In the best of economic times, it’s not terribly hard to find and win a job. There are plenty of opportunities, and there’s a steady demand for new employees. But when times turn shaky, there are no longer enough jobs to go around, and finding a new job takes longer.

With more candidates to pick from, employers become very choosy. If you’ve been prospecting for a new job in today’s weak market, you know there’s plenty of competition for attractive openings in many industries, and in many parts of the nation.

Only in the very worst of times are there no jobs at all. Now, there’s something, someplace, though you must work longer and harder to find what’s available. And there may be plenty of competition.

This should not discourage you. Many among your competitors search in haphazard and unproductive ways. Still others make mistakes that quickly get them disqualified. If you can avoid your competitors’ pitfalls, you move quickly to the head of the line, in a position to become the prime candidate.

This is a game in which some win and some lose. These are some of the considerations that separate the winners from the losers.

1. To be a winner, you should commit yourself to working longer and harder than the others. Many of them don’t put in the time and effort to pursue the leads and to develop the right approach for each job opportunity. In this game, there’s no substitute for working diligently.

2. If you look great when you show up for an interview, that’s no guarantee they’ll offer you the job. But if you show up looking shabby, it’s likely you’ll be disqualified before you have a chance to open your mouth. Look like a winner. Dress well. Get a good haircut. Shine your shoes. Go easy on the after shave or perfume - or better still, don’t use any). Take a good look in the mirror, and make certain you look like somebody a boss would be eager to hire.

3. You’re more likely to win if you have a plan and realistic goals for yourself. Plan your work, work your plan. Losers tend to bump along from one course of action to another, one objective to another. Winners know what they want to accomplish every day, every week. They know the more ground they cover, the better their chance of finding the right opportunity.

4. Winners know it’s up to them to make things happen. Losers send out resumes and sign up on half a dozen websites, then wait for the phone to ring. Don’t do what so many other job seekers are doing. They’re not having much luck, either. Be pro-active. Make it your business to contact people who can help you. Which leads us to…

5. Networking. If you’ve been timid about building a network of people who can help you - get over it. Make some calls and you’ll see there’s no special magic about it. It’s easy. Just say, “Your advice could be very valuable to me. Can I meet with you for just twenty minutes?” Ask for advice and referrals, and most people (though not all) will help you. Just do it. Remember this wisdom attributed to Woody Allen: “Eighty percent of success is showing up.”

6. Winners customize their letters and resumes. Losers send the same stuff to everybody, so it’s less likely they’ll appear to be just right for any job. It takes time and effort to do custom letters, and prepare multiple versions of your resume, but what’s the sense of using these things if they don’t hit the mark with any employer?

7. If the boss has to take time in your interview to explain what the company does, you come across as someone not interested enough in the opportunity to do your homework. Find out about the company before your interview. Google them for information. Study the latest annual report and quarterly report, if the company is publicly owned. Read any company brochures you can get your hands on. Be ready to discuss how you’re prepared to help attain the company’s objectives.

8. A smart candidate tries to get the employer to talk first, to find out exactly what the boss is looking for in a new employee, then stressing those things about himself/herself that are right for the job. A weak candidate will start describing himself without knowing what the boss is looking for, running the risk of revealing things in which the boss has no interest - or worse, things he/she finds objectionable.

9. The interview is not the place to talk about yourself endlessly. Ramble on about your hopes and dreams, your golf game, or your smart dog, and it’s likely you’ll succeed only in boring the boss. And you just might mention something that has nothing to do with the job, yet which the employer finds objectionable. Stick to why you’re right for the job. Stay away from extraneous information, unless it’s clear the boss wants to chat about such stuff.

10. Putting down past bosses or teachers in an interview is the mark of a loser. The boss just sits there thinking “What will this person say about me if I hire him/her?” And anyway, who wants a negative, vindictive employee in the workplace? Much better for you to avoid trash-talking entirely, about anybody, and say only positive things. Identify yourself as a positive person, not a mean-spirited sourpuss.

11. Any employer who has a job to fill has a problem. He/she is looking for someone to solve that problem. So it makes sense to describe yourself as a problem-solver. Be ready to show how you identified a problem, what you did to solve it, and what happened because of your efforts. In fact, have several of these stories ready to discuss if and when they seem appropriate. Winners do this very well. Losers don’t think to do it at all.

12. Winners ask not what the company can do for them, but rather what they can do for the company. Losers want to know about the salary and the vacation policy. The boss is not interviewing you to find out what he has to do for you. That comes later. First, you have to prove you can do the job.

13. Only when they’ve decided you’re the one they want to hire, is it time to talk money. You’re likely to be worth more now, because you’ve convinced them you’re the best of the candidates. They don’t want to lose you now. Those who talk salary before they get an offer run the risk of being disqualified because of salary demands rather than merit.

14. Always send a follow-up letter right away after the interview. It’s another way to help sell yourself to the employer.. Thank the boss for his/her time, reaffirm your interest in the job, and briefly re-state the reasons why you’re a strong candidate. Your competitors often skip the follow-up, and you’ll come off as the good guy.