Searching for jobs is often a tedious task, especially in a tight labor market. One thing you can do to make your job search more rewarding is to treat it like a game. Treating your job search like a competition is a great way to stay excited about the prospect of finding a new job. If you're not sure how to make your job search more fun, follow these tips.
Many people use the same job search tactics to keep track of their applications. If you have been using a boring spreadsheet, make the process more fun by creating your own scoreboard. It doesn't matter if you use terms from football, baseball or soccer; what matters is that you keep track of everything you do while searching for a job. If you want to use a football metaphor, you might count a telephone interview as a field goal and an invitation for an on-site interview as a touchdown. Use a piece of poster board or a whiteboard to keep track of all the points you accumulate during your job search.
Acting like a sports agent is another way to make the job search more fun. Professional agents use their skills to help athletes get new contracts and earn more money. As your own job search agent, you can do the same thing. Promote your skills and expertise by attending networking events in your area. If you can't make it to a networking meeting, use social media to explore career opportunities and connect with people who might be able to help you with your job search. Finally, brush up on your negotiating skills by attending workshops or reading books and articles on negotiation tactics.
The concept of a fantasy job search team might not catch on with other people, but there's no reason you can't team up with other job seekers during this process. If you take the team approach, be sure to pick positive people who are willing to support you. Negative people will only drag you down, which isn't what you need when you are searching for a job. Support each other by staying in touch and sharing job referrals.
Baseball players have batting averages, so there's no reason why job seekers shouldn't keep track of the number of applications they've submitted or interviews they've scored. As you search for a job, track any job-related activities you complete, whether you send out 10 resumes or contact five people in your industry to discuss potential job opportunities. Seeing your accomplishments is a great way to stay motivated for the duration of your job search.
Most people don't enjoy searching for jobs, but there's no reason you can't make the process more fun. By turning your job search into a game, you'll be able to stay motivated and ensure you are always making a good impression when you contact recruiters.
Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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