bachelorette should use her work skills when weeding through the candidates!

The social media-savvy Bachelorette Ali Fedotowsky should follow her brain as well as her heart when weeding through the potential husband candidates. The way I look at it, it’s a similar process as finding the perfect new employee or client.

You have to force yourself be keenly judgmental, observant, and analytical, but above all, be true to yourself and your instincts.

1. How do they speak about previous relationships? You wouldn’t hire someone who spoke harshly about their previous employer without taking any blame; why would you want to be around someone who talks negatively about previous love interests? It shows immaturity, lack of responsibility or a love of gossip. Either way, move on, Ali!

2. Enthusiasm and passion. You have FIFTY guys in the house. It’s time to go big or go home. To prove they are here for you, they need to be assertive and not afraid to politely ask to speak with you in private to get one-on-one time. The ones who get kicked off and complain like whiny babies because they “didn’t get enough time” are just using their time unwisely or being a pushover to more eager-to-meet-Ali guys.

3. Just because someone looks great on paper doesn’t mean they will work in the long-term. If there is something about them that irks you, don’t wait to second-guess yourself, get them outta there! (It could be something as telling as their career choice, or as trivial as their lack of eye contact or annoying laugh.)

4. On the same note, have you ever met someone, thought you knew them, but then met their friends and were completely shocked at how much you must have misjudged them? Friends and contacts of a person can explain a lot about a person’s lifestyle and interests. Ali is a social butterfly in real life and needs a man who can keep up and get along great with other guys. She should steer clear of drama-causers and attention-getters who care more about TV appearances than quality time. And when she hits hometowns, she should specifically ask to meet their group of friends to see if she can envision a life in that circle of friends.

5. Communication skills are a must! While they may be a good match on dates in exotic faraway lands, Ali needs to evaluate whether each potential husband shares her values and holds her interest on a boring night at home. I know the show would drop ratings if they had do more “normal people” things like grocery shopping, cooking at home or working out, but these are situations that tell a lot about a person’s compatibility and character. If it’s raining, does he drop you off and then park the car? Does he like to cook or order take-out every night? Is he a remote control hog and/or a weekends-dedicated-to-sports-only kind of guy? And if so, does that bother her? What does he REALLY like to do in his free time? (Or is he a workaholic like her?)

These are just a few quick things off the top of my head. I was rooting for Ali last season, but I think she played her cards right for a [strategic] second chance at love. It’s always more fun to be in the driver’s seat.