I'll be the first to admit that I have a severe addiction to Pinterest. Not only is it a great place to find all of those recipes and DIY crafts I'll (eventually) create, but it's also where I can relax and escape from my crazy life for a few minutes.
Pinterest might seem like just another social media site. But it can teach job seekers valuable lessons about job hunting. Below are a few ways that you can use the tools you have learned through Pinterest and apply them to your job search:
1. Stay organized
This is by far the most valuable lesson that Pinterest will teach you. In just a few minutes, you can pins hundreds of items, and if you saved them all to one board it would get very messy, very quickly. By creating categorized boards, you can easily find what you’re looking for on Pinterest.
This same rule applies to your job hunt. Create an excel spreadsheet that organizes all of your networking contacts and another that will keep track of the status of each of your job applications. This way, when you need to get in touch with someone or follow up on a previous connection, you can find all of the necessary information quickly and easily.
2. Follow through
On my Pinterest, I have lots of delicious food recipes that I plan to make one day saved. In the back of my head, however, I know that I probably won’t ever do this and instead I’ll live off of Chinese take out. All of that time I spent pinning the perfect menu for my ideal dinner party is considered a waste if I never actually take the time to make the meal.
In your job hunt, it is easy to create the “to do” list of all of the companies and professionals you plan to interact with, but if you never actually contact them then you will never have the opportunity to benefit from their experiences. Instead of making a list a hundred miles long, break down the tasks so that you can attack them in a more efficient manner. This way, you will feel like you have accomplished more instead of constantly feeling like you are drowning in everything you want to do.
3. Find what interests you
Pinterest is wonderful because no matter what your interests are, you can pin content that is personal to you. Plus, you are able to pin every little thing you are interested in, instead of just a few things. From DIY crafts to your dream wedding to geeky gadgets, you can create a personalized board that is all your own. Make sure you apply this same tactic to your job hunt. There is much risk involved in unemployment, but you can’t be afraid and pigeonhole yourself into a job you will hate in five years. Instead, take some time to explore different options to find a career that you will truly enjoy. Try job shadowing a local company or calling a professional in your field for an informational interview to ask them some questions so that you can get a better understanding of what you’re getting into.
Finally, remember that at the heart of it, Pinterest is so addicting because it is fun. Even though you might feel overwhelmed during your job hunt, remember to take some time to relax and do something enjoyable! When you take a few minutes to breathe, suddenly your tasks won’t seem so daunting and you will be able to attack them with more energy.
