Every week I check dozens of “career” blogs and other online publications, looking for things that will help you find a job, get promoted, develop your skills, and keep everything in perspective and balance. Here’s the pick of the lot for this week. I’m pointing you to items about getting a headhunter’s attention, getting notices, recovering from a bad boss, the value of contacts who can’t hire you, and job search like an anthropologist.

From Fortune: Grabbing a headhunter’s attention
“It’s a wonderful thought: that someone might just call you up and end your job-search woes forever. But the most important thing you need to know about recruiters, says Les Berglass, founder of Berglass & Associates, is that they love confidence. If you try too hard to get their attention, they won’t be interested.”

Wally’s Comment: There’s solid advice here. If you’re in the part of the job market where headhunters play, you’ll get value from this article.

From Renegade HR: How to Get Noticed
“Today, I’m going to let you in on the secret to making a name for yourself.”

Wally’s Comment: The Fortune article above is about getting noticed by headhunters. Chris Fernandini’s post is about getting noticed by the right people at work. It’s simple, straightforward, and right on target.

From Forbes: How To Get Over The Bad Boss Blues
“The hardest part is moving past the hard feelings and rebuilding your ego. Here’s how.”

Wally’s Comment: We’ve all had bad bosses. I got over one of my mine by watching as security escorted him to the door. Usually it’s tougher than that. Here’s some advice for those other times.

From CareerRocketeer: What good does THIS contact do for me?
“What good does a company contact do you if it’s not the hiring manager for the kind of job you want? And, why should you pursue multiple contacts at a company you are targeting? Because the more information you gain, and the more allies you develop, the better your chances of gaining an interview and a job!”

Wally’s Comment: Contacts aren’t just valuable for what they can “do” for you. They’re also valuable for who they know and what they might be able to do sometime in the future.

From the Ladders: Why Good Career-Changers are Anthropologists
“What does a job search have to do with ancient Greece? A successful career-change candidate can study a target company much like an anthropologist studies ancient cultures – by understanding the needs of its people.”

Wally’s Comment: This is a post from a couple of months back, but it makes such good points that I decided to include it in this week’s selection. There’s first-rate, practical advice about some novel ways to learn about a company you’re interested in.

Who hasn’t wanted to be a superhero? It looks like fun.

You get to leap tall buildings at a single bound. Great stuff. Plus you can rescue your friends and save the Earth.

Now it’s entirely possible that some accident of fate has left you without those super powers you so richly deserve. Don’t worry. Don’t fret.

You can still become SuperYou, the hero of your own life and career. It’s simple.

Copy Superman. He’s the kind of superhero who was born with super powers.

You’ve got something like that. We call them your strengths. Identify the things you love to do and also do well. Then use hard work and discipline to develop the super powers you’ve already got.

Copy Wonder Woman. She’s got magical powers for sure, but she’s also got magic rituals.

When she’s hurt, for example, Wonder Woman uses a healing ritual to make things better and get back to the work of saving the Earth.

You can create your own ritual to improve performance. Ivan Lendl practiced mental focus exercises every day. Ernest Hemingway sharpened seven new pencils before he began to write. Many people have a simple prayer or mantra they repeat to themselves to help them do better or recover from a setback.

Copy Batman. The Caped Crusader doesn’t have a single super power in the traditional sense. But Batman is the master gadgeteer.

Find equipment that helps you do your best. It might be your smart phone or a digital voice recorder that fits in your pocket. Or it might be as simple as an index card to capturing ideas.

Truth is, the top achievers are often not the ones who are the most richly blessed with talent and skills. When performance counts, top honors are more likely to go to the hard and focused workers.

That’s what becoming SuperYou is about: learning how to work and smart and focused so you become the superhero of your life and career.

Every week I check dozens of “career” blogs and other online publications, looking for things that will help you find a job, get promoted, develop your skills, and keep everything in perspective and balance. Here’s the pick of the lot for this week. I’m pointing you to items about interview questions, social media, unlocking your potential, finishing what you start, and more wisdom from Peter Drucker.

From CareerRealism: 6 Questions You MUST Be Prepared to Answer During Interviews
“Increasing your chances of getting the job are pretty simple if you’re well prepared for your next interview. If you’re ready to answer some of the most common questions, you’re a step ahead of your competition. Here are six questions that will help prepare you and get you closer to getting that dream job.”

Wally’s Comment: Preparing for standard questions is just good planning. This post suggests six popular questions and also ways to deal with them.

From Social Media Today: Can You Put a Value on Virtual Relationships?
“More and more relationships are being developed online first. It’s true for professional networking, as it is for dating. People are connecting with “the right” people online before they connect offline these days. The reason for this change is the evolution of first impressions, the amount of background information available to us with a click of the mouse, and the use of the web as a people filtering device. People have less time than they did a decade ago, and are much lazier, as well as bombarded with noise, from advertising, to social feeds. We don’t want to waste our own time, and we do want to meet people who have mutual interests. That’s why there are Ning networks, forums, Facebook fan pages (and groups), LinkedIn groups, and other special interest communities. ”

Wally’s Comment: Dan Schawbel has written a lot of excellent material about personal branding and the ways that social media and traditional media interact. This post is one of his best. Dan looks at the value of different kinds of relationships, how they may fit into your strategy, and how to grow your online network. This one merits a bookmark so you can return to it.

From Mary Jo Asmus: Unlocking Your Potential
“Most of the leaders I know and work with dream of making a big impact in their organizations and communities (or world!). Many (though not all) have a healthy dose of self confidence. Most have been successful, however they define it, but they know that they have more in them – a potential that is not yet realized. So behind closed doors – what do I hear from those leaders about what prevents them from reaching their full potential? What can they do about it? My two cents worth:”

Wally’s Comment: When you read this post, you will be tempted to think, “How does she know about me?” What you’re reading are the observations of an experienced and mindful executive coach. Mary Jo Asmus has coached a lot of people like you and me and she’s developed the skill of drawing general lessons from specific situations.

From Management Craft: Confessions from a Natural-Born Starter About Follow-Through
“I am one of those folks who has lots of energy and focus when starting things but who tends to quickly lose interest. I am a world class starter – but not a natural finisher. I bet many of you share this trait, too. I can count many accomplishments that I have brought to fruition, but MANY more projects that were abandoned mid-stream. Some of these efforts deserved better from me.”

Wally’s Comment: Yep. This is me. How did Lisa Haneberg know? The great managers, like great scientists and great authors are finishers. Some people come by that naturally. The rest of us have to learn it. Lisa shares some hard-won wisdom about how to finish that important project even while six great ideas are begging you for attention.

From Ed Batista: Peter Drucker on Excellence, Careers and Planning
“Most of my clients and students are seeking to be more effective and fulfilled as professionals or are in the midst of a career transition–or both.  A resource to which I’ve referred people for years is Peter Drucker’s brilliant essay Managing Oneself, and it’s time to do so again.  Here are a few key excerpts and the questions that they inspire in me.”

Wally’s Comment: When you have a moment, send a thank-you to Ed Batista for reminding us of this incredible essay. I re-read it, for perhaps the twentieth time and I was reminded of how very much quality advice is packed into such a small space.