Tennis is truly an amazing sport – it teaches us to accept responsibility, learn strategy and build self-confidence. But how can its philosophy help you land your dream job?
With Wimbledon 2021 Championships starting we thought we would look at how the top tennis tactics can help you ace your next job interview.
“I really think a champion is defined not by their wins, but how they can recover when they fall.” – Serena Williams
So you’ve done it – you’ve gone through the entire interview process with the confidence that you will finally land the dream job when the phone rings – your application has been declined.
Sound familiar? Frustrating we know but instead of pulling the duvet back over your head, look back at your interview and recognise any potential mistakes you made. Were you prepared enough? Was your experience aligned with the job requirements? Would you have been happy there, was the cultural fit right? Remember that on average, every corporate job opening attracts over 250 CV’s but only 4 to 6 of these people will be called for an interview. If you were one of them, leave the frustration behind and keep on polishing your skills – just like successful tennis players do – in order to win your job-hunt game.
“If you don’t lose you cannot enjoy victories” – Rafael Nadal
While being interviewed for a dream position candidates can feel cautious talking about their weaknesses and failures.
If you happen to be one of them, remember that life is full of ups and downs and they barely have a long-term, negative impact on your professional life. On the contrary, the mistakes you’ve made during your professional journey are a great lesson and you can easily turn them into learning opportunities to enhance your career.
But when it comes to an actual interview, you might notice that uncomfortable feeling you get when you’re being asked to discuss your weaknesses. Don’t worry though – this is a natural reaction. But if you want to maximise your chances of getting hired, it’s a good idea to think about what these might be beforehand and reflect on what you have learnt from them. Just like tennis players reflecting on their failure in a game, address any issues head on and know that you have gained skills you can apply in your next role. We all learn from our mistakes as life goes on.
“I think I am great…therefore I am.” Roger Federer
Confidence in what you can achieve, backed up with the proof you can deliver. When it comes to discussing you being a perfect fit for a company, providing a few real-life scenarios from your experience to-date is key to victory. To impress a hiring manager, make sure you note down the most remarkable facts and statistics. If you work in marketing, this might be, for instance, an increase in conversions from the latest digital campaign after you changed the landing page format or, if working in a HR role, how you implemented a new internal staff portal that improved staff satisfaction scores. Remember that just as in sport, winning is subject to your ability to present your best side by showcasing your skills and expertise. So make sure you’re well prepared and confident in what you do!
Looking for more hints and tips to help you along your recruitment journey? Read our CV & Interview tips to make your CV stand out from the crowd.
