March Madness and Your Job Search

March madness is coming towards the end. If you’re a basketball fan, you have had your pen out and your brackets filled, and your fair share of ups and downs. While your mind might be on the court, the game of basketball and the game of interviewing have a lot in common. Don’t believe me? Check this out:

Know the rules, win the game

In order to play great basketball you need to know the rules, the tricks and how the scoring works. While there are no set rules in job searching/interviewing, there are best practices you can follow to master an interview and win the game. For example, you need to know how to sell yourself, surpassing the competition to land the new position. You don’t want to commit a foul with your body languageor be a ball hog with your elevator pitch.

Pre-game pump up or cool down

Some basketball players listen to classical music and relax before the game, others go to the closest steak house and stock up on protein for the game. Most of them read up on the competition so they know what to expect. You need your own special way to prepare so you can be at your best for the big game: your job interview. Do research on the company, eat a healthy meal and go in strong and prepared to make big lay-ups.

Teamwork brings results

While a job interview may seem like an independent event with just you and the interviewer(s), you need a strong team in the form of your network,  to get you in the door, help you prepare and set you up to score. Your team of supporters acts as a screen, clearing the way for you to dribble down the court. No basketball player can win a game alone and few job seekers get hired without great support from their team.

Don’t be stalled by defeat

It’s hard to go undefeated in either interviewing or basketball. The team that wins March Madness will have had many losses along the way and when you get hired for a job, it may be after being turned down for many. You win some and you lose some but you never stop trying. In basketball and interviewing you can always improve your game. Whether it’s by doing a mock interview or going to a networking event to mingle with new companies, there is always room to improve.

Whether you’re a basketball fan or not, there is an undeniable connection between the game and your job search. So while you watch the games for the next couple weeks and fill out your bracket, remember that you can win your job search!