By Dawn Papandrea

No one expects you to use X-ray vision or move objects with your mind, but you can learn some out-of-this-world lessons from Hollywood. Though you can't compare to those TV and movie character super skills of psychic ability, genius-level intelligence, or ultra-sensory perception, you can activate some of your own super powers on the job. And you won't even need to leap the corporate ladder in a single bound.

Add your own super résumé bullet boosters like these big- and small-screen superheroes. in your own ordinary way.

Detective Jim Dunbar on "Blind Justice" and Marvel Comic's Daredevil
Super skill: Solving crimes while blind requires the heightening of the other senses. New York Detective Jim Dunbar (Ron Eldard) on "Blind Justice" learns to trust his senses week after week. In a recent episode, the order of gunshot firings he hears doesn't match his partner's version of the story, and he's left with an ethical decision to make.

In a similar way, the comic book hero Daredevil (played by Ben Affleck in the motion picture version), overcomes his blindness by using his keen radar-like senses to combat crime in Hell's Kitchen in New York City when he's not performing his day job as a criminal attorney.

What this means for your job: While these characters were forced to develop their senses to compensate for their vision loss, the lesson here is to put your complete focus on your job, beyond what you see on the surface.

Dr. Tim Drake, director of academic affairs for the Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. branch of University of Phoenix, explains that not seeing his online students in the literal sense actually puts him at an advantage when assessing their work. "When you're involved with people at this level, you really are evaluating them by the content of their character. The cutesy blonde in the front row doesn't get an advantage. There are no front and back rows - it's an even playing field."

Of course, in the office, you'll most likely have face-to-face contact with co-workers, clients, and supervisors. It's up to you to use all of your senses wisely: listen closely to colleagues and stay in tune with the corporate culture; be hands-on with new projects and feel out new responsibilities; sniff out negativity and stay away from it. Exercise all your senses effectively, and you'll be powering your way to success.

Mr. Fantastic in "The Fantastic Four"
Super skill: Reed Richards (a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic), a scientist by day, doesn't believe in physical limitations. That's because he can stretch, deform, expand, or compress his entire body into any shape. (Check out Ioan Gruffudd's portrayal of Mr. Fantastic this July in Warner Bros.' "Fantastic Four.")

What this means for your job: You, too, can go beyond limitations if you're creative. For instance, when considering a job switch or asking for a promotion, don't be bound by stringent job requirements. A potential employer really won't care if you have only five years experience when they are asking for six, if you can impress them in other ways.

"Employers are often willing to consider candidates who may have somewhat less experience, but who bring added value to the table," affirms John Karras, director of graduate and Web-based career services for DeVry University's Keller Graduate School of Management. One such example of value may be an advanced degree. Or, says Karras, it could be as simple as illustrating some soft skills.

Your skills and strengths in the areas of communication, presentation, and organization should be highlighted. Also corporate super-hero-worthy: The ability to solve problems and work efficiently in a team environment. "You should be able to point to examples that provide proof of these personal attributes, particularly in interview situations," says Karras.

Allison Dubois on "Medium"
Super skill: The detectives in a Texas homicide case are baffled. That is, until Allison (Patricia Arquette) shares her eerily-related dream with them just in time to catch the killer. Lucky for everyone, she's blessed with psychic powers and has decided to use them for good.

What this means for your job: You may not be psychic, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't trust your gut. "There are gray areas in making decisions as to what's right and wrong," says Drake. For those instances, it's important to be intuitive, which is why Drake encourages non-textbook answers from his students when assigning case study questions. "I use what I call the 'principle of intentional ambiguity' - questions are phrased to stimulate discussion, and call for personal reflection and self application," he explains.

On the job, intuition can play a part in your work happiness as well. "I've used intuition to determine if a client was worth the effort," says Dr. Ted Sun, president of the Columbus, OH-based Creative Innovations Enterprises, an executive coaching company. "This has led to me having a client base that I enjoy working with, and an abundance of time and freedom."

Charlie Eppes on "Numb3rs"
Super skill: Charlie (David Krumholtz) is a mathematics professor, so skilled in calculations, equations, and statistics, that he helps his FBI agent brother solve crimes using math, things like analyzing the trajectory of a fire hydrant's spray. Translation? The guy's got super brain power a la the real-life John Nash, played by Russell Crowe in the film "A Beautiful Mind."

What this means for your job: Unless you're interested in finance or economics, chances are your number skills are limited to balancing your checkbook (if even!). That's okay, because what's underlying here is the ability to solve problems from a variety of angles - ones that don't necessarily involve calculus, but are a bit beyond the norm. In fact, calculating creative solutions is a much desired skill whether you're in customer service, forensics, finance, or corporate management.

"Often, companies are too task oriented and they lose sight of the big picture," says Steve Carney, founder of Power of We Consulting and author of 'The Teamwork Chronicles.' That's why, he says, working in an environment that's overly bureaucratic can have a stifling effect on effective and creative problem solving.

Instead, seek out and help cultivate a culture of openness and inspiration, says Carney. "Taking calculated risks should be valued rather than dismissed," he adds. From a management standpoint, having a creative and collaborative organization, "one that will help employees achieve their very best," says Carney, adds up to success for everyone.

Sydney Bristow in "Alias" and Buffy in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
Super skill: Maintaining calm under pressure, not to mention carrying out secret missions and saving the world, is a real juggling act. For Sydney, a typical day could be finishing out a term paper, helping her best friend through a boyfriend crisis, and tracking down a terrorist in a foreign country. And Buffy - well, let's just say staying composed after driving a stake through a bloodsucker's heart is no joke.

What this means for your job: Be prepared to master multitasking. For Russ Campbell, wearing many hats is all in a day's work. As the office/Web/production manager/contributing writer for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Office of University Relations, taking on multiple roles is a must.

"Drafting news releases, editing publications (external and internal), serving as a liaison with the media, mediating among administrators, monitoring success - sometimes all of this is happening at the same time," says Campbell. "The key to staying sane is to remain grounded and understand that the madness will pass."

And, as you work your way up the corporate ladder, you'll need to learn how to manage and prioritize your team's workflow, as well as your own, starting with smart delegating. "Look for ways to standardize, delegate, or batch regular activities for better organization and control," says Peg Pickering in her book, 'How to Make the Most of Your Workday.' "Before you start is the time to decide whether or not a task can be delegating. The more people who can do anything, the less likely you are to have to do it yourself."

And sometimes, she adds, multitasking means using common sense. "For example," says Pickering, "if you have to make a trip to the mailroom, what else could you do because you're going to be up and around?"

More Superhero Lessons to Lasso
The Incredibles - When they're out saving the world or each other, this animated superhero family shares the most important lesson of all: Be true to yourself and do what you love. Any attempt to pretend to be something you're not - taking a job just for the money, for instance - will result in unhappiness and poor job performance. How out of place did Mr. Incredible look as a Bob Parr, insurance claims specialist?!

Supernanny - If it feels like you're working with children, take heed. You won't be well received if you come in to clean house. But, if you exercise smart management motives like Jo Frost does with the kids - setting ground rules, explaining consequences of poor work in advance, and staying consistent with your company culture (or in parenting land, your spouse) - you can swing an iron broom and boost the bottom line. Better than ending up on the 'naughty step!'

Smallville - It's not easy being super, especially when you're new at it like the teenage Clark Kent, who's just coming to grips with his special powers. Translation? Take on new challenges, as long as it's not more than you can handle. Sleepless nights and stress can be worse than Kryptonite.