| Job hunting? Fun? Surely you're joking. | | | | balance was already an issue in your previous position, |
| Someone recently described job hunting to me as a | | | | it's probably going to be a problem when your sending |
| "grueling and decidedly unpleasant activity. After all, | | | | out resumes, too. Schedule some play time to relax |
| what could be more tiring than going from one place to | | | | and recharge your brain - it's not only fun, it actually |
| another and peddling yourself?" | | | | improves your efficiency when you're back at the |
| It's hard to argue that point, especially when you hear | | | | computer. |
| reports about the average number of months (4) it | | | | The point is, you can make time, even in a hectic |
| takes people - even executives and managers - to | | | | job-hunting schedule, to do something fun - and it'll |
| land a new position. And the articles talking about the | | | | immediately improve what you personally project to |
| hundreds of resumes submitted for a given position. | | | | prospective hiring managers, recruiters, and others in |
| And the rejection you go through in the career search | | | | the job hunt game. |
| process... | | | | What's more, who wants to hire someone who's |
| Okay, enough! Like most anything else in life, you can | | | | deadly serious? Heck, I wasn't deadly serious when I |
| decide whether to have fun with the job transition | | | | interviewed to become a bank auditor, all those years |
| process. It's up to you to find the fun in it. Could you: | | | | ago, and I got job offers out of both companies where |
| * Make it a game? Set it up like a bingo card, with | | | | I interviewed. Don't mistake taking the job seriously with |
| spots for resumes sent, interviews landed, networking | | | | being a downer. |
| events attended, et cetera. Get bingo, and stop | | | | I know this is one of those things that can be easy to |
| everything to give yourself a job hunting reward. | | | | say in theory, but when you're in the job search |
| * Play with a friend? If you know someone else on the | | | | trenches, it can be hard to live it out. |
| hunt, team up for motivation and relaxation. Help each | | | | But it's like your mother once said: You catch more |
| other role play for interviews, share your horror stories, | | | | bees with honey than vinegar. The harder you try to |
| critique each other's resumes, and keep each other's | | | | stay positive and have fun with your job search, the |
| spirits up. | | | | faster it'll seem to go, and the more doors that'll open |
| * Take a break already? You know, this whole job | | | | for you in the process. |
| search thing can drive you crazy. And if work-life | | | | |