How a Job Search Is like Running 100 Miles

How a Job Search Is like Running 100 Miles How a Job Search Is like Running 100 Miles Thinking about the similarities between a job search and an ultra-marathon led to interview elite ultra-marathoner Darcy Piceu. An accomplished, record-setting distance runner, Piceu is also a running coach and a high school intervention specialist- and a mom to boot! Her 13 years of experience as an ultra-distance runner have taught Piceu a thing or three about the importance of pacing in reaching long-range goals. Ultra-marathon runners train for endurance races that are typically 100 miles or more. We talked to Piceu about her inspiring running career (she set a women’s record for running the grueling-but-exhilarating  Grand Canyon Rim2Rim2Rim) and about how her training tips might translate from the running trail to the job-seeking trail. Heres how to run your job search like an ultra-marathoner: Focus on quality. Unlike some ultra-marathoners, Piceus training schedule is more about quality than quantity, she says. It seems counter-intuitive: wouldnt someone training for a 100-mile race want to rack up the daily training miles? Not necessarily, Piceu says. Thanks to her years of experience, shes built a training base that allows her to focus on the quality of her runs, and not the total mile tally. I have so many other things going on in my life, I think thats a good thing, actually, she says. Quality in your job search: Job seekers, target your job search energies toward work that would be meaningful to you. Tailor your resume and cover letter to each specific position, and home in on the kinds of jobs that feel like a good fit. Set long-range goals. Setbacks are inevitable- in racing, in your job search, in life. How to handle those setbacks? On the running trail, Piceu works on training her mind as much as she trains her body. Your mind in those distances can go into a funk, she says. Its important not to follow that negativity down a road to where you basically just want to stop. Instead, Darcy advises, push through. Just like in life, we have highs and lows, she says.Oftentimes, neither stays. Everything is changing at all times. Goals in your job search:  Learn to take rejection in stride. A no from a potential employer today has no bearing on how things might go with another employer tomorrow. Be present. The benefits that Darcy gets from running spill over into all aspects of her life. The metaphors that come up for me are endless, she says. My biggest one is being in the moment. Running 100 miles is a constant reminder that you just put one foot in front of the other and deal with whatever comes at that moment. Darcy uses meditation techniques and yoga to help her stay grounded, literally and figuratively, and hit her targets. Being present in your job search:  Distractions and moments of doubt are inevitable in your job search. Dont look back, and try not to anticipate what might happen next. Have a blueprint, stick to it, and dont hesitate to reboot your job search plan, if necessary. Trust your community. In distance running, athletes often form bonds based on their common experiences, Piceu notes. Theres a connection you end up having with other runners. You know theres a lot of suffering involved, just like in life, Darcy says. Its a shared experience that strips everything away. It strips the ego away. That sense of community buoys fellow runners and keeps them on track, even through the tough moments. Trust in your job search: Network, network, network. Community comes in many forms, so when it comes to your job search, build on the professional network you already have going, and look for ways to grow it. Stay flexible. As if juggling motherhood, coaching other runners, and working as a high school intervention specialist werent enough, Piceu makes time to run. She finds it helpful that her part-time work in her high school position allows time for the other things that matter in her life- especially spending quality time with her daughter. Flexibility in your job search: Seek flexibility in your job options as well as in your day-to-day life. Specifically (as far as your job search is concerned), do your research to help you find the best companies for work flexibility. Follow Darcy on Twitter!