Santa Claus: giver of gifts, eater of cookies. Once a year he travels the world at roughly 5.1 million mph and delivers gifts to children across the planet. While he probably isn’t thinking about looking for a new job anytime soon (you try finding a job where you get to work from home 363 days a year), his actions can give you some nice tips for your own job search. So while sugar plums are dancing in your head, consider these four lessons Santa can teach you about finding your next job:
That Whole “Making A List” Thing Works Wonders
As the famous public domain song states, Santa is keen on “making a list” so he can keep track of who has been “naughty or nice.” Making lists isn’t just a great way to keep track of which children get presents and which get coal, it’s also a great way to begin your job search. Creating a list of both target companies, and what specifics you are looking for in a job will make your search more productive and efficient. By identifying both who and what your goals are, you’ll focus your time on the jobs you want, not waste your time searching through jobs that are the holiday equivalent of fruitcake.
Be “Jolly”
If we know two things about Santa Claus it’s that he can really pull off red, and spends most of his time being jolly. Can you imagine a sour Santa? Neither can we, it was a rhetorical question. If Santa was looking for a new job, his jolly attitude would benefit his search. Studies have shown that happiness makes people 12% more productive, and companies with happy employees outperform their competition by 20%. If you keep a good attitude and make it show in your communications, it will give you a leg up.
Be a Great Listener
In addition to supervising the whole present delivery thing, caring for reindeer, and maintaining a 500-year old marriage, Santa finds the time to stop by thousands of malls and community events to listen to children tell him what they want for Christmas. Considering you rarely see him writing these down, he has to pay close attention to keep these requests straight. Great listening skills are equally beneficial to your job search, as it will help you stay on track and follow directions. Hiring Managers have specific ways they like to conduct interviews and rank candidates’ performance. Making sure you pay attention and capture precisely what the Hiring Manager wants will benefit your performance greatly.
It Takes a (Snowy) Village
While Santa gets most of the credit for making sure that gifts are delivered on time, he actually relies on a team of elves, reindeer, anthropomorphic snowmen, and more to help him out. While you may not have a snowman in a magic hat to help you, you do have your network. They can help you with all aspects of your search, from identifying insider job opportunities, to crafting your resume, and helping you with interview preparation. Considering that most jobs aren’t advertised, your network is critical to helping you identify and capitalize on new opportunities.
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