Card 4: Make it fun

I laughed when I pulled this card, so I'm off to a good start.

But seriously, job searching blows. I don't have to tell you.

The process is repetitive, frustrating, and opaque. Continuous rejection leads to self-doubt and causes you to question your worth as a professional and even as a person.

Is it possible to take one of the most soul destroying processes known to mankind and make it fun?

I dunno, but we're going to try.

Here are some ideas:

1. 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 – Set up a points system for sending applications, making connections, or interviewing, and reward yourself with a treat when you hit a milestone.

2. 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗕𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗼 – Create a bingo card with squares like "find a company with a great remote policy" or "apply to a job in an industry you've never considered before." Mark off squares as you go.

3. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀 – Dedicate themed days to your search, like "Biotech Tuesday" or "Finance Friday." Focus on specific categories to break up the monotony. (It's easy with ZenSearch's industry filters)

4. 𝗦𝘄𝗮𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱 – Tired of looking for your own jobs? Pair up with a pal and "compete" on who can find more jobs for the other person. The loser buys coffee, or something stronger, for the winner.

5. 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 – Challenge yourself to connect with a certain number of new people, comment on a LinkedIn post (maybe this one 😉), or attend a virtual networking event.

6. 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗪𝗶𝗻 – Even the smallest victory is worth acknowledging. Complete 5 applications? Celebrate! Get postive feedback? Revel in it! Give yourself a treat.

Do you have other ideas for bringing fun into the job search? I'd love to hear them.

Check us out at ZenSearch.jobs and share our platform with anyone looking for something new. Together, we can make job searching a little more zen.

Years ago I was introduced to Oblique Strategies cards. They're a deck of cards created by Brian Eno, each with a simple change in perspective meant to help one break out of a creative rut.

To use them, you pull 3 random cards from the deck and use the statements on the cards to prompt a different way to solve a problem or make a decision.

Throughout the year, I'll share a version of these cards, one per week. By the end of the year, you'll have a full set of well... strategies.