When you think about conducting a job search, fun is probably not the first word that springs to mind. On the other hand, summer tends to be viewed by many people as a time for fun. How can you possibly bring those two views together?

Job Search and FUN

If you take each letter of the word “fun” and look at what it might stand for, here’s one result you could come up with:
?F = Freedom to choose
?U = Unlimited potential
?N = Negativity banished

Now let’s take a brief look at each of these concepts in relation to your job search plans:

Freedom to choose: The fact that you’ve been chugging along in a career groove for quite a while doesn’t mean you’re stuck there forever. Just as summer can signify freedom to relax and enjoy life more, so your job search can help provide a sense of freedom–freedom to choose, freedom to move forward, freedom to envision possibilities you hadn’t considered before.

Unlimited potential: Some of the perceived limits standing in the way of your career progress could be self-imposed. Perhaps not consciously but unconsciously, you might be viewing your current career or job situation as limited or restricted in a way that doesn’t stand up to impartial scrutiny. When you open your thinking to look at possibilities you had previously considered out of reach, you might find the barrier is no longer there (and maybe never was).

Negativity banished: Experts agree that negative self-talk causes a lot of our problems and, most importantly, that such self-talk can be unlearned by practicing a more constructive (positive) thought process. The more you consistently work on banishing negativity in your career management and job search activity, the more you increase your prospects for achieving a desirable future.

Tips for Making Job Search a FUN Activity

While you might still find it a mental stretch to view job searching as fun, the following tips could help make it seem more like fun. I encourage you to try them over the summer and see what happens.

1. Plan a series of job search actions that aren’t hugely time-consuming but, when added together, could move your search forward by (or even before) summer’s end.

2. Reward yourself each time you complete one of those actions by taking time out for more traditional summer fun, either with other like-minded people or just on your own.

3. Share what you’re doing with people who matter–whether that’s family, friends, colleagues, or others. Invite them to check in with you periodically to see how you’re doing. (Add them to your support team.)

4. Cut yourself some slack–after all, it IS summer. If you don’t complete an activity when you had scheduled it, don’t beat yourself up; just reschedule it for a time when you feel confident you can do it.

5. At the end of the road, celebrate even a small victory (such as completing most of your planned job search actions). If you reach the ultimate goal of landing a new job, allow yourself a major celebration–you’ve earned it!