On a recent weekend my wife and I were running some errands, and we stopped at a coffee shop along the way. We sat down to enjoy our coffee and noticed the people at the next table were conducting a job interview. I heard the candidate say, “My short-term goals are …” and I smiled as they covered the traditional interview questions I’ve heard a hundred times. You could see the candidate was nervous, but I will give her credit because she was well prepared and they seemed to be engaged in a productive conversation.

We eventually reached Eastview Mall and we witnessed another job interview being conducted in the middle of the mall. Within a few seconds, we could tell this interview wasn’t going as smoothly as the earlier one. The candidate was more nervous and her choice of clothes was inappropriate for the interview: too short, too tight, too revealing. Even the two people conducting the interview didn’t seem as confident with the conversation. Neither of us were optimistic about the outcome.

Seeing both of these interviews within an hour, reminded me that the process of finding employment is not something that has a clear beginning and end. Just like health and exercise, it is something that requires regular maintenance. Finding a job, keeping a job and planning a successful career have become a necessity, not a luxury. If you aren’t proactive, you may find yourself sitting on the sidelines trying to get back into the game.

When you get the right people in the right jobs, everything else seems to go more smoothly. When I’m alone with hiring managers, they all agree that hiring is their most important responsibility. But when I ask how they prepare for job interviews they pretty much tell me they follow their instincts and shoot from the hip. Why would you adopt such a casual approach to something that you acknowledge is so important?

Time for some self-reflection. How well did you prepare for your last job interview and what are you doing to ensure your career won’t crash in the future? Most people squirm when I ask them that because just like the hiring managers, they haven’t done all they could have to ensure success. They’ve got a vague idea of where they’re going, but they are much too casual about a topic that is so important in both of their lives.

There was an old TV commercial for motor oil that said, “Pay me now, or pay me later.” If you don’t prepare now, this only increases the probably that you could be left behind when the inevitable changes occur. Here are few things you can do now to avoid dilemmas later:

• Create a folder called “Job Leads.” When you hear about a job that you find interesting, stick a note in the file. If you meet someone who works for an employer you might want to work for in the future, stick their name in the file. If you read an article about career planning that you find helpful, stick a copy in this file. If you come across a website that describes career opportunities you might enjoy, bookmark it and add a note too this file. It really doesn’t matter whether this is an electronic record or paper file — what’s important is that you don’t get complacent and you’re thinking about what’s ahead.

• Create a network of family, friends and peers who are familiar with your career goals. Some people wait until they start looking for a job before they develop their network and by then it’s too late. The research suggests that more than 50 percent of job vacancies are never posted for the general public. At least two positions I accepted were the result of referrals from good friends. I was not aware of these opportunities and without their assistance I never would have known the vacancies existed. Having a network of friends who can help you “beat the bushes” creates a much larger circle of influence.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle requires regular attention. Maintaining a productive career is no different.

Superstar athlete Michael Jordan said, “Some people want it to happen, some people wish it would happen, others make it happen.”

Be like Mike!

Kaminski is president of Stone Associates Training. He is an HR consultant with 35 years of experience in the employment field, teaching managers the art of hiring great employees. He also is an adjunct instructor at Keuka College. You can contact him with your questions, suggestions and comments at bill@stoneassociatestraining.com.