"There is no difference between making decisions on your career path and making decisions in your romantic life," says Danny Cahill, leading executive recruiter and the owner of Hobson Associates, one of the country's largest search firms. Based on his many years of professional experience, Cahill has found that the actions that build great careers also lead to great relationships. In his new book, HARPER'S RULES: A Recruiter's Guide to Finding a Dream Job and the Right Relationship (Greenleaf Book Group Press, April 2011), he delivers clear-cut strategies for landing the perfect job, while showing how these very same strategies apply to personal relationships.

HARPER'S RULES is no ordinary career guide. Instead of writing a typical how-to book, Cahill - who is also an award-winning playwright - packs his ideas into a fast-paced novel featuring a straight-talking headhunter named Harper Scott and his favorite client, Casey Matthews, a superstar technology sales person, who's ready for a major change. She's looking for a new job and a new relationship and Harper shows her why the same strategies can apply to both. Some of his rules include:

Knowing When It's Time To Go - How do you know if it's time to leave a job or a relationship? Harper Scott suggests you ask yourself some pointed questions: if you were unemployed and had the chance to interview for the job you now have, would you? If you didn't need an income, would you still do your job? How often do you laugh during the day? Do you believe what they tell you at work? Creating appropriate variations of these questions can help you examine your personal relationships as well.

Saying Good-bye - If you decide to leave your job, use direct language when talking to your boss. "This is not an exit interview or final goodbye. That comes later," explains Danny Cahill in the guise of Harper Scott. You should not spend time revisiting everything that went wrong. And don't burn bridges. (The same is true if you need to end a personal relationship.) "Offer two week's notice - committing to work hard and not bad-mouth the company during that time," the author explains. In addition, he urges readers to never accept a counteroffer. It's like going back to an ex-spouse after the divorce. Realize that your loyalty will always be in question - once trust is broken, it cannot be repaired. Moreover, you will regret lacking the courage to make the change you knew was best for your career and your life.

The Job Hunt/Networking - When looking for a job - or a new relationship - you must understand that "high touch" comes before "high tech." Let everyone in "your personal supply chain" know you're looking - from your accountant and lawyer to dentist and vet. "You don't know who people know," says Danny Cahill/Harper Scott. When it comes to the job, make sure you contact your business references. Not only are you alerting them that they may be hearing from potential employers, these conversations could reveal an open door at a prior company. Former colleagues may also have heard about positions that could be right for you.

Résumés - Even in today's wired, social media driven world, you won't get an interview without a résumé. The trick is to craft a great one. "You have between five and fifteen seconds to catch your reader's attention before they either engage or pass. God's resume should be one page. Why is yours three pages? Nobody is reading it," asserts Danny Cahill/Harper Scott. Tips for creating a winning résumé include: limiting it to one page, including only highlights that project you in the best light, never starting with your "career objective," and explaining, in a quantitative way, your achievements in each job. Apply this advice when posting your profile on dating websites as well.

Interviewing - According to HARPER'S RULES, this is where the job search and dating are most similar. The objective of every first interview (or date) is to be invited for a second one. The key to achieving this is to recognize that "it's all about them" - the company's, or other person's, needs. Your goal is to show that you are listening. And be genuine. Don't offer any obvious or phony compliments. Danny Cahill/Harper Scott cautions against discussing money in the first interview, and walks readers through neutral responses to use, if pressed. After the job interview, a handwritten thank-you note is in order. However, any additional follow-up only weakens your position. According to the author, "candidates who interview like they don't need a job will almost always get the offer before candidates who interview like they do." The same is true when dating.

Negotiating The Offer "When a company makes an offer, it is the corporate equivalent of saying, 'I love you,'" writes Danny Cahill/Harper Scott. "When you tell someone you love them, you don't want to hear, 'Thanks a lot, let me think about it for a few days.'" Time kills deals. The longer you wait, the more variables you allow. However, HARPER'S RULES also walks readers through handling a "deal breaker" - a concern that is so important you would prefer to turn down the job, or the relationship, rather than let it go unresolved.

Other key topics addressed in the book include dealing with reference checks (why providing a "bad" reference along with positive ones is a good idea), handling compensation discussions, dealing with non-compete agreements, and negotiating the final offer. Throughout, author Danny Cahill makes it clear that the book's insights and lessons are as applicable to romantic relationships as they are to the work world.

Highly informative and truly engrossing, HARPER'S RULES provides wise advice from cover to cover, ending with Harper's final rule: "If we used the language of work in our relationships, we'd have fewer problems and a lower divorce rate. We need to stop saying we 'fell in love.' Falling implies a misstep, a mistake. We would never say we fell into a job; we accept a job offer. We need to start saying, 'I love you. I want to be with you. I accept your offer of love.'"

DANNY CAHILL is a popular keynote speaker, recruiter, and the owner of Hobson Associates, one of America's largest search firms specializing in software sales, biotech sales, and industrial sales talent. He is the founder of www.AccordingtoDanny.com, an online training and mentoring company dedicated to enhancing the skills and jumpstarting the spirits of recruiters worldwide. A successful playwright with off-Broadway credentials who has won both the Maxwell Anderson and CAB theater awards, Danny has also written for CBS television, as well as various trade journals.