It’s that time again; the Tour de France is one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year. Like the world’s most famous uphill struggle, job searching can sometimes feel like a competitive sport, so here’s how to approach it like a pro, making sure you remain focussed and disciplined throughout your search.

Strategy

No cyclist would set out on the Tour de France without having a well thought out strategy before the tour begins. They’ll want to understand their strengths, weaknesses, have clear goals and actions to help them get to their directed route. Job searching is no different - planning is absolutely key and as with the Tour de France, you will need plan your route to gain direction. Firstly, you need to establish the types of jobs you are looking for and be clear about what you are targeting. Identify the job boards that are going to be most relevant for the roles that you are looking for. Using a variety of job search methods will not only ensure you are covering all areas but will also help keep you more motivated than just endless hours trawling through job boards.

Structure

You should treat your job search like a full time job. The more effort you put into your job search the more you will get out of it. For example, if you just apply for one role per week you are not likely to get as far as someone who is applying for numerous relevant roles. Set targets or goals for what you want to achieve by the end of the day/week/month and stick to them. This could be activities such as number of jobs applied for, number of recruiters approached or calls made to your network. When you accomplish these goals it will give you a feeling of fulfilment, which in turn leads to a positive attitude.

Build variety into your day and don’t do the same activity for the day otherwise you will become very demotivated. Also remember to schedule time away from your job search for other activities such as exercise or meeting with a friend. It can be very easy to slip into unhealthy habits during times of unemployment. It is important that you still take time for regular exercise as part of your routine and ensure you still have healthy eating and drinking habits. This will help how you feel and will also have a positive effect on your body as a whole. Exercise reduces stress and allows you to feel calmer and concentrate more effectively.

Discipline

Having focus and structure is nothing without discipline. You will need to hold yourself accountable for continuing to stick with the plan. For example, following through on promises made can be challenging when you are juggling multiple balls. It is easy to let the items on your to-do list slip when you are preparing for an interview or creating a resume and cover letter for a job you are very interested in. The demands of your personal life also have a way of side-tracking your structured job search activities. Having discipline means that you can find a way to manage the distractions and still follow through on the other things you’ve committed to.

Momentum

Illnesses, accidents, punctures, and disappointments. As with the Tour de France, naturally there will be set backs in your job search but it is how you deal with them that is important. We all experience setbacks in our lives. Sometimes it feels like you’re having more than your fair share. However, taking a knock can be an important catalyst in driving your development and can have a major impact on your job search momentum. Make sure you remain positive and learn from your setbacks, regard them as an opportunity to improve and analyse the setback and identify what’s in your power to control.

Reflect on your performance

Research has proven that self-reflection after a sporting event can enhance sports professionals’ performance. Self-reflection is a highly effective tool for critiquing your behaviours and actions through identifying successes and failures and applying improvements to future games. Self-reflection takes place straight after the sporting event, and the same self-analysis should be applied during your job search. Every week you should be assessing the effectiveness of your job search. It can be useful to analyse your job search on a regular basis to see how effective those hours you are spending scanning the job boards have really been.

Working with a Coach

Behind every successful sports professional is an encouraging Coach, providing advice, helping them deal with success and failure, and setting realistic goals to support them on their way to success. Working with a Career Coach can make a significant improvement to your job search and career goals.

Visualise the finish line

It’s easy to get stagnant in your search if you’ve been job hunting for a while. So try to imagine what your ultimate goal is as a way to not fall back in your job search. Whatever your goal is, try to keep it in the forefront of your mind as a mental motivation to keep pushing forward and keep up the momentum.

Renovo is one of the UK’s leading providers of outplacement and career transition support. We work with both organisations and individuals to support all their career transition requirements. If you would like to understand how Renovo can help you please call 0800 612 2011 or email info@renovo.co.uk