I decided that this week's Closing the Deal blog should include my closing thoughts about a household name who passed away this week, leaving a tremendous legacy behind him. That celebrity is Stanley Kaplan, the founder of the Test Prep industry.

If you have read my About Abby page, you may recall that I have a good reason for paying homage to Mr. Kaplan this week rather than to Ted Kennedy. For seven wonderful years, I was the head of recruiting for Kaplan, Inc. and several of its divisions. I had an absolutely incredible experience as my career there was filled with lessons galore, courtesy or Mr. Kaplan. Here are some of them:

Start with small dreams and then dream bigger
Mr. Kaplan started prepping students who were taking the SAT's in his garage. Did he expect to some day own a huge company with 15,000 employees on the payroll? I highly doubt it. But after he opened his first test prep center, I'm sure he realized that he could open more.

Practice the 3 P's: Prepare, prepare, and prepare
Mr. Kaplan knew that if test takers were better prepared on the day of the test, they would be more successful. That holds true in so many areas of the job search process as well, especially with interviewing. Practice makes perfect and Mr. Kaplan taught that lesson well.

Find a job or start a business that you are passionate about
While I never saw Mr. Kaplan in action as a student, I can only imagine what it would have been like to be tutored by him. Find a teacher, a coach, or a mentor who knows how to be successful doing what you love to do, and then ask them for advice on how to get there.

Leave a legacy
Find something that you excel at and then shower the world with your prowess. The world needs you and your talents, especially now. Start doing something that your friends, family and co-workers can remember you for. When the world offers you choices A through D, consider looking outside the box and choosing option E. Start making a difference now.