it as a sign that the candidate will work hard to help make their firm a success. All well and good. There’s also something to be said for reality. Wishing you were more highly qualified that you are won’t make you more qualified. It takes experience.

Why am I belaboring the obvious? Because candidates seem to lose sight of the obvious when they aspire to advance their careers. Especially in fields where there is a shortage of skilled or qualified workers, demand can drive expectations higher on both sides of the interview table. The problem is that there often is a mismatch between the mix of skills and experience firms are seeking and less qualified but ambitious candidates wanting to move up to the next step in their career.

I have seen a lot of this in my firm recently. We receive many applications from talented and eager individuals seeking positions for which they just are not qualified. They get points for moxie in my book, but that doesn’t make them any more suitable candidates for the companies that are hiring. Employers have specific business needs. That’s why they list them in their job postings. If you can’t fill those needs, they can’t use you – at least not at the moment, anyway.

By all means, seek a position that will challenge you and give you an opportunity to grow as a designer. But don’t imagine you can leap from junior level to senior level in a single bound. Rather than reach the heights, you may take a bad tumble.

One of the most frequent complaints of employers regarding the applications they receive is the poor quality of cover letters. Today’s automated job search services make it easy for candidates to upload a generic cover letter and resume and shotgun them to a dozen or so firms in the hopes of scoring a match or two. Not a good strategy. The cover letter is your personal introduction to the person who is hiring. It needs to be customized to address the particular business of the firm and duties of the position you’re applying for.

Although it needs to be concise (less than a page; two or three short paragraphs, preferably), the cover letter should comprehensively convey three vital pieces of information: your career objectives and why you are applying for this particular position with this particular firm at this time; your knowledge of the company (its mission, areas of business, recent products or achievements, and its customer profile); and your qualifications for the position (i.e., why you are a good fit and how you will contribute to the firm), including, BRIEFLY, your education, experience and skills (specialty, technology and business). Refer them to your accompanying resume for more details. If appropriate, mention one or two notable achievements to date. Above all, be accurate and truthful.

Presentation is crucial. The cover letter should reflect your professionalism. It must be clearly written, well organized, and free of grammatical or spelling errors or typos. (Get someone to proofread it for you.) Use a font that is easy to read, and don’t try to crowd too much text on the page. Creativity and originality of expression are a plus, but don’t be flamboyant or cute. Imagine you are speaking face to face with the reader.

Contrary to what many candidates think, a cover letter is not a sales pitch. The object is to engage with the person who is hiring and entice them to want to know more about you in the hopes they will invite you for an interview. Take the time to customize each cover letter, and you will greatly increase your chances of getting that call.

Hiring remains brisk in many industries. Companies continue to compete for top talent, offering higher salaries and more benefits. As a result, recruiters are being flooded with applications. How do you make yourself stand out from the crowd? Here are some tips from employers who’ve recently gone through the recruiting process.

1. Be authentic and confident. Be upfront and honest. Don’t pad your resume or overstate your skills and experience. Own up to any mistakes, but stress how you have learned from them.
2. Focus on your best achievements. Quality is more important than quantity. Accomplishments count more than a list of job responsibilities. Emphasize your strengths.
3. Always be an overachiever. Firms are looking for candidates willing to go the extra mile to benefit the company. Demonstrate that you have the desire and the drive to perform beyond expectations.
4. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. No one expects you to know everything, and it shows you are interested in the company and how you can best contribute to its success.
5. Read the job requirements before you apply for a position. You are just wasting your time and the recruiter’s if you don’t meet the firm’s qualifications.

It’s truly astounding how many job candidates are ill-prepared for an interview. Take time to do your homework, maintain a positive attitude, and demonstrate you have integrity. You will have a leg up over most of the competition.

For new and junior level employees, gaining experience is crucial to advancing in your career. No matter how good your education is, certain aspects of the business have to be learned on the job. That experience counts for a lot with employers who need new hires to come up to speed and contribute to the company’s productivity as quickly as possible.

When you are first starting out, you may have difficulty getting the kind of position you really want. It is important to take the long view and map out a plan for how you are going to get there. That may include getting the proper credentials, certifications or licenses, as well as acquiring relevant experience. Rarely are you going to find one position that is going to satisfy all your needs and serve as a launch pad to your ideal job. Stay open to new possibilities and regard each opportunity as a chance to add to your store of knowledge and experience. Even a short-term assignment can be a valuable learning experience and another step along the path to your ultimate goal.

In my company, I have received many resumes from talented up-and-coming candidates who clearly lack the experience necessary for the type of position they are applying for. My advice to them is always the same: Don’t be in such a rush to climb the career ladder. Take the time to get the proper experience. You may find your goals change over time. At the very least, when you do get that position you want, you will have gained the qualifications that will help ensure your success.

As employment opportunities improve, more workers are contemplating making a change. A recent study by the Gallup organization, for example, finds six in 10 employed millennials are open to changing jobs within the next year. Within the past 12 months, one in five already has. What’s more, only half plan to be with their current employer a year from now. Should you join them?

I have seen the same trend in my firm. A number of recent recruits have jumped from one firm to another every one or two years. As employers of all kinds have increasingly become reluctant to make long-term commitments to employees, staff loyalty has eroded. Employers get this, and on occasion exploit it to their advantage. However, the cost of recruiting, orienting and training a new employee is not insignificant. If they look at a candidate’s track record and suspect he or she is going to move on in a year or two, they are going to think twice before making an offer.

Some candidates think they can game the system by insisting that “this time” they are looking for a more permanent position. In my experience, this gambit does not work. Deeds speak louder than words. If you are serious about having a career in a particular field, my advice is to stay put for awhile, gain experience, develop your management and leadership skills, take time to figure out what you want to accomplish in the next phase of your career, and then decide where you need to be. What appears to be the fast track is not always the best path to a satisfying and lasting career.