My very first blog was about The Never Ending Interview. I explained that when you are in job search mode, you are being evaluated wherever you go. It's like having mini interviews all day long…the problem is that you never know which conversations are interviews in disguise and which ones are just friendly banter. Therefore, you always need to be on your toes - just in case.

Last week I heard a great story about yet another person who was in the right place at the right time. An attorney friend of mine, who I'll call John, was searching for a new apartment for his family in The Big Apple. Anyone who has ever hunted for an affordable yet spacious apartment in Manhattan knows that it seems more challenging than finding a job in this economy. It takes creativity, flexibility, and lots of patience.

One day, as John was searching on Craig's List, a new apartment listing popped up. He immediately scheduled an appointment for that same day so that he wouldn't miss out on the opportunity. John arrived at the apartment 15 minutes ahead of schedule and saw a young woman spraying fresh paint on the walls. In speaking with her, John discovered that she was recently downsized from a law firm where she was working as a paralegal. As it happened, John's law firm was going through an expansion and was searching for a paralegal. Within a week, the painter was hired, all because she was professional, articulate, and personable.

When John told me this story, he also mentioned that in the past he had hired waiters, supermarket clerks, and people who operated rides at amusement parks. He told me that when he meets people with similar communication skills as the painter, he hands them his business card and asks them to send him their resume. When a position opens up at his law firm, he digs through his e-mails to find these candidates to see if he can make a match.