I follow Paula Pollock of Pollock Marketing Group on Twitter. She recently posted another quote that was very relevant to what is going on in my life and those around me:

"You cannot push someone up the ladder when he himself doesn't want to climb."
— Author Unknown

In other words, you can't help people who aren't willing to help themselves. It's frustrating to pass on job leads to others, only to watch them never act on it. Or, point out glaring resume and portfolio errors, never to see them changed. How about watching them sabotage their job search efforts by doing something stupid, like posting compromising information on Facebook when you warn them not to? (Companies check those things out, people.)

You want to dismiss them. They're hopeless. They're unmotivated.

What if there is something more to it? What if they think your advice simply isn't worth taking? If everyone you know is trying to tell you what to do about your career, it's easy for good advice to get lost in the nagging.

There's another saying: Actions speak louder than words.

So if you have people like that in your life, let's do more than talk to them (or at them). Let's show them how it's done. For every piece of advice, follow it up with a success story. Introduce them to people who got good results through their actions.

Or better yet, lead by example. Show them what can be achieved, because you practice what you preach.